Chatham Bookfest 2014

A week ago yesterday, I was one of the ten authors in the Old Chatham depot for the second annual  Pittsylvania County Public Library's Book and Author Festival. I'd really enjoyed last year's festival, so I was delighted to be invited back. This time, besides selling books and chatting with readers and other authors, I did a presentation on "Confessions of an Under-published Author." Here I am at my display.

The festival is held inside the old Chatham depot that's now restored and is used as the Pittsylvania County History Research Center and Library. This is a wonderful place for a festival—it's easy to find, not far away (only 27 miles for me), and has convenient parking. Plus authors can unload right at the entry door. Plus it has an interesting history.

For years the depot stood in ruins before being restored and reused as a research center. This picture gives you an idea of its transformation.

A miniature display shows how the depot looked in its heyday.

Just inside the door is a statue that used to be at the Chatham Library. The horses caught my eye right away.

The festival is about local authors and their books, and the ten authors at this year's festival offered an interesting variety of books. Returning for the second year was Larry G. Aaron who's written a lot of local history books.

A closer look at some of his books, including The Wreck of the Old 97 and Pittsylvania County, Virginia: A Brief History.

His latest book, Pittsylvania County and the War of 1812 (The History Press, November 2014, 160 pgs.), attracted a lot of attention

A young author, JB North wrote Spark (Legend of the Shifters) as part of the Chatham Library's group for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) last year. She self-published it via CreateSpace in May.

Courtney Hood, a children's minister at Chatham's Cornerstone Church of Christ, had Rescued, a new Christian book for children illustrated by her brother. 

Since I am a fan of both memoir and regional history, I looked forward to meeting Sarah Coles, who was there with her late mother's book,  All Grown Up: From the Plantation to Washington, D.C. Mary I. Coles self-published her memoir when she was 90. 

I started reading All Grown Up on last Saturday night and finished it on Sunday. It's only 61 pages, but it covers a lot of territory. 

The book begins with a 1901 obituary from the Danville Register—an obituary of Philip "Uncle Philip" Hearne who lived to be a hundred and who was once a slave owned by Thomas Jefferson. Walter Coles I., who was a member of Congress and owner of a plantation near Chatham, bought 26-year-old Philip from Jefferson's estate in 1826. 

Philip "became part of the Coles family, and his descendants, as well, took on the Coles' last name." Mary, a fourth generation Coles, "was born on the Coles' plantation when it belonged to Walter Coles III." From what she's written, it's obvious that Mary's family was hard-working, industrious, responsible, and had a strong sense of family. Even when she was little, she had chores to do, such as milking the cow and tending her little brother. As a young adult, she helped support her widowed mother.

Mary apparently had a sense of adventure as well as responsibility. In 1942, her brother who'd moved to D.C. told her that she could make more money there than in Chatham. Mary boarded a train and soon had a job working for two sisters. During the years she worked for many others whom she fondly remembered. Eventually she was able to buy her mother a house.

I really liked this account of Mary Coles' life. I was impressed by how much she remembered and her enthusiasm for life. I only wished the book had been longer.

I'm already looking forward to next year's bookfest.

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Rainy Day & Bookfest

. . .  a pretty good combination—at least when the bookfest is inside. This morning I drove 27 miles to Chatham to participate in the first annual Pittsylvania County Book and Author Festival, held in the historic Chatham Train Depot, which became home to the Pittsylvania County History Research Center last spring .

I knew I was in the right place when I saw the sign:

The venue couldn't have been better. Tables and chairs were already set up, and I was able to park right beside the door to unload. In a matter of minutes, my table was ready.

Before the bookfest got under way, I looked around in the next room that featured some wonderful exhibits. It wasn't that long ago that the old depot was in a state of major disrepair. Restoration began in 2006 and was finished six year later. A series of pictures show what the depot looked like at various times.

My favorite exhibit showed what Chatham (and the depot) looked like many years ago.

I managed to get some pictures of the little train that ran through it.

While I was looking at the exhibit, a real train sped by outside. At least a half-dozen trains rattled past while the bookfest was underway. Trains don't stop at the old depot, though.

There were lots of train-related exhibits and train-related books . . .

. . . and plenty of pictures of trains.

The wreck of the Old 97, made famous in song, happened near Danville on September 27, 1903. Eleven people were killed in the wreck and several were injured. Here's what the Old 97 looked like:

Here is a picture of the wreck. Below the picture are two railroad spikes from the scene.

Larry Aaron, author of The Wreck of the Old 97, published by History House Press in 2010, had his book available at the the bookfest.

I also looked at other exhibits—like these woven coverlets from the Stone Family plantation. . .

. . . and this embroidered cotten coverlet.

Many of the authors at the bookfest had written historical non-fiction, such as Carl L. Sell, Jr., whose table was next to mine. It was interesting listening to him talk about Gettysburg.

A few of us wrote fiction, though. One of the authors that I'd known previously, Carolyn Tyree Feagans, had her novels that are set in the Blue Ridge.

Other authors included Ginny Brock (one of my Lake Writer buddies), Angela Harris (whom I'd met at a Binding Time Bookfest), Lee Wayland, Barney Lawless, Arlene Carter, Susan Elzey, Clara Fountain, and Sandy Logan.

I had a wonderful time and sold a bunch of books at the first annual Pittsylvania County Book and Author Festival. I'm already looking forward to the second one.

If you're interested in Pittsylvania County history, you can learn more at http://pittsylvaniacountyhistory.com.

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Cool Book Event

Well, cooler than at home where the temperature went over 100F.

Yesterday, I went to Meadows of Dan to participate in the "Meet the Authors" event at the 8th Annual Crafts in the Meadow Festival at Mountain Meadow Farm. Here's the meadow. . .

. . . and, beside the meadow, a corn field that will become a corn maze this fall.

Over a dozen regional authors displayed their work under the big tent, and a few more set up smaller tents nearby. A breeze blew through the tent most of the afternoon. I don't think the temps there ever went above the mid-80s.

It didn't take me long to set up my display.

While I focused on selling my Cedar Creek Press-published books, Stuck and Ferradiddledumday, I brought my other books also. While I sold copies of those two books, The Girl Who Raced Mules, a collection of my mostly-winning short stories, also proved popular. I think the many of the festival's attendees were interested in Appalachian literature.

A few other Appalachian writers were there, too. Doris Musick, a member of the Appalachian Authors Guild, was there. (I brought home three of her books.)

Charles Lytton had his down-home books there, both of which I've already read and enjoyed. (A review of his first one is on my blog.) Plus he kept sipping a clear liquid from a mason jar.

Charles (standing) is making a sale. Sitting is Aaron McAlexander, who wrote a family memoir. 

Aaron's family has deep roots in Mayberry, Va, which is not far up the road from where the festival was. I came home with a copy of his book. I couldn't resist the title.

Michael Abraham, who arrived via motorcycle, brought several of his books including his recently published, Providence, VA.

Karen Hall had her regional history books there.

Here's Karen (left) with Tom Perry of Laurel Hill Publishing, the publisher of her latest book, Once and Forever: The Story of Mount Airy Granite.

Another Laurel Hill author, Avis Turner, had her wonderful family memoir there. I'd gotten a copy of In the Land Where Fairies Cried Tears of Stone: Grandma's Story when Avis and I were both at Binding Time's Spring Book Festival back in April.

Tom, who is also a local historian besides a publisher, was keeping cool under his tent:

Just across from me in the main tent were some North Carolina writers—Mary Flinn, Jane Tesh, and Laura Wharton. We had a good time chatting and enjoying the breeze. I look forward to reading some of their work.

 

Sue Shelor, organizer of the event, served us lunch in the tent. This was a delightful surprise. 

There were several other authors with whom I chatted briefly, but I didn't take pictures. It was nice to meet them for the first time, and I look forward to seeing them again. It was also nice to meet so many customers who love regional books.

Most of the crowd came early. By mid-afternoon, some authors and crafters were leaving, so I decided to leave, too. On the way out, couldn't help stopping to take some pictures of a very old church. Built in 1833, Concord Primitive Baptist Church is mentioned on page 30 in Aaron McFarland's book.

Below, you can see a long row of tables that were no doubt used for dinner on the grounds.

Just to the left of the tables, and tucked away in the trees, are the "facilities."

Down the road a bit more, I also stopped by Greenberry House, where Leslie Shelor was having a yard sale. She had plenty of ole-timey stuff for sale.

Leslie had reviewed Patches on the Same Quilt years ago and had reviewed Ferradiddledumday prior to its publication. After leaving her shop, I turned onto Route 58 and headed home. 

Of course, a few miles later, I had to stop by Lover's Leap, one of my favorite mountain vistas, and take a picture:

 As I left Lover's Leap, my car's thermometer showed the outside temperature as 86F. The closer I got to home, the temperature rose higher and higher. When I was less than a mile from the Franklin County line, it read 100.

However, when I pulled into my driveway, it was down to 98. That's not much cooler, but it beats 100.

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