Tag Archive for: #richardthorntonlibrary

Lewis Bowling, Local Author & Historian, Hosts Book Signing Dec. 8

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100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm

-Press Release, Granville County Government

Local author and historian Lewis Bowling will host a “meet and greet” and book signing at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 8. The event will be held at the Richard H. Thornton Library in Oxford and will introduce Bowling’s book, “Sam Ragan: North Carolina’s Literary Godfather.”

Local author and historian Lewis Bowling will host a “meet and greet” and book signing at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 8. (Photo courtesy Granville Co. Govt.)

Sam Ragan, also known as the “Berea Bard,” was born to a tobacco farming family in Berea, NC and began writing poetry in grade school. The son of William Samuel Ragan and Emma Clare (Long) Ragan, he would later embark on a career in journalism, where he fine-tuned his writing skills.

Except for three years of service in the U.S. Army, Ragan dedicated his life to the newspaper industry and the written word. His career, which spanned several decades, included work at The San Antonio Evening News in Texas, the Raleigh News and Observer – where he served as state editor, and then executive/managing editor – and The Pilot in Southern Pines, which he purchased in 1968.

His column, “Southern Accent” was the oldest and longest-running column in the United States, and was read in 43 states and in 24 foreign countries.

Ragan’s works also include six collections of verse and four non-fiction books. In 1982, Governor Jim Hunt appointed the North Carolina Journalism Hall of Fame recipient as North Carolina’s Poet Laureate. Other honors include the North Carolina Award in Fine Arts and two nominations for the Pulitzer Prize, as well as many other achievements.

Lewis Bowling’s book, which will be discussed at the Dec. 8 event, describes why Ragan “justly deserves the title of ‘North Carolina’s Literary Godfather.’”

A book signing will be held at the Richard H. Thornton Library in Oxford and will introduce Lewis Bowling’s book, “Sam Ragan: North Carolina’s Literary Godfather.” (Photo courtesy Granville Co. Govt.)

An author with accomplishments of his own, Bowling has penned six books on Granville County history – including a book commemorating the 200th anniversary of the City of Oxford – and three books pertaining to sports.

Also raised on a tobacco farm in rural Granville County, Bowling has a passion for writing and is a regular contributor to local newspapers with his history column “Looking Back,” which has been published in the Oxford Public Ledger and the Butner Creedmoor News.

On Sunday, Bowling invites the public to hear more about the life and accomplishments of Granville County’s own Sam Ragan. For more details, contact the Thornton Library at 919-693-1121.

The Richard H. Thornton Library is located at 210 Main Street in Oxford and is one of four branches of the Granville County Library System. To learn more about upcoming events in Oxford, Creedmoor, Stovall and Berea, please visit https://granville.lib.nc.us.

Thornton Library to Welcome Author Wiley Cash

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100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm

-Press Release, Granville County Government

The Richard H. Thornton Library will host a book discussion and book signing by award-winning author Wiley Cash at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, July 17, 2019.

Cash is a New York Times bestselling novelist who has penned several works, including ‘A Land More Kind Than Home’ and ‘This Dark Road to Mercy.’

The Richard H. Thornton Library will host a book discussion and book signing by award-winning author Wiley Cash at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, July 17, 2019. (Photo courtesy Granville Co. Govt.)

His newest book ‘The Last Ballad,’ is set in 1929 in the Appalachian foothills of North Carolina. Considered to be a “moving tale of courage in the face of oppression,” Cash’s newest work tells the story of a single mother’s struggle for her rights in a textile mill, which is inspired by actual events.

The Minnesota Star-Tribune calls this latest work “powerful and poignant… Cash’s third and best novel,” while the Library Journal calls Cash “a promising young voice in southern fiction.”

Cash serves as the writer-in-residence at the University of North Carolina-Asheville and teaches in the Mountainview Low-Residency MFA (Master of Fine Arts) program. He is co-founder of the Land-More-Kind Artists Residency and is founder of the Open Canon Book Club.

A graduate of the University of North Carolina-Asheville and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, the author resides in North Carolina with his wife and two young daughters.

This event is free and open to the public.

The Richard H. Thornton Library is located at 210 Main Street in Oxford and is one of four branches of the Granville County Library System. Other branches are located in Creedmoor (South Branch), Stovall and Berea.

For more details about this event and other scheduled library programs, call 919-693-1121 or visit https://granville.lib.nc.us/.

Thornton Library Welcomes New Adult Services Librarian

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100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm

-Press Release, Granville County Government

The Richard H. Thornton Library announces the addition of Stefani Perry as Adult Services Librarian.

A New Hampshire native, Perry grew up in the Butner/Creedmoor area and is a graduate of Granville Central High School. With a major in Liberal Studies/Humanities from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, she also holds a Masters degree in Library Information Science.

The Richard H. Thornton Library announces the addition of Stefani Perry as Adult Services Librarian. In her role as Adult Services Librarian, Perry will oversee the programs, services and special events provided by the library for those over the age of 18. (Photo courtesy Granville Co. Government)

In her role as Adult Services Librarian, Perry will oversee the programs, services and special events provided by the library for those over the age of 18. Her plans include to establish a new book club for young adult novels, as well as initiating a regularly-scheduled “Coffee with Stefani” event, where library patrons can come in and discuss suggestions and concerns in an informal setting.

Perry is married and has recently moved back to the Granville County area after living several years in California and in Japan with her husband, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps. Her first day of work at the Thornton Library was June 3, as Adult Services Librarian Ashley Wilson phases out her employment with the Granville County Library System. Wilson will be moving out of the area in mid-July.

The Richard H. Thornton Library is located at 210 Main Street in Oxford, and is one of four public libraries in the Granville County Library System. Other branches are located in Creedmoor (South Branch), Stovall and Berea. For a schedule of upcoming library events and programs, or to learn more about what your local library has to offer, visit https://granville.lib.nc.us/.

DNA Analysis Subject of Upcoming Thornton Library Program

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-Press Release, Granville County Government

On March 30, genealogist Shannon Christmas is scheduled for a discussion of DNA testing and how it relates to family genealogy. The 2 p.m. program will be held at the Richard H. Thornton Library in Oxford.

Christmas is experienced in the field of genealogy, specializing in Colonial America as well as African-American ancestry in Virginia and the Carolinas. He has a special interest in “harnessing the power” of DNA to verify and extend ancestral lineage.

“African-American genealogy remains a challenging jigsaw puzzle where half of the pieces seem irrevocably lost,” Christmas has written in a blog about family history. “Advances in genetics and internet technology have unearthed some of the long-buried pieces of our especially fractured history.”

On March 30, genealogist Shannon Christmas is scheduled for a discussion of DNA testing and how it relates to family genealogy. The 2 p.m. program will be held at the Richard H. Thornton Library in Oxford. (Photo courtesy Granville Co. Govt.)

Christmas has used DNA analysis along with traditional genealogical methods to trace his own family tree. His research has led him to a Warren County plantation, where DNA was used to verify bloodlines and connect him with relatives he never knew. The genealogist also has ties to the Yancey family of Granville County.

Today Christmas provides information to others through videos and programs to assist in family research projects. He currently serves as a 23andMe Ancestry Ambassador and is administrator of the Captain Thomas Graves of Jamestown Autosomal DNA project.

He is also co-administrator of the Hemings-Jefferson-Wayles-Eppes DNA project and a blogger of “Through the Trees,” a guide to tools and technology that aid in genealogical research.

His presentation, “Family History Now: How to Master DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy,” is free and open to the public. Those in attendance can register for a free DNA kit in a drawing that will be held during the program.

For more information, contact Ashley Wilson, Adult Services Librarian or Mark Pace, North Carolina Room Specialist at 919-693-1121. The Richard H. Thornton Library is one of four branches of the Granville County Library System and is located at 210 Main Street in Oxford.

Thornton Library to Host Free Concert Featuring Buck Meek & ‘Twain’

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-Press Release, Granville County Government

The Granville County Library System provides more than just books and informational resources, serving as a local cultural center with programs scheduled for all ages and backgrounds.

On Thursday, February 21, 2019, the Richard H. Thornton branch will welcome Buck Meek – a musician influenced by blues, jazz and western swing – as well as “Twain,” a longtime artist in folk music circles.

With musical roots in the Texas countryside, Buck Meek was taught to play the guitar by his mother, who showed him chords on an acoustic guitar when he was only six years old.  His first “gig” was booked as a teenager playing rhythm for a local band as his love of music continued to grow.

Meek would later move to New York, where he met and formed a strong friendship with singer/songwriter Adrianne Lenker. The two became a duo and made recordings together while playing their songs at various events and venues as they developed a grassroots following.

Their partnership gradually grew into a band called “Big Thief” which included Lenker, Meek and Max Oleartchic on bass. Together they would play shows and make new recordings with their engineer, James Krivchenia, who later became the band’s drummer.

Their collaborative work became a collection of songs called “Masterpiece” in 2016.  “Capacity” was recorded in 2017 as the band set out on a North American tour, performing all over the country.

Meek went on to record a new released self-titled solo album, and has scheduled tour dates in locations from California and Oregon on the west coast to Maryland and North Carolina on the eastern seaboard. North Carolina stops include Durham and Asheville, where concert tickets can be reserved in the $10 to $12 range.

Opening for Meek is “Twain.” Mat Davidson, a singer/songwriter in his own right and member of a multi-instrumental band, is a native of Franklin County, VA. Davidson has a long history in folk music circles and served as opening act for “Big Thief” on several occasions. He has performed with groups “Low Anthem” and “Spirit Family Reunion” as well as recorded several self-released albums.

Taking a break from their concert tour, Buck Meek and “Twain” will perform their music at the Thornton Library, 210 Main Street in Oxford, from 6 until 8 p.m. on Feb. 21. This concert is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Adult Services Librarian Ashley Wilson at 919-693-1121. Visit https://granville.lib.nc.us to learn more about the programs and services offered by the Granville County Library System.