The Flannery O'Connor Childhood Home

Find us on Facebook and at our new website

2011-06-07T07:24:00.000-07:00

Obviously, we've discontinued use of this blog (despite our best intentions).

Please look for us on Facebook and on our website at http://www.flanneryoconnorhome.org.

November 2009

2009-10-27T10:22:00.000-07:00

The Home will be open for tours the regular hours and times-Fridays through Wednesdays, 1 - 4 p.m.-except for the 8th and 15th when there will be Lecture Series talks starting at 3 p.m. On those two Sundays the last tour will start at 2:30 p.m. And yes, we will be open the Friday following Thanksgiving.

Peacock Guild Members:

Writing Salons: The meetings will be held on the 10th and 24th.

Book Guild: Meets on the 17th.

All meetings begin at 7:30 p.m.

2009 Fall Lecture Series: The Sunday Events

2009-10-27T10:06:00.000-07:00

Attendees at both the 18th and 25th lectures were treated to outstanding presentations. Many thanks to Woody Belangia for his thought-provoking discussion on "Parker's Back." Those present on the 25th were enlighted by Pat West's review of James Alan McPherson's life and accomplishments.

The top photo is of, from left to right, Dr. Jim Smith and Woody and Grace Belangia. The bottom photo is of Pat West.

Fall Lecture Series begins Saturday Oct. 3 with acclaimed novelist A. Manette Ansay

2009-09-30T08:46:00.000-07:00

FLANNERY O’CONNOR CHILDHOOD HOME
FALL 2009 LECTURE SERIES
All lectures are FREE and take place at 3 p.m. in the parlor at the Flannery O’Connor Childhood Home, 207 E. Charlton Street.

SATURDAY (all other dates are Sunday), October 3 – A. Manette Ansay on "Flannery and Facebook: The Influence of O'Connor in My Daily Writing Life"
Reading and talk by acclaimed author and University of Miami professor A. Manette Ansay (Vinegar Hill, Midnight Champagne, Blue Water). Her latest novel, Good Things I Wish You, melds the story of a modern-day relationship with the dramatic story of Clara Schumann, her husband composer Robert Schumann, and their good friend the composer Johannes Brahms. Good Things I Wish You will be available for purchase and signing after the talk.

Sunday, October 18 - Woody Belangia, Ph.D. on “Who Do You Think You Are? Idolatry and Identity in ‘Parker's Back’”
Discussion of the classic O’Connor story with Woody Belangia, Professor of Philosophy at August State University. We encourage all attendees to read the story before attending this lively and provocative lecture and discussion.

Sunday, October 25 - Pat West on “Roots, Rivers, and Rhetoric: The Homegrown Writings of Savannah's James Alan McPherson”
Pat West, Head of the English Dept., at Savannah Technical College, will address the cultural and place imprints of Georgia upon the fiction of the internationally known author – and Savannah native – who in 1978 became the first African-American to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

Sunday, Nov. 8: Mary Doll, Ph.D. on “O’Connor’s Hard Headed Women”
Doll, a Professor of English at the Savannah College of Art & Design, specializes in myth and modern literature and has written four books, including Beckett and Myth: An Archetypal Approach and To the Lighthouse and Back: Writings on Teaching and Living.

Sunday, November 15 – Randy Malamud, Ph.D. on “The Literary Tourist”
Randy Malamud, Ph.D., Professor and Associate Chair of Modern Literature, Ecocriticism and Cultural Studies at Georgia Southern University, discusses the curious reverence that readers pay to the sites where authors lived.

Sunday, December 13 - Bob Strozier reads Truman Capote’s “A Christmas Memory”
One of the founding members of the Flannery O’Connor Childhood Home and a retired professor of English from AASU, Bob Strozier returns for his traditional reading of “A Christmas Memory.” Don’t miss this much-loved annual holiday tradition!

September hours and Guild meeting times

2009-09-01T10:29:00.000-07:00

The Childhood Home will be closed from the 21st thru 25th this September. Please call 912.233.6014 if you would like to schedule a tour during that time frame or email billdawers@comcast.net.

The intial meetings for the Peacock Guild book club and writers salon were great successes. Please note the following schedule for September:

Writers salon - Fiction only: Meet on the 8th at 7:30 p.m.

Book club: Meet on the 15th at 7:30 p.m.

Writers salon - All other genre: Meet on the 22nd at 7:30 p.m.

Street parking only. No pets, please, unless it's a backward walking chicken, of course, and then only with prior approval . . . .

Peacock Guild Now Forming

2009-08-12T09:31:00.000-07:00

We're pleased to announce the formation of a new literary guild aimed at fiction writers and book lovers throughout the Coastal Empire. There are two components to the Guild: a monthly book club and a bimonthly writers' salon. The Book Club's first meeting will be August 19th at 7:30 p.m. The initial meeting for the Writers' Salon will be August 26th, also at 7:30 p.m. Both events will be here at the Childhood Home. The cost is free, though the purchase of annual memberships to the Friends of Flannery are encouraged and start at $25.

The volunteer coordinator is Adrienn Mendonca, a former docent here at the Home. For additional information, please call 912.233.6014 or email peacockguild@gmail.com.

Visitors: Georgia Humanities Council

2009-06-09T12:07:00.000-07:00

On the 6th of June, members of the Georgia Humanities Council visited Flannery's Childhood Home. They were greeted by President Bill Dawers and led through the museum by resident manager Toby Aldrich. Our guests enjoyed hearing about her pet chickens and viewing her childhood books that are on display in the Bruckheimer Library.

Second Annual Ashley and Terry Ursrey Memorial Lecture

2009-06-07T08:27:00.000-07:00

We had a great crowd for our second annual Ursrey Memorial Lecture last Thursday evening at Trinity United Methodist Church. Allan Gurganus spoke about his own encounters with O'Connor's work, including the letter that he wrote to "Mr. O'Connor" as a teenager after reading "Parker's Back" in Esquire. The typically cordial O'Connor actually wrote him back

Mr. Gurganus then read -- amazingly -- from a new-ish stage adaptation of "Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All." At full-length, the one-woman play runs about 70 minutes and is now available for production. Mr. Gurganus read almost the first third of it. I hope he has a chance to read it all sometime on stage.

Here are a few photos from a small cocktail party that we hosted for Mr. Gurganus on the night before his talk -- at the amazing home of Alvin Neely on Hall Street in Savannah's Landmark Historic District:

Spring 09 Friends of Flannery Newsletter now available online

2009-05-25T11:19:00.000-07:00

Spring 2009 Newsletter

Visitors: Southern Studies Program - Lee University

2009-05-25T10:45:00.001-07:00

On Saturday, May 23rd, we were delighted to host an after-hours tour for the faculty and students from the Southern Studies Program at Lee University, Cleveland, TN. The students prepared for the visit by reading A Good Man Is Hard To Find and reviewing Flannery's personal history. A visit here enhanced what they had read and learned about her life. Many thanks to Drs. Donna Summerlin and Mary Waalkes for having their students learn about Flannery and visiting her childhood home.

Allan Gurganus to give 2nd Annual Ursrey Memorial Lecture on Thurs., June 4

2009-05-20T08:54:00.000-07:00

The Flannery O’Connor Childhood Home will present a lecture by acclaimed author Allan Gurganus on Thursday, June 4 at 7 p.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church, located at 225 W. President St . on Telfair Square. A reception and book signing will immediately follow the lecture. All events are free and open to the public.

Gurganus will be the featured speaker for the 2009 Ashley and Terry Ursrey Memorial Lecture Series. The Ursrey Lecture Series is endowed in memory of the brothers Terry and Ashley Ursrey, native Georgians who, like Flannery O'Connor, were lifelong devotees of all things Southern, particularly the art of storytelling. The series officially debuted in 2008 with a talk by Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Michael Cunningham.

A native of Rocky Mount, N.C., Gurganus is perhaps best known as the author of the best-selling novel, Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All. He has been honored with the prestigious O. Henry Prize, the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Best Work of American Fiction, the Lambda Literary Award and the National Magazine Prize.

Over the years, he has written a number of novels, essays and short stories and has also contributed commentaries to The New York Times, The Newshour with Jim Lehrer and National Public Radio. A 2006 John Simon Guggenheim Fellow, Gurganus is the author of White People, Plays Well With Others and The Practical Heart. His work has been translated into 16 languages.

Author John Cheever has called Allan Gurganus, “the most technically brilliant and morally responsive writer of his generation.” Robert Wilson, the editor of American Scholar, has described him as “the worthy heir to Faulkner and Welty.”

Gurganus has taught writing and literature at Stanford University, Sarah Lawrence, Duke University and the University of North Carolina –Chapel Hill. He currently resides in Hillsborough, N.C.

Visitors: Historical Restoration Class - SCAD

2009-05-19T10:22:00.000-07:00

On the 19th of May, the O'Connor Childhood Home welcomed eight students and their instructor, Jeanne Lambin, for a special late-morning tour. The story of the Home's restoration back in '06/'07, the discoveries made during that time and the photographic log of the process, are always a joy to share. And such a tour brings about renewed appreciation for the generosity of Jerry and Linda Bruckheimer which allowed the restoration to take place. Many thanks to Jeanne for thinking of the Home and bringing her class here. We look forward to the next visit.

Visitors: St. Paul's Episcopal ECW

2009-05-17T10:54:00.001-07:00

Flannery's Childhood Home was the site for the monthly meeting of the E C W from Savannah's St. Paul Episcopal Church. The members had prepared by reading the author's short story, Revelation. First they toured the Home and heard stories about Flannery's childhood. Then they were lead in a discussion of the selection by their president, Janet Stone. All agreed their appreciation of the story was enhanced by having visited Flannery's childhood home.

Visitors: Museum Studies Class - SCAD

2009-05-17T10:31:00.000-07:00

The Home was visited by the students in Chris Neal's Museum Studies class offered at the Savannah College of Art and Design. For most, it was an introduction to Flannery O'Connor and her literature. All were interested in the origination and development of the Foundation and subsequent museum. Many thanks to Chris for bringing her class to Flannery's Childhood Home.

Spring Lecture Series: The Bruckheimer Library

2009-04-06T11:42:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, April 5th, the attendees of the Lecture Series were treated to an exciting examination of the Childhood Home's Bruckheimer Library. Moderators Joni Saxon-Giusti and Christian Kruse reviewed the books on hand that were of interest to Flannery and her family. Books written about Flannery and her work and their inclusion in the the Library were then discussed. Looking toward the future, the two Board members spoke of establishing a virtual library, something that would never be limited by the physical space here at the Home.

Mary Flannery's 84th birthday!

2009-03-28T10:51:00.000-07:00

With some in costume and others as they are, friends and supporters of Flannery's Childhood Home gathered on the evening of March 25th to celebrate her birthday. 84 years ago, just a few blocks to the south at St. Joseph's Hospital, Mary Flannery O'Connor entered the world. Little did anyone guess just what an effect this writer-to-be would have on readers around the world. The guests were treated to recipes found in the Sanford House Cookbook: carrot sandwiches, smoked oyster roll and turtle cake were just a few of the delights enjoyed.

Meet Our Docents

2009-03-28T10:14:00.001-07:00

Mary Lawrence Kennickell was born and raised in Milledgeville, GA. Her father was a dentist and had very important patients--the O'Connors. Mary Lawrence fondly remembers time spent talking to Flannery on Sunday afternoons. She arrived in Savannah in 1980 and is an artist specializing in graphite. She began leading tours here at the Home in 2007 following the historical restoration. Her favorite room to show is Flannery's bedroom.

Join Us for O'Connor's Birthday on March 25th!

2009-03-24T11:02:00.000-07:00

The Flannery O'Connor Childhood Home, located at 207 E. Charlton Street on Lafayette Square, will host a special celebration in honor of Flannery O'Connor's birthday on Wednesday, March 25 from 5:30 to 8 p.m.

This event is open to the public ($25 suggested donation). Guests are encouraged to dress up as their favorite Flannery O'Connor literary character and to enjoy drinks and hearty 1950's inspired hors d'oeuvres.

Please call 912-233-6014 or email billdawers@comcast.net with questions.

Hope some of you can make it!

Spring Lecture Series - Dr. Eddy Dupuy

2009-03-21T10:59:00.001-07:00

The Childhood Home parlor on March 16th was was the setting for a discussion on Flannery O'Connor and Walker Percy led by Dr. Eddie Dupuy, seen here with Bill Dawers, the Board's President. Dr. Dupuy spoke on the similarities and differences of the two authors to a full house. Currently Dr. Dupuy is the Dean of Graduate Studies at Savannah College of Art and Design.

Be sure to join us here at 3 p.m. on April 5th when Joni Saxon-Giusti and Christian Kruse will speak on the Childhood Home's Bruckheimer Library.

Meet Our Docents

2009-03-21T10:12:00.000-07:00

Gillian Brown has been involved with the Childhood Home before it was opened to the public. She is the widow of Dr. Hugh Brown, one of the original founders of the Foundation that purchased the Home in 1989. She remembers how everyone worried in those days about the mortgage, which has since been retired. One of her favorite stories to share with our visitors is the gathering of neighborhood children on Saturday mornings around the O'Connor radio so, along with Flannery, they could listen to the CBS radio program, 'Let's Pretend.' She also enjoys sharing the Home with the wide variety of guests who visit.

Meet Our Docents

2009-03-07T10:13:00.000-08:00

Jane Thimme wears a number of hats here at the Home. She started as a docent in 2000. The next year she became the Newsletter's editor. She joined the Board of Directors in 2006. Her favorite part of the house to show is the parents' bedroom on the second floor. She invites our guests to look out the large, lace-curtained windows so they can see what the O'Connors saw each morning and evening.

Reviews of Brad Gooch's "Flannery: A Life of Flannery O'Connor"

2009-03-05T10:46:00.000-08:00

I'll post some thoughts here soon about the book and about the wave of interest it has received, but here for now are links to various reviews that have already appeared. Some are fascinating essays about O'Connor in their own right:
The Associated Press
Janet Maslin in the NYT
Joy Williams from the cover of the NYT Book Review
Buffalo News
Creative Loafing Atlanta
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Cleveland Plain Dealer
The Washington Post
Austin American-Statesman
Chicago Tribune
Metro Spirit, Augusta, Ga.
Brad Gooch interview in Connect Savannah
Washington Times
LA Times
The Economist
Terry Teachout in Commentary
Entertainment Weekly (!!)
Salon

Letters to NYT re Joy Williams's "review"

National Review

Letter from Joan Acocella re Joy Williams's NYT review

Joyce Carol Oates in the New York Review of Books

America, The National Catholic Weekly

Georgia Bulletin, The Newspaper of the Diocese of Atlanta

National Post (Canada)

NPR

McClatchy Newspapers

Weekly Standard (requires subscription but first few paragraphs are available online)

Mini-review in Times Online (UK)

Telegraph (UK)

The New Republic

Photos from Brad Gooch's launch of "Flannery: A Life of Flannery O'Connor"

2009-03-05T10:28:00.000-08:00

About 300 people showed up at Trinity United Methodist Church on Feb. 26 to hear Brad Gooch speak about his acclaimed new biography of O'Connor, and more than 200 joined us immediately after for a reception at the Telfair Academy of Arts & Sciences. We sold more than 100 books that night.

Thanks to Cindy Vaughn Sinclair for taking these photos for us.

Meet Our Docents

2009-02-21T11:55:00.000-08:00

Nancy led her first tour through the Home in September, 2007. Her favorite room is the Bruckheimer Library. Her favorite story to share with our guests is about Mary Flannery being transferred to Sacred Heart from St. Vincent's. Many years later, while growing up here on the Isle of Hope, Nancy attended both schools, though St. Vincent's had become the Academy for high schoolers by that time. Still her attendance at both of these shools gives her a unique and personal perspective on a very important stage in Flannery's childhood here in Savannah.

Early Reviews of "Flannery: A Life of Flannery O'Connor"

2009-02-15T08:32:00.000-08:00

Here's a review of Brad Gooch's book in the LA Times, and here's a review in the Washington Times.

From the Washington Times: "Mr. Gooch has crafted the first serious biography of the distinguished Georgia writer, and in doing so he clears away some misconceptions about O'Connor and clarifies much about her life and work."

From the LA Times: "Gooch is brilliant on the fiction, passionate and smart, able to contextualize both the individual pieces and the scope of the career. He astutely notes that, despite producing two novels, Wise Blood and The Violent Bear It Away, O'Connor was not really a novelist, which is why those books don't quite hold up. She was, rather, perhaps the greatest 20th century American practitioner of the short story, a writer with an acute moral vision who understood that faith and salvation do not necessarily go hand in hand."

Brad Gooch to launch new O'Connor Biography in Savannah

2009-02-14T17:56:00.000-08:00

Please join us at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 26 at Trinity United Methodist Church on Telfair Square for a talk by Brad Gooch, whose major new work Flannery: A Life of Flannery O'Connor is being published by Little, Brown just a day earlier. Book sales, signing and a reception will immediately follow Brad's talk at the Telfair Academy of Arts & Sciences.

We'll add more links about the book in the coming weeks.

"This splendid biography gives us no saint or martyr but the story of a gifted and complicated woman, bent on making the best of the difficult hand fate has dealt her, whether it is with grit and humor or with an abiding desire to make palpable to readers the terrible mystery of God's grace." -- Frances Kiernan, author of Seeing Mary Plain: A Life of Mary McCarthy

Meet Our Docents

2009-02-14T09:52:00.000-08:00

It was October, 2007 and Marsha Bradford was driving south along I-95. She meant to spend the night in Charleston but missed the exit. She decided to drive on until she reached Savannah and we're glad she did. That November she was volunteering here at the Home as a docent. Unfortunately for us, she has moved on from this fair city but not so far away that she can't return from time to time and delight our guests with her tour.

New Arrivals

2009-02-10T11:21:00.000-08:00

We are proud to display "Maggie" and a child's tea set, both circa 1929 in Mary Flannery's bedroom. These generous and heartfelt donations are from Mr. & Mrs. J. Benjamin Kay III, Augusta, GA. Mr. Kay's mother, Lois Anderson Sullivan Kay, had them as a child. They are donated in her memory. The Kays had toured the Home in 2008. During their walk through the bedrooms, Mrs. Kay thought the doll and tea set would be a wonderful addition. And so they are. Many thanks to the Kays for their thoughtful gifts to Flannery O'Connor's Childhood Home.

Meet Our Docents

2009-02-01T11:41:00.000-08:00

Jan Fluitt-Dupuy is our newest docent. She is Director of English as a Second Language at Savannah College of Arts and Design. Having just moved to Savannah a year ago, she took advantage of the Super Museum Sunday program last February and visited the Childhood Home. As she toured our museum, she asked Jane Thimme, one of the volunteers-and Board members-on duty, if there was a need for docents. Jane quickly recruited Jan and we are pleased to have her on staff. She especially likes to show our guests Mary Flannery's bedroom. The afternoon light makes it a special place.

Meet Our Docents

2009-01-31T11:05:00.000-08:00

Clare Ellis is one of our newer docents here at the Childhood Home. A native of Savannah who left for a time, Clare returned July 2007 in order to teach English at Savannah Country Day School to 10th and 11th graders. Little did she know her classes would be held right next to Rena Patton's, past Board President and current member and docent. Clare was recruited and began docenting January 2008, a very welcomed addition to our excellent staff of volunteers.

Special Visit

2009-01-30T11:41:00.000-08:00

On Friday, January 30th, the Childhood Home was visited by Ms. Diane Welker and her A. P. English class from Trinity Christian in Statesboro, GA. In preparation for their visit, the class read A Good Man Is Hard To Find.

Everyone found inspiration from viewing a copy of one of Flannery's report cards she received while attending Sacred Heart here in Savannah. Our thanks to Ms. Welker and her class for their interest in Flannery.

New Hours at the Childhood Home!

2008-11-26T17:48:00.000-08:00

For almost two decades, the Flannery O'Connor Childhood Home has sustained itself purely through the effort of volunteers. It's been a remarkable run.

But now the Childhood Home has entered a new phase. The board of directors recently hired Toby Aldrich as our first ever employee. Toby will work 24 hours per week. So as of November 16, the Flannery O'Connor Childhood Home is open from 1 to 4 p.m. every day except Thursday (closed major holidays and the first two weeks of September and January). $5 for adults, free for those 12 and younger.

Among his many other duties, Toby will join me in making posts to this blog, which we hope will develop into just one of many ways in which we reach out to our past and future supporters.

This is an incredibly exciting moment in the 20 year history of the Childhood Home

Landings Book Club Tour

2008-11-21T10:14:00.000-08:00

Flannery's Childhood Home was visited by 10 members of the Landings (Savannah, GA) Book Club. In preparation for their visit, the members read Flannery's first published collection of short stories, A Good Man Is Hard To Find. Our special thanks to Beth Larance for her interest in Flannery's works and contacting the Childhood Home on behalf of the Club. The other guests were Larry Larance, Ken & Carol-Lee McKenna, Howard & Alice Welt, Don & Kay Gardner, Diane Logan and Walter Fraser.

Every effort will be made to accommodate those wishing to tour Flannery's Childhood Home. Please call or email to set up an appointment.

O'Connor: The most important female writer for me to read?

2008-11-15T13:45:00.000-08:00

Just came across this article from Esquire last month: www.esquire.com/the-side/feature/75-books

A Good Man is Hard to Find and Other Stories is #10 on the magazine's list of The 75 Books Every Man Should Read. O'Connor is preceded by 9 men: Raymond Carver, John Cheever, James Dickey, John Steinbeck, Cormac McCarthy, Dostoevsky, Edward P. Jones (The Known World), Studs Terkel, and Philip Roth.

Photos from our October party

2008-11-11T18:03:00.000-08:00

Check out these great photos from our big party in October at the unbelievably wonderful home of Connie and Walter Hartridge:

John Berendt weighs in on O'Connor

2008-11-10T17:44:00.000-08:00

Some interesting comments from our friend John Berendt over at eric forbes's book addict's guide to good books:

In an interesting interview he said in part:
"Despite the commercial nature of the publishing industry, there are still many publishing houses willing to publish literary books even though they expect modest sales at best. None of Flannery O’Connor’s books, for example, ever sold more than 3,000 copies, and she was arguably one of the most important American literary figures of the 20th century."

and:

"Flannery O’Connor is one of the half-dozen finest American writers of the 20th century, in my opinion. A very dark humour runs throughout her stories, and she has an uncanny facility for describing people’s faces in highly original and imaginative ways."

Visitors and more visitors

2008-11-10T15:15:00.000-08:00

It's a small world.

I docented on Saturday afternoon, and the first visitor was Annie Coggan, whom I met a number of years ago. She's now in Mississippi and wrote about her visit on her blog Chairs and Buildings.

Later that same afternoon, we were visited by Anne Trubek, an Oberlin professor who is writing a book about authors' house museums. She suggested that we might be the only such museum in the country that's devoted to an author's childhood. As it turns out, Anne is good friends with one of my oldest friends from high school in Kentucky.

Our Fall Lecture Series

2008-10-18T07:50:00.000-07:00

This fall we are continuing our long tradition of offering free Sunday lectures and readings at 3:00 p.m. in the Flannery O'Connor Childhood Home parlor

We've got a great lineup, and we hope to see some of you there.

Here you go:

Flannery O’Connor Fall Lecture SeriesChildhood Home

207 East Charlton Street

Sundays at 3:00 pm in the O’Connor Parlor

October 19
Starkey Flythe, Jr., re-founding editor of The Saturday Evening Post in the 1980’s and winner of the University of Iowa Press award for a collection of short stories, Lent: The Slow Fast, will read from his fiction and discuss Flannery O’Connor’s influence on his writing. Flythe’s poetry draws from life experiences that include Army service in Africa, editor for two national magazines, and a student of the classics. His poem, “I once took a shower with Dan Rather” is based on one of those life experiences.

October 26
Bill Dawers will speak on “Flannery O’Connor and the Popular Imagination.” Bill, president of the Flannery O’Connor Childhood Home Foundation, is a professor of English at Armstrong Atlantic State University and for the last eight years, has been writing the “City Talk” column for the Savannah Morning News.

November 2
Kalenda Eaton, a professor of English at Armstrong Atlantic State University will guide a reading group discussion titled, "Mother, Son, and Holy Ghost" based on Flannery O'Connor's story “Everything that Rises Must Converge.” Dr. Eaton earned her Master’s and Doctorate degrees in English with an emphasis in 20th Century African American Literature from Ohio State University. Attendees are obviously encouraged to read the story beforehand.

November 9
Sarah Gordon and Craig Amason will discuss A Literary Guide to Flannery O'Connor's Georgia, published last spring by the University of Georgia Press. Sarah Gordon, editor, is a professor emerita of English at Georgia College and State University. For many years she chaired GC&SU’s internationally renowned symposia on O’Connor and has authored two books on O’Connor. Craig Amason, consulting editor of the Guide, is executive director of Andalusia, the Flannery O’Connor house museum and the Flannery O’Connor-Andalusia Foundation.

November 16
Mary Villeponteaux, a professor of Literature at Georgia Southern University and a Renaissance scholar, will draw us back into the 16th Century with her talk: "Cruel Queens and Tender Maidens: The Gendering of Mercy in Shakespeare's Plays." Dr. Villeponteaux earned her PhD at Louisiana State University.

December 14
Bob Strozier, a former AASU prof and one of the founders of the O'Connor Home 20 years ago, will give his traditional holiday reading of Truman Capote's "A Christmas Memory"

Lecture Series coordinated by Dr. James Smith

Silent auction items for the the fundraiser

2008-09-21T11:00:00.000-07:00

I'll be updating this post over the next couple of weeks with both photos and new listings, so please keep checking in.

Items for the silent auction on Oct. 11:

"Magnolia," a magnificent etching by artist Curtis Bartone (seen at right)
An off-season week's stay at a classic Tybee beach house owned by Scott Center at 18th Place and Butler -- it sleeps ten and has wrap-around porches on both levels. I rented it for a week in 2007 for a family reunion -- it's an extraordinary property. Advance and absentee bids starting at $1800 accepted for this one. Email Bill Dawers.
Gift certificate from Local 11ten, which has become one of the city's premier restaurants
Gift certificate from Eos, perhaps Savannah's hottest new restaurant

One of the "babies" (above) that lined the steps of the Jepson Center for the Arts in 2007 as part of Marcus Kenney's amazing exhibit
Three pen and ink works by Betsy Cain; best-known for her abstract work, these three pieces -- done with ink made by the artist herself from her uncle's black walnut tree -- are scenes of Ossabaw Island; the works will be auctioned separately but would be perfect for hanging together
Gift certificate to Kasey's Gourmet Grille
Tickets to the Creative Minds lecture series sponsored by Savannah Country Day School
A tasting dinner for 4 at Cha-Bella

A signed copy of the book Snowbound and a signed 8"x10" print of "Emergence" (above) by photographer Lisa M. Robinson, whose work has been praised in publications like The New Yorker and The Wall Street Journal
4 tickets to any Savannah Music Festival event
Gift certificate to Magnolia Spa
A tile painting party at Starlight Pottery
A gift package that includes a gift certificate to A Whimsical Tea Cup on Abercorn
Two silver passes to the Savannah Film Festival
Gift certificate to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, opening this fall at Bay and Whitaker streets
A private tapas and paella dinner for 6
A new piece by artist Gerome Temple

Keep checking back for more items, information, and links.

Party and Fundraiser to be held on October 11

2008-09-21T10:34:00.000-07:00

Our major fall fundraiser will be on Oct. 11 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the famed Battersby-Hartridge House at 119 East Charlton St. Built by William Battersby, a business partner of Andrew Low who lived just across the street on the southwest trust lot on Lafayette Square, the home later passed into the Hartridge family, and then into other hands. The home was fittingly purchased in the late 20th century by Walter and Connie Hartridge, who will be our hosts for the evening.

It's $100/person. I know that's a lot of money, esp. in uncertain times like these, but it should be a great event, and a successful fundraiser is absolutely critical to our ongoing programs.

A few highlights:

Catering by Robbie Wood and Green Tomato Concepts. Robbie was for years the Executive Chef of Georges' of Tybee and his inventive foray into organic and local fare has drawn rave reviews.
Open bar, including some choice wine from Le Chai.
Jazz by piano phenom Brendan Polk and his trio.
An open house at the O'Connor Home, which is in the next block.
An amazing silent auction -- more on that in my next post.

Invitations should be received over the next day or two. If you don't receive one but are interested in coming, PLEASE just shoot me a quick email and I will answer any questions you have and make sure we have your contact info up to date.

Robert Giroux, RIP

2008-09-07T14:01:00.000-07:00

I'm sure there are still some publishers who might one day be considered literary heroes or cultural icons. But it seems that the business of books has made it harder for publishers and agents to pursue quality like they used to, to hold fast to their ideals like they used to.

Robert Giroux died a few days ago. The 94-year old played a pivotal role in the all-too-short career of Flannery O'Connor, and his warm friendship with her is obvious in their published letters.

To get a sense of Giroux's personal and professional interest in O'Connor, read (or re-read) the publisher's introduction to Flannery O'Connor: The Complete Stories over on the "Speaking of Faith" site.

Plans in the works for fall fundraiser

2008-08-04T12:09:00.000-07:00

We're very pleased to announce that this year's fall fundraiser has been scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 11, at the Battersby-Hartridge House on Lafayette Square. It's one of the most unusual and extraordinary houses in Savannah, and we're sure guests will be impressed with the gracious Charleston-style porches and well-preserved parterre garden. More details to come.

The Flannery O'Connor Childhood Home at red Ravine

2008-08-04T12:03:00.000-07:00

There's a great post about the O'Connor Childhood Home at the blog red Ravine . It's exciting to see that our rather short tour of an ultimately rather simple home can have such a profound effect on guests.

Thanks to bloggers QuoinMonkey and ybonesy for their interest.

New O'Connor bio slated for February 2009 release

2008-06-07T07:53:00.000-07:00

Big news for readers of Flannery O'Connor. Brad Gooch's long-anticipated biography is slated for release on Feb. 24, 2009, and is already listed on Amazon.

Gooch is the author of a number of novels, and also a couple of books of nonfiction -- Godtalk: Travels in Spiritual America and City Poet: The Life and Times of Frank O'Hara -- which seem especially good preparation to write a book about such a complex (even controversial) literary figure.

Cunningham lecture inspires writers and readers alike

2008-06-07T07:38:00.000-07:00

More than 150 literary-minded Savannahians came to Trinity United Methodist Church last Tuesday evening for Michael Cunningham's wonderful kickoff to the Ashley and Terry Ursrey Memorial Lecture Series. I was especially heartened by the diversity of the crowd, which included longtime supporters of the O'Connor Childhood Home, numerous people I had never seen, students from Armstrong, a couple of young men who recently moved to town and work as waiters at downtown restaurants, a few members of Trinity's congregation, SCAD professors, and on and on.

Michael's talk (which we hope to print excerpts of here and in our next newsletter) was phenomenal. At least one audience member said that he anticipated a "canned" talk, but Michael composed a test just for us in which he talked about his arguments with a hippie high school teacher about O'Connor's Catholicism (the teacher wanted to dismiss her faith and Cunningham wisely didn't), about reading "Revelation" over the phone to a friend who was stoned at the time, about the relevance of an author's life to her work, and more broadly about the relationship between reader and writer.

After the lecture, Michael graciously signed books and talked to fans until everyone had left the reception.

I also had the pleasure of showing Michael around town earlier in the day, and it was thrilling to see his appreciation for the work we have done in recent years at the O'Connor Home.

All in all, a great night. Attached is a photo of Michael with reader Vernice Vasquez, who has been a regular attendee at our ongoing lecture series.

Michael Cunningham appearing in Savannah

2008-05-04T07:25:00.000-07:00

THIS POST HAS BEEN CORRECTED -- MR. CUNNINGHAM'S ORIGINAL DATE HAD TO BE CHANGED BUT HE WILL BE COMING. We are thrilled to announce that Michael Cunningham (Pulitzer Prize winning author of The Hours, Flesh and Blood, Specimen Days, and A Home at the End of the World) will be giving a free reading and lecture in Savannah. Mr. Cunningham's appearance is the first annual installment in the The Ashley and Terry Ursrey Memorial Lecture Series.

Like O'Connor, Cunningham earned an M.F.A. from the University of Iowa. While best known as a novelist, Cunningham has also earned acclaim as a writer of short stories: "White Angel" was chosen for Best American Short Stories 1989, and "Mister Brother" appeared in the 2000 O. Henry collection.

Two of Mr. Cunningham's novels -- The Hours and A Home at the End of the World -- have been turned into highly-acclaimed films. Mr. Cunningham also co-authored the screenplay for Evening, starring Meryl Streep and Vanessa Redgrave.

After his talk, Mr. Cunningham will attend a brief reception and book-signing.

More details to follow.

2008 Spring Reading Series info

2008-04-21T12:37:00.000-07:00

Here's our lineup for the 2008 Spring Reading Series:

April 27:
Novelist Elizabeth Winthrop will speak on Sunday, April 27 at 3 p.m. Winthrop's second novel, December, will be released this summer. Free and open to the public. 207 East Charlton Street in downtown Savannah. Call 912-233-6014 for more information.
May 4:
Mary Barbara Tate and Dorrie Neligan -- scholars who were both friends of Flannery O'Connor more than 40 years ago -- will speak on Sunday, May 4 at 3p.m. at the Flannery O'Connor Childhood Home at 207 East Charlton Street in downtown Savannah. The event is free and open to the public.Call 912-233-6014 for more information.
May 18:
Susan B. Johnson, author of Savannah's Little Crooked Houses: If These Walls Could Talk and other works, will speak on Sunday, May 18, at 3 p.m. as part of the spring reading series at the Flannery O'Connor Childhood Home at 207 East Charlton Street in downtown Savannah. The event is free and open to the public. Call 912-233-6014 for more information.