The Aiken County Public Library will be presenting an original Let’s Talk About It series titled “South Carolina Writers on Page and Screen” from September – November 2022. This reading and film discussion series features novels by modern South Carolina-based writers whose works have been turned into films. The series will become a part of the permanent Let’s Talk About It collection available to all libraries and nonprofit organizations after it concludes in Aiken. SC Humanities supported this project with a Mini Grant.
Let’s Talk About It has long been the backbone of library programming offered by SC Humanities as well as councils across the country. The program connects readers with classic literature, resonant themes, and scholarly interpretation in an exciting classroom-style discussion forum where ideas and insights abound. In partnership with the South Carolina State Library, SC Humanities offers more than 40 diverse series, on themes ranging from women’s autobiography to the importance of heritage in South Carolina literature.
The “South Carolina Writers on Page and Screen” series at Aiken County Public Library will include four South Carolina novels that have film versions. A film screening will proceed each scholar-led book and film discussion. The program dates are:
Tuesday, September 6 | 6:30 p.m. – The Great Santini (1979; rated PG)
Tuesday, September 13 | 7:00 p.m. – The Great Santini (Pat Conroy) discussed by Dr. Tom Mack
Tuesday, September 27 | 6:30 p.m. – The Mermaid Chair (2006; rated PG)
Tuesday, October 4 | 7:00 p.m. – The Mermaid Chair (Sue Monk Kidd) discussed by Dr. Matt Miller
Tuesday, October 18 | 6:30 p.m. – The World Made Straight (2015; rated R)
Tuesday, October 25 | 7:00 p.m. – The World Made Straight (Ron Rash) discussed by Dr. Andrew Geyer
Tuesday, November 8 | 6:30 p.m. – The Beach House (2018; rated G)
Tuesday, November 15 | 7:00 p.m. – The Beach House (Mary Alice Monroe) discussed by Dr. Todd Hagstette
The programs will take place at the Aiken County Public Library, 314 Chesterfield Street, SW, Aiken, SC 29801 and are free and open to the public. The program is for adults 18 and older. In addition to the grant from SC Humanities, support was provided by the Friends of the Library.
For more information about the Let’s Talk About It program and to see a full list of the series that are available, visit https://schumanities.org/projects/ltai/.
The mission of SC Humanities is to enrich the cultural and intellectual lives of all South Carolinians. Established in 1973, this 501(c) 3 organization is governed by a volunteer 20-member Board of Directors comprised of community leaders from throughout the state. It presents and/or supports literary initiatives, lectures, exhibits, festivals, publications, oral history projects, videos and other humanities-based experiences that directly or indirectly reach more than 250,000 citizens annually.
