Author Pat Conroy finds joy in helping Southern writers get published
Since stepping into the role of editor at large for Story River Books last summer, best-selling author and famous Lowcountry resident Pat Conroy has found himself drowning in manuscripts.
"It's driving me nuts," he admitted. "I despair when the mailman walks up and I see him, saggy at the shoulders, as he brings new manuscripts up to my door."
The University of South Carolina Press' latest imprint -- named after a river on Conroy's home of Fripp Island -- was created to publish and highlight the work of fiction writers in the Palmetto State, but has since expanded to writers in the general South, Conroy said.
His job is to read and vet every work that comes in.
It's not an enviable undertaking, but he said there is a sense of joy and responsibility in the task.
The joy of discovering new Southern writers who wouldn't otherwise have a chance to be published, and a responsibility to help them in any way he can.
"I remember being in the exact same situation of these writers, who have manuscripts in their hands and nowhere to go," Conroy said. "When I was starting out, I had no idea how to get published. I had no idea if what I wrote was any good."
Of course, his work was good, as his status as a New York Times best-selling author would attest. Two of his most well-known novels, "The Prince of Tides" and "The Great Santini," were made into Oscar-nominated films.
The success came after Conroy had settled in the Lowcountry, and for that he said he owes South Carolina a great deal.
"The state took me in and has been so good to me. I sell far more books in South Carolina than any other state."
People often stop him to say they moved to the Lowcountry because they read his books.
With Story River Books, Conroy is using his notoriety and expertise to pull other writers up into the coveted published author's arena.
So far, the imprint has published five novels. Three of the authors -- Bernie Schein ("Famous All Over Town"), his daughter Maggie Schein ("Lost Cantos of the Ouroboros Caves: Expanded & Illustrated Edition") and John Warley ("A Southern Girl: A Novel") -- are from Beaufort.
Warley, Bernie Schein and Maggie Schein, along with Beaufort artist Jonathan Hannah, will join Conroy for a panel discussion at University of South Carolina Beaufort on Dec. 8 to talk about their works. New releases by the authors and illustrator will be available for sale and autographing.
"These books are good," Conroy said. "I think these books are ones that would not be published in New York today, because those people are so obsessed with the million dollar sale, the blockbuster, that they're forgetting about books with high literary quality. I think we're filling a gap. And I really like being a part of that."
One thing he especially enjoys is seeing his Story River authors on stage, reacting to crowds of people who have read their books and reacted to them, Conroy said.
Because, as any author knows, "the great joy of writing novels is to have been read."
Follow reporter Erin Shaw at twitter.com/IPBG_ErinShaw.
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This story was originally published December 6, 2014 at 4:00 PM with the headline "Author Pat Conroy finds joy in helping Southern writers get published."