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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260903T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260903T170000
DTSTAMP:20260727T195337Z
CREATED:20260420T200634Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260727T195337Z
UID:10002382-1788451200-1788454800@charlestonlibrarysociety.org
SUMMARY:A Special Story Time with Matt Diffee
DESCRIPTION:RESCHEDULED FROM JUNE 23RD\, 2026. \nWhat does the dog say? Zip zap wickety wack! We look forward to hosting award-winning cartoonist and The New Yorker contributor\, Matt Diffee\, for a special\, silly story time to debut his new children’s book. Stemming from classic animal sound books\, and already slated as best for the category under WSJ and NYT reviews\, this laugh-out-loud\, soon-to-be classic puts a new spin on the old “cow says moo.” Bring the littles (all ages welcome) for an unexpected and delightfully absurd\, but widely appealing program. \nPurchase Tickets Here! \nChildren’s Admission to this Program is Free!  \nPlease note\, we’ve updated our ticketing system—purchases now go through Neon Events for a smoother registration experience. For any issues\, please call our Front Desk at 843-723-9912. \nIf you are unable to attend the event\, but would like to purchase one or more copies\, please visit Buxton Books. \nAbout the Book \nNew Yorker cartoonist Matthew Diffee makes his children’s book debut with this laugh-out-loud twist on the classic animal sound book. The cow says “moo.” The horse says “neigh.” Everyone can agree on these. But when the sheep says “baa\,” the goat cuts in. The goat also says “baa.” Now what? No one wants to share their sound! The sheep has an idea—he’ll just say something no one’s ever said before: “zip zap wickety wack bing bang walla balla flip flap yackety yack.” But an otherworldly visitor shows up to lay claim to this sound\, too—and the alien doesn’t want to share his identity either. When the alien proposes a radical new way forward\, the sheep and the goat find a compromise—and it may sound familiar to adult readers . . . Matthew Diffee’s hilarious wit will be an immediate hit with young readers in his first picture book. Sure to inspire boisterous read-alouds and threaded with a sneaky message about sharing\, Zip Zap Wickety Wack will inspire new nonsense and new values in homes\, classrooms\, and farmyards around the world. \nAbout the Author \n\n\nMatthew Diffee has been contributing cartoons to The New Yorker since 1999. His work has also appeared in Time\, The Huffington Post\, The Believer\, and Texas Monthly. He is the editor of three volumes of The Rejection Collection: Cartoons You Never Saw and Never Will See in The New Yorker\, and has also worked as a freelance illustrator. Diffee is a recipient of the Silver Reuben Award for gag cartooning and was recently named Chairman of the Los Angeles Chapter of the National Cartoonists Society. He grew up in Texas and now lives in Los Angeles.
URL:https://charlestonlibrarysociety.org/event/a-special-story-time-with-matt-diffee/
LOCATION:Charleston Library Society\, 164 King Street\, Charleston\, SC\, 29401\, United States
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260903T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260903T190000
DTSTAMP:20260727T195428Z
CREATED:20260420T200955Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260727T195428Z
UID:10002355-1788458400-1788462000@charlestonlibrarysociety.org
SUMMARY:Cartooning & Creativity // Matt Diffee
DESCRIPTION:RESCHEDULED FROM JUNE 23RD\, 2026. \nMatthew Diffee has been contributing cartoons to The New Yorker since 1999\, with work also appearing in Time\, The Huffington Post\, The Believer\, and Texas Monthly magazines. As the editor of three volumes of The Rejection Collection: Cartoons You Never Saw and Never Will See in The New Yorker\, published by Simon & Schuster\, and his more recent release Hand Drawn Jokes for Smart Attractive People\, he is self-described as a writer and an artist\, occasionally taking the stage to make people laugh and share insights about the creative process. Join us to celebrate his 2nd visit to CLS (and be sure to get the autograph!) \nPurchase Tickets Here! \nPlease note\, we’ve updated our ticketing system—purchases now go through Neon Events for a smoother registration experience. For any issues\, please call our Front Desk at 843-723-9912. \nIf you are unable to attend the event\, but would like to purchase one or more copies\, please visit Buxton Books here. \nAbout Matt Diffee \n\n\nMatthew Diffee has been contributing cartoons to The New Yorker since 1999. His work has also appeared in Time\, The Huffington Post\, The Believer\, and Texas Monthly. He is the editor of three volumes of The Rejection Collection: Cartoons You Never Saw and Never Will See in The New Yorker\, and has also worked as a freelance illustrator. Diffee is a recipient of the Silver Reuben Award for gag cartooning and was recently named Chairman of the Los Angeles Chapter of the National Cartoonists Society. He grew up in Texas and now lives in Los Angeles.
URL:https://charlestonlibrarysociety.org/event/cartooning-creativity-matt-diffee/
LOCATION:Charleston Library Society\, 164 King Street\, Charleston\, SC\, 29401\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://charlestonlibrarysociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Matt-Diffee-June-23.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260904T093000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260904T130000
DTSTAMP:20260623T150538Z
CREATED:20260623T150520Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260623T150538Z
UID:10002313-1788514200-1788526800@charlestonlibrarysociety.org
SUMMARY:Workshop // Exploration in Marbling
DESCRIPTION:Given the ongoing success of our paper marbling workshops\, we are thrilled to introduce a new twist using traditional Turkish paper marbling in creating your own designs on a variety of materials. In this hands-on class\, you’ll learn how to float pigments on water\, manipulate colors with tools\, and transform them into enchanting shapes like flowers\, butterflies\, and other imaginative motifs. Perfect for beginners and creatives of all levels\, this workshop blends techniques\, history\, and play—resulting in one-of-a-kind artworks to take home. \nPurchase Tickets Here!
URL:https://charlestonlibrarysociety.org/event/workshop-exploration-in-marbling/
LOCATION:Charleston Library Society\, 164 King Street\, Charleston\, SC\, 29401\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://charlestonlibrarysociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Event-Image-Sizing-for-Web-19.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260908T103000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260908T113000
DTSTAMP:20260727T161643Z
CREATED:20260727T161626Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260727T161643Z
UID:10002511-1788863400-1788867000@charlestonlibrarysociety.org
SUMMARY:Chapter Chats
DESCRIPTION:Please join us for a new member perk\, Chapter Chats\, happening every second Tuesday of the month at 10:30 am! Whether you’re in the middle of a 5-star book\, stuck in a slump\, or just want to check out what others are reading\, gather in the Suzan D. Boyd Fellows Lounge to talk all things literature. This is a member-led offering for the CLS community to enjoy chatting about your most recent reads. \n*Please note: this is an offering for Charleston Library Society members; no RSVP is required.
URL:https://charlestonlibrarysociety.org/event/chapter-chats-2/
LOCATION:Charleston Library Society\, 164 King Street\, Charleston\, SC\, 29401\, United States
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260908T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260908T200000
DTSTAMP:20260625T131723Z
CREATED:20260616T150116Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260625T131723Z
UID:10002466-1788892200-1788897600@charlestonlibrarysociety.org
SUMMARY:Democracy Then and Now: Jill Lepore
DESCRIPTION:From the 2026 Pulitzer Prize winner of We the People comes an urgent account of how rule by machine has ravaged the world in The Rise and Fall of the Artificial State. Jill Lepore is an international best-selling author\, American historian\, and journalist currently serving as the David Woods Kemper ’41 Professor of American History and Professor of Law at Harvard University\, in addition to her contributions as a staff writer for The New Yorker since 2005. As a wide-ranging and prolific essayist\, Lepore writes about American history\, law\, literature\, and politics\, with much of her scholarship exploring absences and asymmetries in the historical record\, giving particular emphasis on the history and technology of evidence. In a year with great emphasis on our 250th\, Lepore visits Charleston as part of a limited number of appearances to share this new book and an intimate understanding of the fascinating origins of modern civilization\, and the creep of automated democracy in the name of progress that has seen its apotheosis in AI. \nPurchase Tickets HERE! – Presale tickets available to CLS Members on 6/17\, general admission on sale 6/18. \nP1: 293 (book bundled) @$65 \nP2: 620 (book bundled) @$55 \nP3: 100 (no book) @$45 \nSTUDENT & TEACHERS: 60 @$15  (located in P3/rear orchestra \nIf you are unable to attend the event\, but would like to purchase one or more signed copies of the speakers’ books\, please visit Buxton Books here. \n\n\n\nAbout the Author \nJill Lepore is the David Woods Kemper ’41 Professor of American History at Harvard University and Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. She is also a staff writer at The New Yorker. Her books include We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution\, which won the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for history and was long-listed for the 2026 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction; The Name of War\, which won a Bancroft Prize; New York Burning\, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for history; Book of Ages\, a finalist for the National Book Award; The Secret History of Wonder Woman; the international best-seller These Truths: A History of the United States; and The Deadline\, which received a PEN America award for the art of the essay. She is the host of the podcast “The Last Archive” and of the BBC Radio 4 program “X-Man: The Elon Musk Origin Story.” \n“The Artificial State is the factory farming of humans\, the sorting and segmenting\, the isolation and alienation\, the destruction of both human community and the capacity for self-government\, the replacement of rule of\, by\, and for the people with the rule of machines owned by corporations. Within the Artificial State\, humans become to machines what animals have been to humans.” —Jill Lepore
URL:https://charlestonlibrarysociety.org/event/democracy-then-and-now-jill-lepore/
LOCATION:Charleston Gaillard Center\, 95 Calhoun St\, Charleston\, SC\, 29401\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://charlestonlibrarysociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Event-Image-Sizing-for-Web-2026-06-15T164909.888.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260910T103000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T163000
DTSTAMP:20260721T175820Z
CREATED:20260508T142424Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260721T175820Z
UID:10002426-1789036200-1789230600@charlestonlibrarysociety.org
SUMMARY:Up\, Up & Read! A Children's Literary Festival
DESCRIPTION:COME ONE\, COME ALL!  \nThe Charleston Library Society and The Book Drop present the return of the highly popular children’s literacy festival: Up\, Up & Read!\, a three-day\, free (and open to all) festival designed to foster a love of reading in support of our community’s effort to nurture early childhood literacy by increasing access to books. In support of The Book Drop initiative by the Charleston Library Society\, Up\, Up & Read! celebrates children’s literature and nurtures the community through programming that cultivates and connects readers of diverse ages and backgrounds with beloved children’s authors\, while inspiring children to want to read and making reading accessible to every child\, regardless of their circumstances. Visitors will enjoy a full day of read-aloud story times and author panels\, musical performances\, book signings\, and art projects inspired by our favorite authors and illustrators. \nReserve your silhouette slot with Clay Rice HERE! \nTake a peek at last year’s festival HERE! \nSeptember 10th – 12th\, 2026 — FREE ENTRY AND OPEN TO ALL!  \nFESTIVAL SCHEDULE \nThursday\, September 10th \n4:30 PM Chris Singleton \n5:30 PM Antwan Eady \n \nFriday\, September 11th \n10:00 AM Local Author Signings \n10:00 AM-1:00 PM Peachy Palette Facepainting \n10:30 AM-1:30 PM Silhouettes with Clay Rice* \n11:00 AM Andrew Barton** \n3:30 PM Clay Rice \n4:30 PM Lowey Bundy Sichol \n5:30 PM Al Roker and The Weather Hunters ® \n*Silhouettes by sign-up only \n**With a special visit from some four-legged friends! \n  \nSaturday\, September 12th \n10:00 AM Storytime TBA \n10:00 AM Weather Hunters ® Game Table with Al Roker \n10:00 AM-1:00 PM Peachy Palette Facepainting \n11:00 AM Jonathan Miller \n1:00 PM Mermaid Elise \n  \nThank you to our Presenting Sponsor\, South Carolina Arts Commission! \n \n  \nAnd to the rest of our sponsors for helping us remove barriers to books and making this event possible! \n             \n      
URL:https://charlestonlibrarysociety.org/event/up-up-read-a-childrens-literacy-festival/
LOCATION:Charleston Library Society\, 164 King Street\, Charleston\, SC\, 29401\, United States
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260915T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260915T190000
DTSTAMP:20260727T195638Z
CREATED:20260708T144039Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260727T195638Z
UID:10002477-1789495200-1789498800@charlestonlibrarysociety.org
SUMMARY:The Mask of Memory
DESCRIPTION:Having recent acclaim in places such as the Met and High Museum for his work with Hear Me Now: Black Potters of Old Edgefield\, South Carolina\, University of Michigan professor Jason Young teaches and researches in the fields of Nineteenth-Century United States History\, African American History\, and the African Diaspora. Given his specialty across history of art\, religion\, and folk culture\, we are honored to host Jason along with Dr. Bernie Powers to discuss his latest book The Mask of Memory\, which explores the persistence of myths that framed the historical memory of slavery through a focus on the elite white who created them. \nPurchase Tickets HERE!  \nPlease note\, we’ve updated our ticketing system—purchases now go through Neon Events for a smoother registration experience. For any issues\, please call our Front Desk at 843-723-9912. \nIf you are unable to attend the event\, but would like to purchase one or more signed copies\, please visit Buxton Books here. \nAbout the Book \n\n\n\nHow Southern white elites shaped the historical memory of enslavement. Many of the sights and sounds that Americans associate with slavery are rooted in a grandiose historical myth. The image of the Big House\, sitting atop carefully manicured rolling green hills\, is in large part a fantasy—as is the idea of the plantation as an expansive family home to chivalrous planters and content slaves. Still\, these myths persist. Jason R. Young explores the persistence of these myths and the historical memory of slavery by focusing on the elite white mythmakers who helped shape our understanding of slavery. In the early twentieth century\, a group of white writers\, artists\, and performers from the cultural hub of Charleston\, South Carolina\, created and curated a highly sanitized view of slavery. They imagined a once and future plantation society that would reestablish them as the proper heirs of the slave past. In the process\, they crafted a set of dangerously durable and virulent stereotypes about slavery. Focusing on literature\, art\, and performance\, Young examines both the power and the folly of these ideas. In uncovering their origins\, The Mask of Memory resists these racial fantasies and challenges their stubborn resurgence in our own time. \n\n\n\nAbout Jason R. Young \nJason R. Young is a Professor of History at the University of Michigan. He teaches and researches in the fields of Nineteenth-Century United States History\, African American History\, and the African Diaspora. He specializes in the history of art\, religion\, and folk culture. Jason Young is the author of Rituals of Resistance: African Atlantic Religion in Kongo and the Lowcountry Region of Georgia and South Carolina in the Era of Slavery\, an exploration into the religious and ritual practices that linked West-Central Africa with the Lowcountry region of Georgia and South Carolina. He is also the co-editor\, with Edward J. Blum\, of The Souls of W.E.B. Du Bois: New Essays and Reflections\, a collection of articles that examines Du Bois’s personal religious convictions along with his scholarly examinations of religion. Jason Young is also the Co-Curator of Hear Me Now: The Black Potters of Old Edgefield\, South Carolina\, a touring exhibition that opened at the Metropolitan Museum (MET) in 2022 before traveling to the Museum of Fine Art (MFA)\, Boston\, the University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA) and the High Museum. Young has published articles in The Journal of African American History\, The Journal of Africana Religions\, and The Journal of Southern Religion\, among others. His latest book project\, The Mask of Memory: White Racial Fantasy after the Civil War will be published in 2026 by the University of North Carolina Press. \nAbout Dr. Bernard Powers \nBernard Powers\, professor emeritus of history at the College\, is the inaugural director of the Center for the Study of Slavery in Charleston. Dr. Powers taught in the Department of History from 1992 to 2018\, serving stints as department chair and director of the master’s program in history. He has published numerous works on African-American social and cultural history. His book Black Charlestonians: A Social History 1822-1885 (University of Arkansas Press\, 1994) won a Choice Award for Best Academic Books. He also co-authored We Are Charleston: Tragedy and Triumph at Mother Emanuel (Thomas Nelson\, 2016). His latest book is 101 African Americans Who Shaped South Carolina (USC Press\, 2020).   Powers was a member of the board of directors of the International African American Museum (IAAM)  and briefly served as its interim CEO; the museum opened in Charleston in June 2023. As a member of both CSSC\, IAAM and other entities with similar missions\, Powers is working to build relationships with a goal of establishing joint public programs and academic partnerships. \nAbout the Center for the Study of Slavery in Charleston \nThe College of Charleston’s Center for the Study of Slavery in Charleston fosters a deeper public understanding of slavery and its complex legacies.  It supports academic research and teaching that examine the role of slavery in the history of the College and our region. The Center engages its community\, area residents\, and the general public in collaborative programming and dialog to disseminate new knowledge and to promote social justice\, racial healing\, and reconciliation.
URL:https://charlestonlibrarysociety.org/event/the-mask-of-memory/
LOCATION:Charleston Library Society\, 164 King Street\, Charleston\, SC\, 29401\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://charlestonlibrarysociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/195.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260922T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260922T190000
DTSTAMP:20260727T195746Z
CREATED:20260708T194122Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260727T195746Z
UID:10002450-1790100000-1790103600@charlestonlibrarysociety.org
SUMMARY:The New Middle East
DESCRIPTION:The Middle East is undergoing one of its most significant strategic realignments in decades. From Iran and regional proxy networks to shifting alliances\, emerging governments\, and renewed great-power competition\, the security landscape is changing rapidly. Drawing on her experience across intelligence\, humanitarian operations\, and regional engagement\, Spirit of America’s regional director for the Middle East and Central Asia\, Mary-Bell Ruiz\, joins us along with the World Affairs Council of Charleston to discuss how these dynamics are reshaping U.S. national security interests\, why local partnerships matter more than ever\, and where the greatest opportunities—and challenges—lie for the region in the years ahead. \nThis program is in partnership with the World Affairs Council of Charleston.  \nPurchase Tickets HERE! \nAbout Mary Bell-Ruiz \nMary Bell-Ruiz is Spirit of America’s Regional Director for the Middle East and Central Asia. With more than 25 years of leadership experience across defense\, intelligence\, diplomacy\, and humanitarian operations\, she leads the organization’s partnerships and programs across one of the world’s most complex and strategically important regions. A retired U.S. Navy senior intelligence leader and Arabic linguist\, Mary’s career has spanned war zones and diplomatic engagements alike—from leading intelligence operations and managing multimillion-dollar government programs to coordinating crisis response efforts in Iraq\, Jordan\, Afghanistan\, and across the broader Middle East. Before joining Spirit of America\, Mary founded and led Team Themis\, a humanitarian nonprofit that provided emergency relocation\, security\, and support services to at-risk Afghan women and children. Under her leadership\, the organization grew from concept to more than $2.5 million in operational funding within two years\, directly supporting U.S. diplomatic and humanitarian objectives. Mary earned her bachelor’s degree in International Studies from Old Dominion University and is currently completing a master’s degree in International Security at George Mason University. \nAbout the World Affairs Council \nThe World Affairs Council of Charleston (WACC)\, formerly the Charleston Foreign Affairs Forum\, was founded in the early 1980s as a nonprofit\, nonpartisan organization. The Council works to deepen our community’s global perspective through speaker programs\, discussion groups\, and educational experiences. The membership represents a cross-section of individuals from the business community\, academia\, government service\, and civic backgrounds. We welcome participants of all ages and from all backgrounds. The WACC is a 501(c)(3) organization and is a member of the World Affairs Councils of America\, a network of 90+ independent\, nonpartisan councils across 40 states.
URL:https://charlestonlibrarysociety.org/event/the-new-middle-east/
LOCATION:Charleston Library Society\, 164 King Street\, Charleston\, SC\, 29401\, United States
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260924T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260924T190000
DTSTAMP:20260727T195811Z
CREATED:20260624T205902Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260727T195811Z
UID:10002390-1790272800-1790276400@charlestonlibrarysociety.org
SUMMARY:Speaking of Historic Preservation
DESCRIPTION:As sister cities\, both starting as young colonies on the East Coast\, New York and Charleston have similar yet vastly different growth trajectories. While New York gave up architecture for ‘progress’\, Charleston has been recognized as the birthplace of the historic preservation movement. Join Charleston Library Society Board member Bob Macdonald\, Director Emeritus of the Museum of the City of New York\, for a conversation with Peg Breen\, President of the New York Landmarks Conservancy\, on the challenges and successes across her thirty-two years and the contemporary preservation issues in safeguarding significant structures. \nPurchase Tickets HERE! \n\n\nAbout Peg Breen \nPeg Breen is an internationally recognized leader in the field of historic preservation. Since January 1994\, she has served as the President of the New York Landmarks Conservancy. Her dedication and vision have been instrumental in protecting New York City’s architectural heritage through a wide range of grants\, technical\, and advocacy programs. Throughout her distinguished career\, Peg Breen has spearheaded several significant preservation efforts. She led the stabilization of the South Side of Ellis Island\, ensuring its historical integrity for future generations. In the aftermath of 9/11\, she was instrumental in saving the “Survivors Staircase\,” which is now displayed at the 9/11 museum as a testament to resilience. Her work also includes preserving the Picasso Curtain from the former Four-Season Restaurant and facilitating its transfer to the New York Historical Society. Most recently\, in January\, she collaborated with actor Mark Ruffalo in efforts to save the landmark West Park Presbyterian Church in New York. Peg Breen’s advocacy helped create Moynihan Train Hall\, an important component of Penn Station. Her expertise has been recognized internationally\, with the United States State Department inviting her to Russia\, Georgia\, and Canada to share her knowledge in historic preservation. In recognition of her outstanding contributions\, she was honored as one of New York’s most prominent private sector leaders. She received the Gold Medal for Distinguished Service from the New York Holland Society in 2023. She was honored with a medal from the Foreign Policy Association in 2025 for Cultural Diplomacy. City and State magazines twice listed her as one of the most influential women in New York. In addition to her work in New York\, Peg Breen served on the board of Charleston’s International African American Museum. Peg Breen holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and a Master of Arts in American Studies from New York University. Before her leadership role at the New York Landmarks Conservancy\, she hosted the television program “Inside Albany” and served as Director of Communications for the New York City Council. These experiences laid the foundation for her impactful work in historic preservation. \nAbout Bob Macdonald \nRobert R. Macdonald is Director Emeritus of the Museum of the City of New York\, past President of the American Association of Museums\, and Vice Chair Emeritus of the South Carolina Aquarium. His career in museums spans sixty-one years\, during which he held director positions in institutions in Pennsylvania\, Connecticut\, Louisiana\, and New York. He began his career in 1965 as a curator at the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian Institution and holds both undergraduate and graduate degrees in history from the University of Notre Dame\, as well as a graduate degree in American Civilization from the University of Pennsylvania. He was named an Associate Fellow at Berkeley College\, Yale University\, and served as a Visiting Scholar at the College of Charleston. Among his many honors\, Robert has been recognized as a Chevalier de L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Republic and received the Cruz de Caballero de la Orden de Isabel la Catolica from Spain. He was also honored with the Award of Distinction from the American Association of Museums. He has taught at prestigious institutions\, including Yale University\, Tulane University\, and New York University\, and has created exhibitions that have toured both nationally and internationally\, sharing his expertise and vision with a wide audience. In addition to his directorial roles\, Macdonald has served as a consultant to museums in the United States and abroad. Some of the institutions he has worked with include the Museum of Moscow\, Musée Carnavalet\, Museum of Seoul\, Museum of the Isles in Scotland\, Museum of San Francisco\, Louisiana State Museum\, and Charleston’s International African American Museum. Robert retired in 2002 and moved to Charleston with his wife\, Cathy. They have three adult children and three grandchildren.
URL:https://charlestonlibrarysociety.org/event/speaking-of-historic-preservation/
LOCATION:Charleston Library Society\, 164 King Street\, Charleston\, SC\, 29401\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://charlestonlibrarysociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Peg-Breen-Sept-24-1.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260929T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260929T190000
DTSTAMP:20260727T195839Z
CREATED:20260623T145207Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260727T195839Z
UID:10002326-1790704800-1790708400@charlestonlibrarysociety.org
SUMMARY:Model T to Tesla // 'The Driving Machine'
DESCRIPTION:Explore the vast and engaging history of the invention that made an industry boom like no other — the automobile. Having explored many topics\, the latest by architect\, emeritus professor\, and celebrated author Witold Rybczynski journeys through time from Carl Benz’s three-wheel contraption in 1855 to the Golden Age of American car design\, car culture\, and the present-day shift to electric. This is the story of our most distinctive cars and the people who created them\, along with key developments in automobile technology\, the arrival of postwar subcompacts and the long evolution of the SUV (think woodie\, Army jeep and Range Rover.) \nPurchase Tickets HERE! \nIf you are unable to attend the event\, but would like to purchase one or more copies\, please visit Buxton Books here. \n\n\nAbout the Book \nIn this lively and entertaining work\, Witold Rybczynski—hailed as “one of the best writers on design working today” by Publishers Weekly—tells the story of the most distinctive cars in history and the artists\, engineers\, dreamers\, and gearheads who created them. Delving into more than 170 years of ingenuity in design\, technology\, and engineering\, he takes us from Carl Benz’s three-wheel motorcar in 1855 to the present-day shift to electric cars. Along the way\, he looks at the emergence of mass production with Henry Ford’s Model T; the Golden Age of American car design and the rise of car culture; postwar European subcompacts typified by the Mini Cooper; and the long tradition of the streamlined and elegant sports car. Rybczynski explores how cars have reflected national character (the charming Italian Fiat Cinquecento)\, served as icons of a subculture (the VW bus for American hippies)\, and even emulated an era (the practical Chrysler minivan). He explains key developments in automotive technology\, including the electric starter\, rack-and-pinion steering\, and disc brakes\, highlighting how the modern automobile is the result of more than a century of trial and error. And he weaves in charming accounts of the many cars he’s owned and driven\, starting with his first—the iconic Volkswagen Beetle. The Driving Machine is a breezy and fascinating history of design\, illustrated with the author’s delightful drawings. \nAbout the Author \n\n\nWitold Rybczynski\, of Polish parentage\, was born in Edinburgh\, raised in London\, and attended Jesuit schools in England and Canada. He studied architecture at McGill University in Montreal\, where he also taught; he is currently emeritus professor of urbanism at the University of Pennsylvania. His architectural experience has included designing houses as a registered architect\, as well as researching low-cost housing for which he received a 1991 Progressive Architecture award. In 1993\, he was made an Honorary Fellow of the American Institute of Architects\, and he has received honorary doctorates from McGill University and the University of Western Ontario. In 2007\, he received the Vincent Scully Prize\, the Seaside Prize\, and the Institute Collaborative Honors from the AIA. He served on the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts from 2004 to 2012. Library Journal described Rybczynski as “one of our most original\, accessible\, and stimulating writers on architecture.” He has written twenty-two books on subjects as varied as the evolution of comfort\, a history of the weekend\, American urbanism\, the development of a new community\, and a search for the origins of the screwdriver. Home has been translated into ten languages\, and was nominated for a Governor General’s Literary Prize\, while A Clearing in the Distance\, a biography of Frederick Law Olmsted\, received the J. Anthony Lukas Prize\, a Christopher Award\, a Philadelphia Athenæum literary award\, and was shortlisted for the Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Nonfiction. His essays have appeared regularly in Architect and The New York Times\, and he has written for The Atlantic\, The New Yorker\, and The New York Review of Books. In 2014\, he was a finalist for a National Magazine Award. He has been an architecture critic for Saturday Night\, Wigwag\, and Slate. In 2014\, Rybczynski received the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award for Design Mind\, and in 2023\, he received an Arthur Ross Award for Publishing. His latest book is The Driving Machine\, a design history of the car. Witold Rybczynski lives in Philadelphia.
URL:https://charlestonlibrarysociety.org/event/model-t-to-tesla-the-driving-machine/
LOCATION:Charleston Library Society\, 164 King Street\, Charleston\, SC\, 29401\, United States
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260930T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260930T190000
DTSTAMP:20260727T195901Z
CREATED:20260623T145745Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260727T195901Z
UID:10002427-1790791200-1790794800@charlestonlibrarysociety.org
SUMMARY:The Art of Civility with Daryl Davis
DESCRIPTION:Co-founder of the ProHuman Foundation\, Daryl Davis\, is an American R&B and blues musician recognized for being one of the greatest Blues\, Boogie Woogie & Rock ’n’ Roll pianists of all time. However\, he may be more widely renowned for his success in confronting racism through friendships founded by dialogue and discourse with long-standing members of the Ku Klux Klan. We are honored to welcome Daryl\, along with Dr. Michael Lee\, founder of the Civility Initiative and Professor of Communications at the College of Charleston\, for a timely discussion on civil discourse and the importance of the debate in our modern culture. \nPurchase Tickets HERE! \nAbout Daryl Davis \nDaryl Davis is best known for his talent as a musician; he is an international recording artist and is recognized for being one of the greatest Blues\, Boogie Woogie & Rock ’n’ Roll pianists of all time. In addition to his music career\, Daryl is the author of Klan-Destine Relationships\, which was the first book written about the Ku Klux Klan by a Black author. His engagement with the KKK started when\, while playing in an all-White band\, a member of the Klan praised him for his musical style. Daryl recognized that he had an opportunity to ask an important question about racism: “How can you hate me when you don’t even know me?” Daryl has interviewed hundreds of KKK members and other White supremacists and influenced many of them to renounce their racist ideology. His work in race relations has been highlighted in speaker series across the country. His documentary film\, Accidental Courtesy\, illustrates his process of conversation and understanding to bridge differences and promote racial reconciliation in true Prohuman form. \nAbout Mike Lee \nMichael J. Lee is the director of the Civility Initiative and a professor of communication at the College of Charleston. The Civility Initiative promotes healthy disagreement and dialogue across differences through workshops\, trainings\, speakers\, debates\, and When We Disagree\, a podcast about memorable disagreements in our lives. His research focuses on political identity in American politics. His work has earned over a dozen awards\, including five national book awards for his first book\, Creating Conservatism: Postwar Words that Made an American Movement. His latest book is We Are Not One People: Separatism and Secession in American Politics Since 1776.  \nAbout the Civility Initiative \n\n\nThe Civility Initiative at the College of Charleston was created to foster real change and promote dialogue across differences. This is accomplished by hosting speakers\, convening panels\, and sponsoring workshops about communal engagement and healthy disagreement. The Initiative highlights the value of mutual respect when sharing opposing ideas and how conversations can help to bridge political divides. We work in two areas. Fight\, which includes polarization\, bigotry\, violence\, rage\, cancellation and Flight\, which includes withdrawal\, isolation\, silence\, loneliness\, and echo chambers. The initiative highlights the value of mutual respect when sharing opposing ideas and how conversations can help to bridge political divides. \nAbout the Prohuman Foundation \nFounded by Daryl Dixon\, Letitia Kim and Bion Bartning\, The Prohuman Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that exists to promote the foundational truth that every person is a unique individual united by our shared humanity. America was built on the promise that all of us were created equal. There are times when we have fallen short\, but together we have made immense progress. And yet\, in this age of unprecedented advancement\, it can feel like we are heading in the wrong direction. The defining question of our time is: How do we break through the demonization and division\, and find the courage to move forward together? The Prohuman Foundation believes that embracing our foundational truth is what will allow us to continue to advance.
URL:https://charlestonlibrarysociety.org/event/the-art-of-civility-with-daryl-davis/
LOCATION:Charleston Library Society\, 164 King Street\, Charleston\, SC\, 29401\, United States
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