News & Updates from the Pat Conroy Literary Center
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The Conroy Center Is TripAdvisor's Top-Ranked Attraction in Beaufort, South Carolina
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"A gem!
To Conroy fans and others interested in knowing more: plan a trip to this Center! Much more than a museum, it’s a living, breathing tribute to Pat the man and his work. So fascinating to see poems from his time at the Citadel, handwritten pages from his books, photos from his time teaching on Dafuskie Island. Guides are super knowledgeable, some knew him personally.
"
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Novelist Natasha Boyd, Jan 13
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The legacy of Eliza Lucas Pinckney (1722–1793) as an entrepreneurial innovator and challenger of societal norms is brought vividly to life in
Natasha Boyd’s
historical novel
The Indigo Girl.
Boyd will discuss her novelization of the life of this iconic South Carolinian on Sunday, January 13, 5:00 p.m. Free and open to the public, this program will be presented at and in partnership with
First Presbyterian Church of Hilton Head Island
and sponsored in part by
South Carolina Humanities.
A book signing will follow the author's presentation.
''If you love historical fiction, this book should be on your reading list.''
—
Southern Living
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Scribes at Pulpwood Queens Weekend, Jan 18
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During the Friday, January 18, dinner at their storied annual book club convention, the
Pulpwood Queens
(the largest book club in the U.S.) will host an
Our Prince of Scribes
panel discussion moderated by co-editors
Nicole Seitz
and
Jonathan Haupt
and featuring contributing writers
Tim Conroy, Patti Callahan Henry, John Warley,
and the Pulpwood Queen herself,
Kathy L. Murphy.
All sales of
Our Prince of Scribes
support the educational mission of the nonprofit Conroy Center.
Join the Scribes in historic Jefferson, Texas, for all of the Pulpwood Queens Girlfriend Weekend festivities. See the full schedule of events and registration information at the link below.
"Pat Conroy's death in 2016 left a colossal void in the literary landscape, but his spirit survives not only in the legacy of his work but in new books like this collection of funny, bittersweet recollections by those who knew him. Most contributors are Southern authors, many of them influenced by the long shadow he cast in the publishing world."
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Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Scribes at the Newberry Opera House, Jan 23
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Featuring the remembrances of a pantheon of 67 writers who were inspired, championed, and befriended by the late Pat Conroy (1945-2016), the anthology
Our Prince of Scribes: Writers Remember Pat Conroy
celebrates the lasting literary legacy of one of America’s best loved storytellers. At the historic
Newberry Opera House
on January 23 at 7:00 p.m., co-editor and Pat Conroy Literary Center executive director
Jonathan Haupt
will moderate a lively discussion among fellow “scribes” Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist
Kathleen Parker,
SC Governor's Office policy and external communications director
John Connor Cleveland,
historian and educator
Alexia Jones Helsley
and Pat’s brother
Tim Conroy,
a poet and retired teacher, as they share their favorite Conroy stories from the collection. Tickets are $25 (inclusive of fees), available
here
.
"The 2016 loss of acclaimed author Pat Conroy hit hard with readers, but none more so than his peers. In this book, authors who revered Conroy for his storytelling share their memories and stories of his life in an epic, vibrant way. Their candor gives readers a better view of the man behind so many of the Southern stories that have come to be classics
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and, in the telling, create a classic of their own."
—
It's a Southern Thing
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"I Was Born to Be in a Library" Tour Continues
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In our touring presentation
"I Was Born to Be in a Library,"
Conroy Center executive director
Jonathan Haupt
discusses Pat Conroy’s lifelong love of books and libraries—focusing on the roles public libraries, school libraries, and Pat’s own personal library played in his reading and writing life.
On Sunday, January 27, at 3:00 p.m., "I Was Born to Be in a Library" comes to the
Hal Kohn Memorial Library
in Newberry, SC, as part of the
Friends of the Newberry Library's
annual meeting. Free and open to the public, this event is also sponsored by a grant from
South Carolina Humanities.
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Scribes at Books Sandwiched In, Feb 4
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At noon on Monday, February 4, the
Friends of the Beaufort Library's
annual
Books Sandwiched In
series will host a panel discussion with authors
Cassandra King Conroy, Sallie Ann Robinson,
and
Bernie Schein
—contributing writers to
Our Prince of Scribes: Writers Remember Pat Conroy
—moderated by the collection's co-editor
Jonathan Haupt
, Conroy Center executive director. A book signing will follow the discussion. All sales of
Our Prince of Scribes
support the educational mission of the nonprofit Conroy Center. The Books Sandwiched In series is held at noon on Mondays, January 7—March 4, at the
USCB Center for the Arts
auditorium in downtown Beaufort, SC.
"In these essays, you'll meet a man who was troubled, tormented, angry, scathing, outrageous, hilarious, tender, noble, brave, and generous beyond measure. But most of all, you'll meet a man who damn-well knew how to love. And thanks to the devoted efforts of co-editors Jonathan Haupt and Nicole Seitz, and the work of 67 very fine writers, his legion of fans will come to love Pat Conroy even more than they already do."—
Lowcountry Weekly
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5-Week OLLI Presentation Series Begins Feb 6
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Our touring lectures have come home. In partnership with the
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
(OLLI) at the University of South Carolina Beaufort, the Conroy Center will be offering a 5-week series of lectures and presentations on the writing and teaching life of Pat Conroy. This series is only open to OLLI members and requires advance registration through
https://olli.uscb.edu
. Sessions will be held each Wednesday, February 6 through March 6, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at the Conroy Center. Seating is limited.
February 6:
"I Was Born to Be in a Library": Pat Conroy's Great Love of Libraries, presented by
Jonathan Haupt
February 13:
Pat Conroy's Reverence for Teaching, presented by
Jonathan Haupt
and
Stephanie Austin Edwards
February 20:
Pat Conroy's Great Love of Poetry, presented by
Tim Conroy
February 27
: Pat Conroy as Lifelong Learner, presented by
Jonathan Haupt
March 6:
Our Prince of Scribes: Writers Remember Pat Conroy, presented by
Jonathan Haupt
and Special Guests
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Third Annual March Forth at Penn Center, Mar 3
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The Conroy Center will hold its third annual
March Forth
day of learning on Sunday, March 3rd, at the Frissell Community House at
Penn Center
on St. Helena Island, 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Commemorating the anniversary of Pat Conroy's death, March Forth will be a day-long embrace of nature, writing, social justice, and fellowship among writers and readers in the heart of Conroy's beloved lowcountry.
March Forth's lineup will include
New York Times
best-selling young adult novelist
Nic Stone
(author of
Dear Martin
); educator and civil rights leader
Cleveland Sellers
and his biographer
Adam Parker
(author of
Outside Agitator
);
Our Prince of Scribes: Writers Remember Pat Conroy
contributing writers
Cassandra King Conroy, Tim Conroy, Jonathan Haupt, Ellen Malphrus, Sallie Ann Robinson,
and
Valerie Sayers
; and more.
All-day admission to March Forth is $22 with four gourmet box lunch options catered by
Debbi Covington
available for an additional fee of $18 (with advance purchase). A full schedule of the day's events will be posted in early February.
This event is sponsored by a generous gift from Erin and Matt Devlin and presented in partnership with Penn Center.
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The
Our Prince of Scribes
tour is also coming to these locations in early 2019. Look for additional details soon on our
website
and
Facebook
events calendars and in future issues of this email newsletter.
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Our Prince of Scribes: Portraits by Nicole Seitz
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EXHIBITION EXTENDED THROUGH FEBRUARY 2019.
In the 70 days leading up to the September 18, 2018, publication of
Our Prince of Scribes: Writers Remember Pat Conroy
, artist, author, and co-editor
Nicole Seitz
sketched portraits of each of the 67 contributors to the anthology and their inspiration Pat Conroy. Coupled with brief excerpts from each writer’s corresponding essay, the portraits in this exhibition honor the spirit of generosity exemplified by Pat Conroy and by the pantheon of writers who freely gave their time and remembrances to this project. The exhibition is now on display at the Pat Conroy Literary Center through February 2019.
Artwork (c) 2018 Nicole Seitz. Excerpts from
Our Prince of Scribes
, edited by
Nicole Seitz
and
Jonathan Haupt
, published by the University of Georgia Press.
All sales of
Our Prince of Scribes
support the educational mission of the nonprofit Conroy Center.
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The Conroy Center is Open to the Public Thursday-Sunday, noon-4:00 p.m
.
Visit us in person in Pat Conroy's beloved Beaufort. The Pat Conroy Literary Center is South Carolina's first affiliate of the
American Writers Museum
and an
American Library Association United for Libraries Literary Landmark
. The Conroy Center is open to the public Thursdays through Sundays from noon to 4:00 p.m. Admission is free.
In partnership with
Beaufort Tours
, the Conroy Center also offers 90-minute van tours of Pat Conroy's adopted hometown, including sites related to Pat's books and films. Available daily at 2:00 p.m. with
advance registration
. $30/adult.
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Pat Conroy Literary Center | 905 Port Republic St., Beaufort, SC 29902
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