Autobiographies and Memoirs in the Research Room

I represented the BDC at the Books Sandwiched In series sponsored by the Friends of the Beaufort Library on February 10, 2025. This session featured Jonathan Haupt, Executive Director of the Pat Conroy Literary Center interviewing author and journalist Jeffrey Blount about Black Boy by Richard Wright and how Wright's work influenced Blount's own career and writing. (BTW: I suggest that you watch the recording. Scroll down to the button 2025 BSI Presentations.) 

It has been my long practice to "personalize" what the BDC takes to our local history programs and outreach activities. The BSI appearance was no different. I consider the research and time spent putting hand-outs together as a key component of the added value BDC staff give the community. We could show up empty handed but that, in my professional opinion, would indicate laziness and a lack of passion about one's work. Thank goodness - and Beaufort County government - that with both Cassandra and Sydney aboard, they help me with certain aspects of the "added-value" endeavors now. 

Since Black Boy is an autobiography/memoir by an African American writer and I was only allowed a small space at the table, I had to scale down considerably. (I am grateful that Library Director Amanda Dickman gave me that heads up in advance.) In addition to the BDC's basic all purposes "This-is-what-we- have-and-do" in broad terms pamphlet, the BDC's digital collections flyer, and the latest Glimpses: BCL's Local History programs flyer, I created a "Memoirs & Autobiographies of Local Black Americans" flyer for folks to pick up as they milled about the Lobby before the presentation began. 

Though I didn't create a flyer or pamphlet to share about how to write one's memoirs, I edited and revised a Connections blog post from 2021 about that topic. "How to Write a Family History or Memoir" was updated as some of the formerly featured titles are no longer available in the SCLENDS catalog. I updated my selections to include more options from the Library's Hoopla platform, too. 

I also used the BDC's outreach appearance at BSI as an opportunity to revise a flyer about memoirs of 20th and 21st century people in the BDC originally created during the dark days of COVID-19. New to the updated flyer are Seventh Son on Sacred Ground by Roger Pinckney, Downrange at Gardez by Gerald Wynn, and A Place Called Home by Elizabeth B. Later and "Sonny" Bishop.  

Please remember to check the Library's events calendar for the latest details about upcoming BDC local history programs: "A Song for Betty" with Tendji Bailey on Tuesday and an Author Book Talk about Shrimp Tales with Beverly Bowers Jennings on Thursday. Come and see what's new or revised in our "added-value" flyers and pamphlets and enjoy the featured titles on display during those programs. We do try to enliven our tried-and-true selections with a "fresh take" on the topics du jour each time.