The second annual Pat Conroy Literary Festival is almost upon us, and this year'€™s theme is The Transformative Power of Education. In honor of that rich subject, I asked a random handful of festival presenters to ruminate on "€œone thing"€ they learned from Pat Conroy, through his writing or his life. It was a tough assignment; I know, because I made myself do it, too. As the wonderful submissions poured in, I was surprised, but also relieved, to find that nobody chose my one thing. Whew!

So I'€™ll get this party started. Pat Conroy taught me that there'€™s something even more transformative than education, and it's the power of grace.

A conversation with Lorrie and David Anderson of NeverMore Books

By Mindy Lucas

Longtime Beaufort, South Carolina, residents, David and Lorrie Anderson didn'€™t start their work lives in the bookselling business, but that'€™s exactly where they ended up after David's habit of collecting books "€œgot out of hand."€

The couple first opened NeverMore Books, a local bookstore specializing in unique, hard-to-find books and signed first editions, in September of 2015 on Carteret Street. But a little over a year later, they were forced to move their fledgling store from its basement location under the law offices of Tupper, Grimsley and Dean after Hurricane Matthew swept through the Lowcountry causing flooding issues everywhere. Now the shop has found a new home at 702 Craven Street, Beaufort, and as locals like to say, "€œthe Raven is now on Craven."€

In recognition of A Sea Island Lady and the legions who love the historical novel, Historic Beaufort Foundation will sponsor a tour on September 30th of the exteriors of 14 historic sites featured in the book. Its author, the late Francis Griswold, an HBF benefactor, will also be celebrated with new research into his life in an exhibit at the Verdier House.