Shell House, Ashley Hall, Charleston, SC
I've circled Ashley Hall school for girls countless times on my walks, but in all these years had never actually been on the campus until this evening. Even this picture of the Shell House was taken through the gate on Rutledge Ave.
I'd recently had a fun email conversation with the author Josephine Humphreys and when I read that she was returning to her old school to do a reading I thought I'd slip in the back of the room to listen and then see if I had the nerve to introduce myself.
She was terrific. She read the first paragraph from each of her books and told warm and entertaining stories in between. The Smithsonian had asked her to write an essay on her hometown and she talked about how unexpectedly difficult that had been. She jotted down pages and pages of ideas and things that should be included and then wrote the essay on Charleston, which she partially read to us.
To make things even more fun, I discovered I was sitting next to an old boyfriend of the author and I was introduced to the "Head of School".
I did go up to meet Josephine Humphreys and she kindly raved about discovering my pictures and blog in her research and then blew me away by saying that in all of her pages of notes about Charleston, my name had been written three times.
Wowsa! I walked home with a big grin on my face. What a neat thing to know and generous thing for her to say. It's a safe bet I'll be buying her latest book.
11 comments:
Wow, Joan! Too cool!!!
That's very definitly cool!
That's certainly fun! When I first moved to Charleston I read one of her books - I think it was 'The Fireman's Fair' or something like that. I also was on the Ashley Hall campus for the first time recently - for a poetry reading late last fall. Having worked across the street at MUSC for my first four years here, I never visited there. It sounds like you had a very nice evening!
Congrats, Joan. While "famous folk" are no better in reality than anyone else because of it, it is still a thrill to get recognition from someone who is outstanding in their field. And I ain't talking farming.
Enjoy your joy!
Happy Birthday to a wonderful sister. I hope you have a fantastic day beginning a great year!!!!
love Shirley
Pat, Jarart, It was cool!
Pam: Fireman's Fair is the most recent one I read as well. It was set on Sullivan's Island after Hugo. I remember enjoying Rich in Love years ago.
Marcheline: It's always nice to discover people who aren't snobs about their success.
Shirley: Thank you! I am just in. Cam came over to fix some things on my computer and then out for a late bite to eat. I am eating my way through my birthday week. :))
Oops. I missed your birthday? Hope the rest of the week is as good as the beginning, Joan.
Doug: Thank you! I had a nice day.
Hi Joan,
Such a neat looking building...can you get any interior shots? The reading sounded great - I love that type event.
May I extend a personal request for you to do some more reading? I have some poems up at Anderbo.com - would love to have you check them out.
Susan. I am no expert but I will go over and poke around! Congrats.
I go to Ashley Hall!
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