Conversations from the Virtual Porch of the Pat Conroy Literary Center

Editor’s Note: Pat Conroy did lots of talking – and plenty of writing, too – on the porch of his home overlooking Battery Creek. Now, the Pat Conroy Literary Center has launched “Porch Talk,” a series of free-wheeling conversations between writers from Beaufort and beyond. Lowcountry Weekly will regularly feature excerpts of those conversations, starting with this one between novelist/porch "hostess" Janis Owens and novelist/poet Ellen Malphrus. Consider this your invitation to eavesdrop on The Porch.

Saturday, April 22 from 10 am - 4 pm artists are invited to break out their paintbrushes and sun hats for this fun plein air painting event taking place in Bluffton. The entry fee is $20 in advance and $25 walk up. Registration forms are available at any of the old town art galleries and online at sobagallery.com.

You can drive from Chicago to Los Angeles in about thirty-one hours - if you stick to the interstates. However, for the road warrior who isn’t in a hurry, a cruise along old Route 66 can be an unforgettable journey – one with surprises beyond every curve. Now, a musical comedy comes to town – Route 66, by Roger Bean – that celebrates the golden era of the quirky old highway.