Thursday, May 28, 2009

My Goodness, But We Had Fun!

We did! We had great fun!
Despite the rainy weather, our "Books & Bar-B-Q" authors' event was a success.
The authors came with their families or friends. Only a couple came alone, but they were quickly swallowed up in the fellowship of the evening.
The public came with tickets for the bar-b-que meal and money to buy books.
It was a good feeling. We were in one room to talk about writing and books and the creativeness to produce such works of art.
And that creativeness was mentioned when Reverend Hugh Ward, the pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, gave the blessing before the meal. His prayer included thanks for people who write and for the creativeness in all of us that comes from God. His prayer touched not only the hearts of the writers, but the readers, also.
It was fun to see the authors from last year's event get together again and talk up a storm, like long lost friends. They looked like they were at a family reunion.
And it was fun to watch the authors talk with people about how their "book of choice" had been inspired. There were smiles on the booklovers' faces as they listened.
An even bigger smile appeared when they brought the book they'd purchased back to the author for their signature and a special message.
Three authors had been asked to give 10-minute talks, but no one really minded if the talks were longer. Before the event began, they'd been given seven questions to answer. Jackie K. Cooper is always a favorite with the Moultrie crowd and the answers to his questions had everyone laughing. Ed McMinn, a newcomer to Moultrie, is a retired pastor and now full-time writer. His answers included how he found his "gimmick" to writing his "die-hard" college fans books. And then Dr. Charles Williams, who grew up in Moultrie, answered his questions by expressing his love for Moultrie, his grandmother, and Southern things to include stinkbugs.
Our fundraiser was so successful, the authors said they'd be back next year. Several will have new books by then. And we here at the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library have promised an even better event for 2010.
We're going to have such fun planning the next authors' event. That's a given.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

The Big Event Day Is Here

I'm so excited! I hope to see you here for "Books & Bar-B-Q" this evening, 5:30 to 7:30 in the Willcoxon Auditorium.
We've had four authors say emergencies have called them away from the event this year, but we will still have 14 authors present to share with library patrons and community guests some insight as to why they write. Guests attending will be able to purchase a copy of each author's "book of choice" also.
Three speakers have been selected to talk for 10-minutes each. They are Ed McMinn from Moultrie, Dr. Charles Williams from Tallahassee, and Jackie K. Cooper from Perry. All three are great "talkers" and will probably talk our arms off, but that's exactly what we want them to do.
Also, Beverley Starr from Albany will be here. She's one of our two lovely elders who will talk about their books. Vera Stinson is the other. We certainly hope the rainy weather we're having won't keep them away.
I've seen the baked beans (yummy!) and the many pound cakes (double yummy!) and the big, big bowl of cole slaw. Just the thought of the special bar-b-que makes my mouth drool! The tables for the meals are decked out with red and white checked tablecloths, and there's plenty of room for those planning to eat.
But the best thing about the evening is that we're going to have 14 authors in one room together. Last year it was wonderful to see them all talking together and sharing stories with each book lover who stood before them with excitement in their eyes. This year I expect more of the same kind of fun. Good food and good authors make for a good time!
I know there are a few books I'll want to buy for my own personal library, too.
It's not too late for you to join us. Tickets are on sale at the circulation counter for only a $10 donation. The proceeds from "Books & Bar-B-Q" go toward our library book fund.
I'm going to be looking for you!

Thursday, May 21, 2009

This Is Like The Night Before Christmas

We're down to the wire with the "Books & Bar-B-Q" authors' event, and it's like the night before Christmas. We're trying to make sure that everything goes smoothly and the event is a big hit with the community. However, as you and I both know, sometimes a monkey-wrench gets thrown into the mix.
We've had two disappointments...one: Ray Houston from Sylvester, who is Poet Laureate of the Yancy Independents, will not be able to join us. And two: Amy Blackmarr from Savannah has had a family emergency and will not join us either.
But we carry on, knowing that there are many authors who will be at the event to shake your hand, talk to you about writing, and show you an end product of all their hard work.
There are several authors from Moultrie that we are honoring and I know you'll want to meet.
Charles Gay is one. He served in the U. S. Navy and is retired from the Moultrie Police Department and Sheriff's Department. He writes about his memories of living near Ellenton, GA as a child, sharecropping with his grandfather, and meeting his wife of nearly 50 years. His stories even include a killing on the courthouse square in 1912 and how God has worked in his life.
Dr. Michael Helms has been pastor of Trinity Baptist Church for umpteen years. He published his first book in 2006 and has a second accepted for publication in 2010. He's been a weekly columnist for The Moultrie Observer since 2000, and he's won eight writing awards from The Amy Foundation, the latest in 2008. This event will be one of the last Dr. Helms will attend in Moultrie. He's moving to Jefferson, GA within the next couple of weeks.
Ed McMinn recently moved to Moultrie. He's a retired pastor with more than 20 years in journalism and communications of all types, including founding the Leesburg Ledger, a weekly newspaper. He's been a teacher at Valdosta State University and Middle Georgia College, and is a speaker with awards in journalism and sports photography. His devotional books are praised by "die-hard" fans from colleges and universities.
Joshua Nobles will be moving also, to Montana; so this will be his last event in Moultrie. He uses the pseudonym "Iyan Igma" and has published more than 1,000 short stories and poems in four books, as well as publishing a "twisted" cookbook. He's currently completing several children's books. He's also been a big help to us here at the library and we'll miss him as a staff member.
Clyde Short and Janice Short are husband and wife, and both are writers. Clyde's first book, a biographical-historical account of his time in the U. S. Air Force, was published in 2007. He's just completed his second book.
Jan published her first book, a book of Christian poetry, in 2007. She's also completed her second one.
Vera Jones Stinson is now living in Moultrie with her daughter, Melody Jenkins, our director of the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library System. Vera began her book about growing up in Appalachia when she was 90 years old. She's now 98 and going strong.
Melody co-authored the First Presbyterian Church's history with the then-Library Board chairman Bert Harsh. Her new book, "Colquitt County," will be published this June and is loaded with pictures.
Well, that just about wraps it up.
Oh, don't forget...the library is closed on Monday, May 25th, for Memorial Day.
We'll look for you on Tuesday, May 26th, at "Books & Bar-B-Q."

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

More Authors You'll Want To Meet

Yesterday I told you a little about three authors who will be at "Books & Bar-B-Q" on Tuesday, May 26th. Here are a few more authors you'll want to meet...
Dr. Niles Reddick is from Tifton. With a Ph.D. in Humanities, he taught English and Psychology at Thomas University in Thomasville, Georgia; Georgia Military College at Moody AFB, near Valdosta, Georgia; and at Motlow College in Lynchburg, Tennessee. He is currently Vice President for Academic Affairs at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton. He has coordinated a writers' festival, been editor of an international journal that received acclaim from The Literary Magazine Review and Library Journal, and is well known as a storyteller extraordinaire.
He's had several well-known authors give him great reviews, such as Lee Smith, who said that "his short, down-to-earth and often surprising stories pack a considerable punch." Author Janice Daugharty said he's "the funniest, most peculiar man alive." By peculiar, I wonder if it's because he named his dog Harper Lee for the famous author by that name.
The book he'll bring to "Books & Bar-B-Q" is Road Kill Art and Other Oddities. Now, doesn't that just make you want to join us, meet Dr. Reddick, and purchase this book?
If you're big on genealogy, you'll want to meet two of our authors. James Keith Taylor is from Pavo and is an avid historian, genealogist and prolific artist. He's worked over the past twenty years researching the histories of Colquitt County's cemeteries. His book Our Confederate Dead, Colquitt County, GA, Vol. 1 gives you personal glimpses about Confederate Soldiers buried throughout the county. His second volume will be released in late 2009.
James W. Parrish is another genealogy writer, whose wiregrass roots run deep from Virginia, North and South Carolina, into Southern Georgia and Florida. The result of his decade-long quest, following the genealogy of his ancestors to the 50th Georgia Infantry Regiment, led to his book telling the overdue story of the men who served in this forgotten regiment. His book is titled Wiregrass to Appomattox: The Untold Story of the 50th Georgia Infantry Regiment, CSA. He's coming from Tallahassee to be with us.
We also plan to have two delightful ladies with many years of storytelling to their credit. Vera Jones Stinson doesn't call herself an author, but instead a storyteller. She began her book about growing up in Appalachia when she was 90 years old, and she's still active at the age of 98. With a degree in Education, Vera taught school in North Carolina and Ohio. After retirement, she taught continuing education classes at Brevard Junior College in North Carolina and was a popular speaker for numerous groups on the history of Brevard and surrounding area. She lives in Moultrie now and is the mother of MCCLS director, Melody Jenkins.
Beverley B. Starr is another exceptional author at the age of 80 years of age. She has authored three books. Her first was written in the 1980s, while she was in Spain with an international study program, and told about the relationship between a group of cats and the residents of a nursing home. She makes her home in Albany.
Don't you agree we have a fine line-up of guests? We really would like to have you join us. The price for an evening of literary greatness and fine food is a $10 donation, and that whole amount goes to the library's book fund.
Tomorrow I have a few more authors to tell you about. You'd be surprised how many authors we have living right here in Moultrie.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

There's Lots To Do And Not Enough Time

We have been so busy around here lately. I just noticed it's been a week since my last blog. But let me explain. There's lots to do and not enough time.
We have our second annual authors' event coming up on Tuesday, May 26th. And since some of us work part-time, we are trying to cram a lot of stuff into a little time. Plus we've been going through some major office renovations and have felt a little displaced.
Anyhow, we've been working really hard on the authors' event, which this year is called "Books & Bar-B-Q." We'd really like you to attend and meet some of these wonderful authors who will be with us this year. Like...
Amy Blackmarr of Savannah. She's an award-winning author of five books, who became a familiar public radio voice and whose work has appeared in publications ranging from anthologies on women's spirituality to textbooks for middle-grade children. With a Ph.D. in English, she has been a popular speaker for more than ten years about the personal essay and the relationship between the natural world and the creative process. She will be bringing her book "Going to Ground" and autographing it. If you don't have it, you'll be able to purchase it.
Another well-known author is Jackie K. Cooper. He's from Perry, GA, but has family here in Moultrie. He has authored five books, all memoirs about growing up and living in the South. He also provides entertainment reviews (in his spare time from writing books) for websites and newspapers, commentaries for Georgia Public Radio, and is an after-dinner speaker and guest speaker on radio shows. He recently taught a memoirs course at the Margaret Mitchell House in Atlanta. His new book, "The Sunrise Remembers," will be available for you to purchase.
We also have Janet Litherland of Thomasville with us this year. She's the author of four novels, ten nonfiction books, and numerous articles and stories for national magazines. Her theatrical background led her to author more than 100 music/drama-related scripts. She has also taught college extension courses in creative writing and served as a seminar leader for writers' conferences. She will be bringing her book "Song of the Heart" for you to review and
purchase.
The object of the authors' event is not to sell books, but to give the community an opportunity to meet these great authors and talk to them about their writing; just enjoy the evening with all these creative people.
There are so many more authors to tell you about. Stay tuned. Tomorrow's blog will be about an author who wrote "Road Kill Art and Other Oddities." Sounds interesting, huh?

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

FEMA Information Is Available At The Library

The FEMA representative was in our library today. He's left some important information on the glass case as you enter the reading area.
There are several booklets to help you: Top 10 Facts for Consumers, Flood Insurance Claims Handbook, Answers to Questions About The NFIP, and Repairing Your Flooded Home. There are also colorbooks for the kids.
If you've sustained losses or damage in one of the counties declared a federal disaster area, you may be eligible for federal and state disaster aid.
For more information, to apply by phone or to check on your claim, you can call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362), TTY 1-800-462-7585 (for speech or hearing impaired), or apply on-line at http://www.disasterassistance.gov/ to register.
You need to have the following information available when you call:
*a phone number in case they need to call you back,
*your Social Security number,
*your current mailing address,
*the address of the damaged property,
*a brief description of the damages,
*and insurance information (if you have insurance).
If you've received an SBA (Small Business Administration) Loan Application, you need to complete and return it as soon as possible. You can submit it even if you have insurance. But the deadline to file an SBA application for physical damages is June 22,
2009.
The FEMA representative also wants the public to know that the Emergency Management Office at 164 Veterans Parkway (which is next to the correctional center) will close this Friday at noon. You have until then, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., to talk to them if you have questions about your loan.
And there are FEMA Mitigation Specialists available at the Lowe's store on Veterans Parkway until May 23rd. A team will be there from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to help you if you have questions about elevating a building or water heater, etc. They are there to help you make your home safe and secure.
FEMA help is just a phone call away, or out on the Bypass, waiting to help you.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Have You Seen The Pink Pigs?

If you've been in our library lately, you've probably noticed all the pink pigs. There are several on a poster board in the main lobby. There are 18 on the walls of the long white hallway. There is a big one posted on the glass behind the circulation desk. And they're beginning to show up all over town, on doors and windows.
These are our announcement posters for the library's 2009 fundraiser, "Books and Bar-B-Q."
The event will be held Tuesday, May 26, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the library's Willcoxon Auditorium.
Eighteen published authors will be present tovisit with patrons and autograph copies of their books that will be available to
purchase.
Not only that, but for a donation of $10 you'll receive a ticket for a tasty bar-b-que meal, which will include bar-b-que pork, baked beans, cole slaw, tea and dessert.
The donation will go to the library's book fund, a very worthy cause for our entire community.
We're inviting you now to come see the pink pigs at the library. The poster in the main lobby has a picture of each author and a brief biography. You might just have books by those authors who will be attending.
Get your ticket now. They're going fast....

Friday, May 8, 2009

Time To Put These Good Reads On Your Shelf

There are some really good reads here at our library that you can purchase and put on your personal library shelves at home to read again and again. The cost is far, far less than you'll find anywhere else, even at Goodwill...like for $1.00 or 25 cents or 10 cents.
I stopped yesterday and found a couple I bought...a William Faulkner book and a Nancy Atherton mystery. But look what I left for you :
  • Crowned Heads by Thomas Tryon
  • The Tristan Betrayal by Robert Ludlum
  • Murder at the Pentagon by Margaret Truman
  • Memories of Midnight by Sidney Sheldon
  • Revolution from Within: A Book of Self-Esteem by Gloria Steinam
  • The Silver Chalice by Thomas B. Costain
  • The Anatolian by Elia Kazan
  • The Camerons by Robert Crichton
  • The Midnight Club by James Patterson
  • P is for Peril by Sue Grafton
  • and books by Danielle Steel, Mary Higgins Clark, Jeffrey Archer, Dean Koontz, Jackie Collins, Tom Clancy, and more.

Summer is coming and it's time to collect those books, those always-a-good-read books, to take to the beach or read by the pool or take on the airplane with you. Or just sit in your comfy chair in the air conditioning and read. We've got them here at the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library. For only a few pennies! Great savings on good reads!

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Did You See Our Aprons?

Remember when I told you the aprons are coming?
Sunday, May 10th, is Mother's Day. In honor of Mother's Day, the staff of the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library decided to "tie one on" and wear their rather-old-timey aprons for three days to honor their mothers...the three days being Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Today several of us have on our special aprons.
Carolyn, who has a Campbell Soup-kind-of-kitchen, is wearing her Campbell Soup apron.
Jinx has on a lime green and white floral apron.
Elois's apron is a wine-colored cobbler's apron.
Several wore bib aprons: Ann's is a ruffled white one; Johnny's has red and white flowers with yellow bees; Aileen's is blue with red geraniums and her name embroidered across the top; and Norma has a red and tan and blue farm scene on hers.
How are you going to honor your mother this weekend?
Don't have any idea yet?
Why not stop by the library and see our aprons. They might give you an idea.
You could check out a book you think she might like to read. Or check out a DVD she'd enjoy watching and watch it with her. Or check out an audio book she might like to listen to as she drives to work or shopping or wherever.
If she doesn't go to the library, bring her in and show her the Genealogy Library, the reading area, the magazines and newspapers to read, the computers; then get her a library card.
Come by the library and see our aprons. Aprons give us all kinds of ideas about our loving mothers and grandmothers.