Winding Down the Big Read and Winding Up for Spring

The Big Read winds down with the grand finale: Swing with Janie and Tea Cake!

Saturday, February 27 from 5:00-8:00pm | Ruby Lee’s Restaurant (Hilton Head)

 

Join us for the final act of The Big Read at Ruby Lee’s restaurant in Hilton Head! The evening will feature great music, swing dancing, tasty food from the land and the sea, and signature cocktails available for purchase. Jazz Age attire is encouraged. The event is open to the public, however dinner is $45/per person and cocktails are available for purchase. Reservations are required 843-681-7829 (Use code MPP). The Big Read closing event is sponsored by The Mitchellville Project. (BTW: We have a Mitchelville: List of Links & Materials page at http://bit.ly/1gYUQ1P )

In case you missed one of our book discussion groups about Their Eyes Were Watching God, Beaufort County Library's own librarians, Halle Eisenman, Ann Cox and Traci Cox, did a "Well-Read" podcast on the topic. They actually preferred the audio version for the first read because they experienced some difficulty with the variety of dialects that the characters use, though Traci Cox mentioned that the profound comments Hurston makes are sort of lost in the audiobook. She felt the lack of time to savor the profundity of statements. Each one loved the narration provided by Ruby Dee. As Halle Eisenman says "It has a richness in the language" and deep symbolism that one seldom sees in most modern novels. Each one recommended listening to the audiobook first and then reading a printed book to capture all the juicy details. Download this episode (right click and save)

But anyone reading local media knows that we are entering a very active phase of community life events. In February, Hilton Head hosts its Gullah Celebration and the Beaufort Film Festival draws in hundreds of film-makers and fans. March has some notable special events, too: The Landmark Conference of the Confederation of Local Historical Societies; a Living History Civil War Encampment at the Arsenal put on by the Beaufort History Museum; the Third Annual Sam Doyle Folk & Gullah Cultural Arts Festival to name but a few. April has Taste of Bluffton; Soft Shell Crab Festival; a celebration of the 450th anniversary of the Spanish settlement led by the Santa Elena History Center and the 48th Annual RBC Heritage golf tournament. May's end brings the Gullah Festival. Add in the arts festivals, school events, and architecture tours and one could spend almost every week exploring a different aspect of all that Beaufort County has to offer residents and visitors. (Forgive me if I failed to list your favorite event. There are just so many!)

(BTW: We have a Sam Doyle: List of Links & Materials page at http://bit.ly/1S0ngLh)