Guest Book

2003-2004 was the last of my preliminary vice presidential years before becoming president of the South Carolina Council of Teachers of English (SCCTE). That year our board chose former Beaufort High School English teacher Gene Norris as the person we wanted to honor with our Richard P. Riley Award, presented annually to someone who has made significant contributions to the teaching of English in our state.

My role at the time led me to be tasked with some of the particulars of how to honor Gene in the most memorable way possible. Since we were quite familiar with Gene's friendship with Pat, his former student, and the way that Pat always managed to slip in beautiful tributes to Gene (as well as the larger population of dedicated English teachers) in his interviews and conversations, we knew that our celebration had to include Pat Conroy.

Some time during Pat's publicity tour for My Losing Season he was scheduled for a signing at the Open Book (now unfortunately open no longer) in Greenville, SC. We made arrangements with the owner for me to meet Pat before he greeted the general public. That moment is a cherished memory I will never forget.

When I told Pat that our state English teacher association was planning to recognize Gene with its highest award, he looked at me and without missing a beat said, "Son, if you're doing anything to honor Gene Norris, you just tell me when and where, and I'll be there."

Of course, he was true to his word. I can promise anyone who reads this that there are quite a few English teachers around the state of South Carolina who remember seeing Pat's tribute to Gene that year as one of the most beautiful moments in the history of our conference. Sadly, Gene passed away several months later, but one of his family members told me at his funeral how precious that moment was for Gene as well.

I just wanted to publicly thank Pat for what he meant to those of us who teach English. In addition to his wonderful books, we are so fortunate to still have his beautiful words of support for our profession with us.

I just finished The Prince of Tides and loved every page. Mr. Conroy's development of his characters with their emotions, cultural background and conflicts of love and family were extraordinary. His style of writing in itself is nothing short of beautiful. I look forward to reading more of his works.

As a boy of about ten, I saw the movie, "Conrack," based on Pat Conroy's book, "The Water Is Wide." That's when I became a lifelong fan of Pat's. I've since become a sports broadcaster, and when Pat's book, "My Losing Season" was published, I was working at Madison Square Garden Network in New York City.

He was scheduled to do an interview with me, which I arranged to happen on the court at The World's Most Famous Arena. Unfortunately, Pat took ill and was unable to keep our appointment. I was so disappointed. I got married two years ago, and recently re-watched Conrack for the umpteenth time, introducing it to my wife, Shari.

Of course, I told her all about Pat's impact on me, and that time I came so close to meeting him.

I spent 4 years in NJ-ROTC in high school and my first Conroy books were The Lords of Discipline and My Losing Season.. After reading the Lords of Discipline I knew then and there I wanted to be a Citadel man just as Conroy was and just like Will McClean was at the Carolina Military Institute in the book. I pursued this dream because of Conroy's book inspiring me.

I attended leadership school there and applied for college to be in the corps of cadets now while I was rejected due to not having a second language I remained and still remain a supporter of the college because both Pat Conroy and the Citadel taught me a lot about growing up and being both my self and "a man". I'm thankful that I discovered Conroy and his books and stories.

I first read The Great Santini when I was a Marine stationed at Camp Lejeune in 1977. Pat Conroy is in the top 3 of my all-time favorite authors.

I love Beach Music and I want to nominate it to be made into a film.

I just finished South of Broad. I wish that there were still another 300 pages to read. Mr. Conroy has a wonderful way with words. My favorite author, Ken Follett, also puts the best words in the best order. I once referred to him as the "goat." Now Mr. Conroy has joined the fray and now it's the Jordan and James debate for me in the book world, lol!

Love the books.

I don’t know why I’m making an entry to a guestbook of someone already passed on-except to perhaps let family and friends that had the honor to be called such might once again be reminded of what they undoubtedly know.

I love to read. I love books. It is a love passed down to me from my mother, who would have 3-4 books “going” at any point of her life. It was through her that I discovered Pat Conroy. She had a system for handing down bags of read books to me... one check on the title page meant that she’d read it, but that I should only resort to reading if there were no books left in the bag. Two checks meant worth the time and three meant read first! When she gave me the book, “Beach Music”, it not only had the valued three checks, but she wrote-“Really good” followed with three exclamation points!!!

I saved the book to read on a long plane trip to Colorado with my husband. I, like my mother, am a very fast reader. If going on a 10 day vacation, I will bring 3 books. But this book was different...Pat Conroy created something that made that book last for the entire vacation. I found, that instead of flying through a book, I would read then reread and, as with the first pages of the prologue, read a third time, think about what I’d just read and then interrupt my husband’s book to read it to him. When I finally did finish the book, as is the experience with a truly good book, I was sorry I’d finished it. So was my husband who had essentially listened to a near entire reading of the book through me.

Without belaboring more than I already have, Pat Conroy changed the way I read when I read any of his works. They are prose and fiction, but so much more. He writes in poetry and tells a story in such detail that whether funny or tragic pulls you in and makes you experience the written situation as a silent but present observer.

I wish I’d been able to tell him that I read him differently than I did other author’s works. I wish there were more of his books. So, I’ve bought “Beach Music” again. I’ve only read three sections to my husband so far. I’ve just finished the prologue.