Schedule:

MAIN STAGE

10 – 11 AM
What’s Love Got to
Do With It?
Check true love off your bucket
list, no matter if you find it at an
amusement park, an award-winning small town, an exclusive
resort or the Royal Academy
of Science.
Vanessa Riley,
A Wager at Midnight
Amy Ratcliffe,
Thrill Ride
Cassie Verano,
90 Days to Love
Synithia Williams,
Frenemies with Benefits

11:30 – 12:30 PM
Patti Callahan Henry
In conversation with
Carla Damron.
Patti Callahan Henry is a New
York Times, Globe and Mail,
and USA Today bestselling
author of eighteen novels,
including thirteen contemporaries
set mainly in the South Carolina’s
Lowcountry and, more recently,
six works of historical fiction:
The Story She Left Behind (March
2025), The Secret Book of Flora
Lea, Once Upon a Wardrobe,
Surviving Savannah, Wild Swan,
and Becoming Mrs. Lewis.

1 – 2 PM
It’s Emotionally
Complicated!
With all these twists and
 turns and a bit of betrayal,
will they find love and passion
in their future?
Aries Skye,
Love on the Rebound
KC Mills,
You Could Do Damage
Kimberly Brown,
Courage to Love Again
B Love, The Loyal Wife

2:30 – 3:30 PM
Clues and Conspiracies
Mystery is everywhere, even in
small towns and island resorts.
Where will the clues take you,
and what dark secrets might
you uncover on the journey?
C. Hope Clark,
Edisto Storm
Carla Damron,
The Orchid Tattoo
Allie Pleiter,
One Sharp Stitch

4 – 5 PM
Mike Curato
Mike Curato is an author and
illustrator of books for children,
teens, and adults. He is best
known for his Little Elliot picture
book series and his young adult
graphic novel, Flamer, which was
released to critical acclaim and
received several honors including
the 2020 Lambda Literary
Award for LGBTQ Young Adult,
the 2021 Massachusetts Book
Award for Young Adult, and was
listed as one of NPR’s Best
Books of 2020.

AUDITORIUM

10 – 11 AM
Injustice in Focus
Experience a firsthand account of
the fight for civil rights in South
Carolina through Williams’s life
behind the camera through his
photography.
Cecil Williams,
Injustice in Focus:
The Civil Rights Photography
of Cecil Williams
Claudia Smith Brinson,
Injustice in Focus:
The Civil Rights Photography
of Cecil Williams

11:30 – 12:30 PM
Ooh Scary!
Creepy and spooky with a
Southern drawl—think taxidermy,
off-kilter hospitality, and melancholy. It’ll give you the vapors.
Julia Elliot,
Hellions: Stories
Emily Carpenter,
Gothictown
Nathan Ballingrud,
Crypt of the
Moon Spider

1 – 2 PM
Echoes of the Past
Get a true sense of the past
by exploring the emotions and
motivations of imagined women
characters rooted in Southern
historical events.
Vanessa Miller,
The American Queen
Rhonda McKnight,
Bitter & Sweet
Diane C. McPhail,
Follow the Stars Home
Donna Everhart,
When the Jessamine Grows

2:30 – 3:30 PM
DéLana R.A. Dameron
DéLana R.A. Dameron is an
artist whose primary medium
is storytelling. Her first book
of fiction is Redwood Court
(Random House, February 2024),
a Reese Book Club pick. Her
debut poetry collection, How
God Ends Us, was selected by
Elizabeth Alexander for the SC
Poetry Book Prize, and her second collection, Weary Kingdom,
was chosen by Nikky Finney for
the Palmetto Poetry Series.

4 – 5 PM
Picturing the Past
Photographs and portraits connect us to the past, demonstrate
what’s important to us, and channel our affections. Explore the
power of photography and the
work of photographer Richard
Samuel Roberts.
Dianne Johnson Feelings,
H is for Harlem
Vennie Deas Moore,
Palmetto Portraits
Dr. Bobby Donaldson,
Moderator

THEATER

10 – 11 AM
Hub City 30th Anniversary
Celebrate and reflect on the first
30 years of Hub City and share
the joys, challenges, and goals
for the next chapter.
Betsy Teter,
North of Main: Spartanburg’s
Historic Black Neighborhoods of
North Dean Street, Gas Bottom,
and Back of the College
Meg Reid,
Executive Director
Ray McManus,
The Last Saturday in America

11:30 – 12:30 PM
The Cheese Biscuit
Queen Tells All
Queen Mary Martha exclaims,
“kiss my aspic!,” telling stories
that some might wish were kept
within the family. She’ll share
recipes just as juicy and delicious
as the best gossip.
Mary Martha Greene,
The Cheese Biscuit Queen
Kiss My Aspic!
Jeffrey Dale Lofton,
Moderator

1 – 2 PM
Public Poetry and Politics
Current and former poets laureate will share their stories, poetry,
and experiences promoting
poetry in their home places
from around South Carolina
Marjory Wentworth,
One River, One Boat
Jennifer Bartell Boykin,
Traveling Mercy
Angelo Geter,
More God than Dead
Marcus Amaker,
Hold What Makes You Whole
Ed Madden,
A Pooka in Arkansas

2:30 – 3:30 PM
Beavers and People
Beavers are a vital species that
can shape landscapes and build
important water sources. But
how can humans and beavers
better co-exist?
Cassie Premo Steele,
Beaver Girl

4 – 5 PM
Over the Top, Just South
Southern man better keep your
head and deal with the long
shadow of your past that’s cast
over modern masculinity.
Ray McManus,
The Last Saturday in America
David Joy,
Those We Thought We Knew
Chris Koslowski,
Kayfabe