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Monthly Archives: October 2023

EpicFest Is Just Around the Corner

October 30, 2023 by Mark West
Categories: Storied Charlotte

EpicFest, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library’s free literary festival for children and their families, will take place on November 3-4, 2023.  On Friday, November 3, the featured authors and illustrators will visit various area schools where they will speak with students.  On Saturday, November 4, these authors and illustrators will participate in a day-long festival at ImaginOn: The Joe & Joan Martin Center, 300 E. Seventh Street, Charlotte.  The event will start at 10:00 a.m. and conclude at 3:00 p.m.

I contacted Walker Doermann, one of the organizers of this year’s EpicFest, and asked her for more information about the event.  She not only sent me the following information about this year’s festival, but she also sent me a photograph of her son enjoying last year’s event:

This year’s EpicFest features ten incredible authors who will be visiting Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools on Friday and then promoting their newest books on Saturday. Eight children’s authors, including Margaret Peterson Haddix, Jessica Kim, Dare Coulter, Ashley Belote, Jeffery Weatherford, Eleanor Spicer Rice, Judy Allen Dodson, and Saadia Faruqi will be at ImaginOn speaking about their experience as writers and signing books.

The EpicFest Family Festival at ImaginOn is a great time for young readers to engage with some of their favorite authors and hear about their writing inspiration, and for aspiring young writers to ask them questions about their writing process. In addition to a strong author lineup on Saturday, there will be plenty of hands-on activities for children of all ages. In addition to creative learning tables, Children’s Theatre of Charlotte will offer a special presentation of Schoolhouse Rock Live! at noon, and Charlotte Ballet leads a Dance-a-Story Nutcracker workshop at 1:00 p.m. Other festive touches throughout the day include roving costumed book characters, face painting and balloon twisting, and a visit from GameTruck Charlotte.

Also on Saturday, YA authors Amber Smith and Nora Shalaway Carpenter will be the featured authors at our first ever Teen Writing Conference at SouthPark Library (noon to 3:30 p.m.). Teens will have the opportunity to share their own work in a writing workshop with the authors, as well as attend a meet and mingle and book signing.

For more information about this year’s featured guests, please click on the following link:  https://www.cmlibrary.org/epicfest

As usual, I will be volunteering all day at EpicFest.  I have my rituals and traditions associated with the day. On Saturday morning, I will put on my book tie, which my wife bought for me at the University of Oxford’s Bodleian Library.  I will then take the light rail to the Seventh Street Station.  After exiting the train, I wil take the short walk to ImaginOn where I will spend the day helping the authors set up for their presentations and book signings. I hope to see you there. I would not miss EpicFest for anything.  After all, EpicFest is a Storied Charlotte tradition.

Mark de Castrique and His Dangerous Women

October 23, 2023 by Mark West
Categories: Storied Charlotte

Mark de Castrique, one of Charlotte’s best-known mystery writers, launched a new mystery series last year with the publication of Secret Lives.  The central character in Secret Lives is Ethel Fiona Crestwater, seventy-five-year-year-old retired FBI agent who runs a boardinghouse just outside of Washington, D.C.  Secret Lives and its feisty main character attracted a lot positive attention when the book came out.  The novel received many rave reviews, and it was nominated for one of the Mystery Writers of America’s Edgar Awards.  Readers who want to know more about Ethel and her sleuthing adventures will be pleased to know Dangerous Women, Mark’s second book in his Secret Lives series, will be released this week.

I recently contacted Mark and asked him for more information about Dangerous Women.  Here is what he sent to me:

Dangerous Women is the sequel to Secret Lives, which came out last year.  The story again features seventy-five-year-old Ethel Fiona Crestwater, an ex-FBI agent who, for over fifty years, has rented rooms in her house to fellow law enforcement officers, collectively known as “Ethel’s Army.”  Feisty and fearless, Ethel is who I imagine Ruth Bader Ginsburg would be as an FBI agent.  Paired with her only living relative, American University grad student, Jesse Cooper, Ethel pursues her own investigations, especially if she has a personal connection to the victims.  Her adversaries underestimate her at their peril.

In creating a plot for Dangerous Women, I was able to tap into current topics that interest me.  I was intrigued that with all the leaks in Congress and accusations of “insider trading” by senators and representatives, the U.S. Supreme Court had never had a leak, even though its rulings could impact corporations and their profits.  Never had a leak–that is until I finished the first draft and the Dodd decision overturning Roe v Wade was leaked.  Revision time.

The other topic I found interesting was the push to convert to electric vehicles.  I believe climate change is real, but our effort to combat climate change isn’t a simple matter of plugging in your car.  I learned that the United States produces only two percent of the world’s lithium, a mineral critical to the production of batteries.  We are dependent upon other countries, some of which are hostile to us.  And domestic production of lithium can leave land and water toxic for years that especially impacts ranchers and Native Americans.  The question is how much do we destroy the environment in order to save the environment?  I create a case before the Supreme Court that could have far-reaching consequences, consequences worth a lot of money to people who can profit from advance knowledge, a profit great enough to kill for.

Ethel and my Supreme Court Chief Justice, Clarissa Baxter, are the dangerous women determined to protect the court’s integrity and uncover the perpetrators behind a murderous conspiracy.  I’ve been very pleased with the advance reviews including stars from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal.  I hope Ethel and her army are as fun to read as they are to write.

For additional information about Dangerous Women and Mark’s other mysteries, please click on the following link:  http://www.markdecastrique.com/

Mark will be signing copies of Dangerous Women and talking about Ethel Fiona Crestwater at Park Road Books on Wednesday, November 8, 2023, at 7:00 pm.  I plan to be there.  Ethel Fiona Crestwater might be from the DC area, but she is an honorary member of Storied Charlotte as far as I am concerned.    

Tags: mysteries

Tameka Fryer Brown’s Picture Book about the Confederate Flag

October 16, 2023 by Mark West
Categories: Storied Charlotte

I had the pleasure of meeting the Charlotte picture-book author Tameka Fryer Brown in person earlier this month when we both participated in the “Freedom to Read” panel discussion event sponsored by the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.   During this panel discussion, we talked about the importance of providing children with books that address the realities of American society and history, including the issue of racism. In this context, Tameka mentioned her new picture book titled That Flag, which deals in part with the history of the Confederate flag.  Although I had previously read some of Tameka’s earlier picture books, I had not seen That Flag.  When the panel discussion ended, I asked Tameka if I could take a look at her copy of That Flag.  She handed it to me, and I read it right away.

Illustrated by Nikkolas Smith and published by HarperCollins, That Flag is told from the point of view of Keira, a Black girl growing up in the contemporary South.  Her best friend is Bianca.  Although Keira and Bianca are from different racial backgrounds, they see themselves as “almost twins,” especially when they are at school.  However, Bianca’s family flies the Confederate flag in the front of their home.  The display of this flag creates a tension between Keira and Bianca, and this tension intensifies when Keira begins to learn about the history of the Confederate flag.   Tameka does an excellent job of presenting the history of this flag from its origins during the Civil War to its contemporary associations with various racist hate groups, but she always keeps her focus on the relationship between Keira and Bianca. 

A few days after the “Freedom to Read” panel discussion, I contacted Tameka and asked her how she came to write That Flag.  Here is what she sent to me:

On June 17, 2015, a young white man attended evening Bible study at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina. At the conclusion of the class, he took out a gun and began shooting the church members. He killed nine of them. The investigation into this mass shooting revealed the murderer to be a white supremacist whose goal in targeting the historically significant Black church had been to initiate a race war. The investigation also unearthed several social media posts with photos showing him brandishing the Confederate flag.

As if the mass murders had not been devastating enough, a public debate arose soon after about that flag, as to whether it was indeed a racist emblem used throughout history to terrorize and oppress, or merely an innocuous and misunderstood symbol of Southern heritage and pride. So many people seemed to be either ignorant or in willful denial about the Confederate flag’s problematic origins and contemporary use, I knew a more fact-based truth about its history needed to be shared with our children as early as possible. Studies have proven that signs of racial prejudice can be seen even in preschoolers, thanks to the societal messaging they receive daily. To have any hope of abating bigotry, seeds of empathy, equity, and justice must consistently and intentionally be planted in kids’ hearts while they are untainted and receptive enough to fully embrace them. As a children’s book author, writing
That Flag was my way of doing all of the above.

That Flag is a picture book about best friends divided over the meaning and significance of the Confederate flag. Unfortunately, no publisher was willing to buy it in 2015. A couple of editors suggested I rewrite it as a middle grade, but my heart was convinced it needed to be a book for younger readers. With no takers, I put the story away and focused on other manuscripts.

In 2020, the tide turned. As our country was purportedly in the midst of a “racial awakening,” I decided to tweak it a little and send it out again. This time, multiple editors expressed interest in the story and it went to auction. Between the book’s sale in 2020 and its publication this year, the book-banning movement in the United States has intensified significantly. To date and to my knowledge, however, That Flag has yet to be challenged or placed on any banned lists. For that, I am sincerely grateful.

As a Southerner, born and bred (with almost 30 of those years spent as a Charlottean), I pray That Flag will not only spark conversation among young readers and adults about the true origins and history of the Confederate flag, but that it will also provide insight and understanding as to the degree of fear and emotional pain the public veneration of it continues to cause so many Americans…including me. Surely there are more unifying, less traumatic representations of Southern heritage we can all celebrate.

For readers who want to know more about Tameka, That Flag, and her other picture books, please click on the following link:  https://tamekafryerbrown.com/

I congratulate Tameka on the publication of That Flag.  I enjoyed reading it, and I think it would appeal to anyone in Storied Charlotte who is committed to providing children with books that acknowledge the true complexity of our history.

Tags: picture books

The 10th Annual Celebration of Verse & Vino

October 09, 2023 by Mark West
Categories: Storied Charlotte

The tenth annual celebration of Verse & Vino, the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation’s grand literary gala and fundraiser, will take place in the Charlotte Convention Center on November 2, 2023.  This event will feature five New York Times best-selling authors, wine, and food.  I contacted Maggie Bean, the Director of Communications for the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation, and asked her for more information about this year’s Verse & Vino event.  Here is what she sent to me:

Every year — now for 10 years — we have worked diligently to put together a diverse group of authors for our Verse & Vino attendees, and this year we hope we’ve done our anniversary justice with this line up…

Starting with beloved cultural critic and Bad Feminist author Roxane Gay! We are a stop on Ms. Gay’s book tour for her new compilation of essays called Opinions.

Historical fiction fans will not be disappointed as we have two amazing authors joining us: Melanie Benjamin and Sadeqa Johnson with novels set in the midst of 1960s surf culture titled California Golden and in 1950s DC and Philadelphia titled The House of Eve, respectively.

Our thriller readers will definitely not want to miss Brad Taylor, former U.S. Army infantry and special forces officer and author of the current bestselling novel The Devil’s Ransom.

Etaf Rum rounds out our group with her highly-anticipated sophomore effort, Evil Eye, a follow-up to her acclaimed first novel A Woman Is No Man, a novel that “complicates and deepens the Arab American story — a tale as rich and varied as America itself” (The Washington Post).

We at the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation are so excited to share this event with you, but don’t take our word for it. Verse & Vino alumna and beloved New York Times best-selling author Adriana Trigiani has declared, “Verse & Vino is the best event in the United States of America!”

For more information about participating in this year’s Verse & Vino event, please click on the following link:  https://foundation.cmlibrary.org/verse-vino/ 

I attended the very first Verse & Vino event in 2013, and I remember how much I enjoyed the evening.  Since then, I have been impressed with how Verse & Vino has established itself over the past ten years as one of our community’s premier cultural events.  While Verse & Vino is an important fundraiser for the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, it is also a celebration of libraries, literacy, and books.  As a long-time supporter of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, I believe that participating in Verse & Vino is wonderful way to engage in our Storied Charlotte community and support our storied public library.

Tags: Verse & Vino

Celebrating President Carter’s 99th Birthday

October 01, 2023 by Mark West
Categories: Storied Charlotte
October 2005. The Carter Center.

I am writing this Storied Charlotte blog post on October 1, 2023, which is President Jimmy Carter’s 99th birthday.  President Carter has been on my mind a lot lately.  A few months ago, I signed a book contract to edit an essay collection tentatively titled The Literary Legacy of Jimmy Carter:  Essays on the President’s Books.  President Carter published over thirty books, more than any American president except Theodore Roosevelt.  Like President Roosevelt, President Carter wrote his own books without relying on ghostwriters.  As part of my research for this collection, I visited the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta this past summer.  All of the news surrounding President Carter’s 99th birthday has caused me to reflect on my recent visit to the museum.

I arrived at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum on a Saturday morning.  I thought that if I got there as soon as it opened, I would have the place to myself.  I was wrong.  I discovered that the Freedom Farmers’ Market takes place at the Carter Center every Saturday, so the grounds were teeming with people.  However, most of them were not there to visit the museum.  A cluster of about twelve of us gathered at the entrance to the museum, and as soon as the doors opened, we all entered together.

The museum provides visitors with an excellent overview of President Carter’s life, covering his childhood in Plains, Georgia, his years with the United States Navy, his political career as the Governor of Georgia and then the President of the United States, and his humanitarian work with the Carter Center.  For more information about the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum, please click on the following link:    https://www.jimmycarterlibrary.gov

I thoroughly enjoyed examining the museum exhibits, but what impressed me the most about my visit to the museum was the sense of community that I experienced while interacting with a number of the other visitors.  Since we all entered the museum at the same time, we watched the introductory film about President Carter’s life and career while sitting near each other in the auditorium.  After the film concluded, we began touring the exhibits as a group, and soon we began talking with each other.  

We talked about the times that we met President Carter.  I told the story of meeting him in New Hampshire while he was running for the presidency in 1975.  I was a college student at the time, and I attended one of his campaign events.  After listening to his speech, I had a brief conversation with him and bought a copy of his first book, Why Not the Best?  A couple shared their experiences of working alongside President Carter on a Habitat for Humanity project.  A woman in her early thirties talked about hearing President Carter give one of his famous Sunday school lessons in Plains. 

We talked some about his presidency, but we mostly talked about his post-presidency years.  Several of the people I talked to were from Georgia, and they talked about his contributions to the state. A man wearing a “Navy Veteran” shirt and a “Black Lives Matter” button said how much he admired President Carter’s commitment to the civil rights movement.  He said that he knew the late Representative John Lewis and had volunteered on several of his campaigns.  He reported that Rep. Lewis always had good things to say about President Carter.  

A middle-aged man from Atlanta said that he was born during President Carter’s time in the White House, and he went on to say that he took pride in President Carter’s associations with Atlanta.  He commented on how thrilled he was when he once saw President Carter and Rosalynn Carter at an Atlanta Braves game.  The woman who had shared her story about attending one of President’s Carter’s Sunday School lessons said that she grew up attending a Baptist church in Atlanta, and she admired his determination to act on his religious beliefs.

We were quite a diverse group, reflecting different ages, races, and religious backgrounds.  However, we were all brought together by our shared respect for President Carter.  In this time of division, President Carter’s ability to bring people together is a remarkable gift.  I think of it as his birthday gift to the American people.  

Tags: President Jimmy Carter
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