Daufuskie Daze - Take 2

The Pat Conroy Literary Center and the BDC were very pleased to have 55 people turn-out for Jim and Carol Alberto's excellent presentation about their life teaching at the Mary Field Elementary School beginning in 1974.  Library customers North of the Broad River have a second chance to attend the presentation as there will be a reprise on Friday at the Beaufort Branch Library.

Crowd at Hilton Head Branch Library (Jay Karr, BCL staff photo)

The Albertos were the first teachers who "stuck around" after Pat Conroy's brief tenure at the school. From navigating weekly boat rides to the mainland for groceries to learning to avoid dangerously close encounters with local wildlife, these teachers had no idea how they would learn from the island and the people who call it home.


Emory Campbell, a renowned Beaufort County native son, Gullah cultural historian, and former director of Penn Center, offered this review of Alberto's book:

This fascinating book tells a rare, unvarnished, important story of a committed teacher. Jim Alberto's pivotal experiences while teaching at the two-room school on Daufuskie Island with wife Carol. It is an extraordinary example of courage, caring, and perseverance. From his depiction of the Islands distinct smell in the first chapter to his deep exhale to contentment in the last chapter, Jim's detailed account will enthrall readers on every page. 

You can check out one of the Library's circulating copies or purchase a copy after the program. 

Pre-registration is preferred for the session at 2 pm in Beaufort Branch Library on 15 November: https://daufuskiedaze2.bpt.me

 

Also, please remember that the Research Room has a lunch time closure on Thursday, November 14, 2019 due to a staff shortage.