Books by Local Authors Make Great Holiday Gifts

Two recently released books by Pee Dee authors will make great Christmas gifts this holiday season.  The Great Harvest: Remember Tobacco in the Pee Dee and The Legend of Ayame are available at the Art Trail Gallery in downtown Florence and Burry Bookstore in downtown Hartsville.  

About the Books:

The Great Harvest: Remembering Tobacco in the Pee Dee
Benton Henry, Dr. Wink Prince & Bruce Douglas

For much of the twentieth century, flue-cured tobacco culture dominated the Pee Dee economy. On farms throughout the region, families labored to plant, cultivate, harvest, cure, and ready the crop for market. In the market towns of Mullins, Lake City, Darlington, Timmonsville, Conway, and Loris, warehousemen turned the crop into cash. Between 1988 and 1993, faculty and students-mostly from Coker College-conducted interviews among Pee Dee tobacco growers and warehousemen. Many subjects had been involved in tobacco culture throughout their lives and spoke knowledgeably of producing and marketing the crop. Their stories are here, woven into an engaging and highly readable narrative. The brilliant photographs of Benton Henry, shot on the country roads and city streets of the Pee Dee, provide a poignant visual commentary on the agrarian architecture of another time.

The Great Harvest retails for $25.

The Legend of Ayame
Dr. Shawn Lay

The Legend of Ayame is a beautiful fairy tale about the power of love, kindness, and tolerance. It makes extensive use of Japanese themes and features 16 original color illustrations. Written and illustrated by Dr. Shawn Lay, a professor of history at Coker College, the book sold out its first printing in less than a month and has received many favorable reviews. It would make an ideal holiday gift for those looking for something truly special to read.

The Legend of Ayame retails for $6. 

The Art Trail Gallery is located at 185 West Evans Street in downtown Florence.  Burry Bookstore is located at 130 West Carolina Avenue in downtown Hartsville.  For more information about either of these books, contact Bruce Douglas at peedeearts@gmail.com or 843.861.8316.

Purchase a copy of the Legend of Ayame and support Pee Dee Arts!

The Legend of Ayame is a beautiful fairy tale about the power of love, kindness, and tolerance. It makes extensive use of Japanese themes and features 16 original color illustrations. Written and illustrated by Dr. Shawn Lay, a professor of history at Coker College, the book sold out its first printing in less than a month and has received many favorable reviews. It would make an ideal holiday gift for those looking for something truly special to read.

All proceeds from the sale of the 2nd edition of The Legend of Ayame go to benefit Pee Dee Arts.  The book currently sells for $6.  

The Legend of Ayame can be purchased at Burry Bookstore in downtown Hartsville.  You can also get your copy of Lay's new book by calling 843.861.8316 or emailing peedeearts@gmail.com (additional shipping costs may apply).

Burry Bookstore is located at 130 West Carolina Avenue in Hartsville.  Visit Burry online at burrybookstore.com.

Pee Dee Author releases 2nd Edition of The Legend of Ayame

The Legend of Ayame is a beautiful fairy tale about the power of love, kindness, and tolerance. It makes extensive use of Japanese themes and features 16 original color illustrations. Written and illustrated by Dr. Shawn Lay, a professor of history at Coker College, the book sold out its first printing in less than a month and has received many favorable reviews. It would make an ideal holiday gift for those looking for something truly special to read.

All proceeds from the sale of the 2nd edition of The Legend of Ayame go to benefit Pee Dee Arts.  The book currently sells for $6.  

The Legend of Ayame can be purchased at Burry Bookstore in downtown Hartsville (more locations coming soon).  You can also receive the book by calling 843.861.8316 or emailing peedeearts@gmail.com (additional shipping costs may apply).  

Burry Bookstore is located at 130 West Carolina Avenue in Hartsville.  Visit it online at burrybookstore.com.

Pee Dee People Making a Difference

When logging on to the Pee Dee Arts Facebook page on October 18th, there were two wonderful photos showcasing people of the Pee Dee doing great things.  One was Alex Palkovich (above) with his newly erected sculpture in Loveland, Colorado.  The other was of Coker College's Dr. Shawn Lay (below) presenting a check for the proceeds from his recent book, The Legend of Amaye, to Carolina Kids, an organization dedicated to helping disadvantaged children.   

We've got folks from the Pee Dee making a difference through the arts across the country and around the globe.  The photos of Dr. Lay and Mr. Palkovich are two examples that jumped out to us on our Facebook page.  We'd love for you to share your stories of Pee Dee People doing great things through the arts with us.  Simply email your story to us at peedeearts@gmail.com and we'll share it on our website.  

New Book Shares Important Lessons Even Before It Is Opened

Through a new book by Coker College Professor of History Shawn Lay, “The Legend of Ayame,” Coker College’s Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) team is helping to raise money to benefit Carolina Kids.

Intended for adults and children alike, “The Legend of Ayame” is a 63-page fantasy story about the power of love and kindness.  It makes extensive use of Japanese themes and features 16 original color illustrations.

“A master professor in every sense, professor Lay artfully creates tapestry of history’s finest lessons and helps students to see themselves within a larger history that is being created with each new day,” said Coker College President Robert Wyatt.  “In this project, he has managed much the same magic, pulling together students and children, caregivers, neighbors and families in a collaborative celebration of love and service.”

“I wrote the story last fall when my daughter first went off to Clemson and I was discovering how hard it is for a father to accept that his daughter is growing up,” said Lay.  “I originally planned just to print a few books for friends, but then I realized the book might be a way to raise money for charity.”

All proceeds from the sales of the first printing of the book will be donated to Carolina Kids, a Darlington County non-profit organization founded by Dr. Abraham and Daphne  Areephanthu in 2006 to enhance the lives of children in the area by investing in social change and breaking down economic barriers. For more information about Carolina Kids, call 843-229-8689.

For information about purchasing a copy of “The Legend of Ayame,” contact SIFE Director Ben Chastain at 843-383-8361 or bchastain@coker.edu or Lay at Coker College.