In October 2015, more than a thousand people participated in the Pat Conroy at 70 Festival celebrating a milestone birthday and honoring the iconic southern writer in his hometown of Beaufort, South Carolina. The event was a once-in-a-lifetime gift to the community and to the author himself, who passed away from pancreatic cancer just months later. The immersive festival model of author discussions, a film screening, a museum exhibition, a tour, and special lunch and reception events proved to be so successful that the organizers are continuing it as an annual event honoring Conroy and now called the Pat Conroy Literary Festival.

By Margaret Evans, Editor

Like millions of Americans, I keep a diary in cyberspace. I call it my “blog” – we all call them blogs – but it’s more like a virtual journal, a place to jot down random thoughts, flesh out idea fragments, post nature photos, etc. I don’t spend much time on my blog – too busy – and neither does anybody else.

The USCB Center for the Arts is currently hosting an exhibit by Gerald Erley.   The exhibit Poetry of Nature will be on display through September 30^th in the Center for the Arts Gallery. The public is invited to a closing reception on Thursday, September 29 from 5:30 – 7 pm.

Hannah Wicklund was busy taking piano lessons and entering classical music competitions while most were learning their ABC's. At age six, she played her first show alongside her brother Luke Mitchell, playing Beatles covers. By age eight, the young talent had picked up guitar and formed her band, The Steppin' Stones.