Flagler College welcomes author Pat Conroy

Flagler College reported to Historic City News this afternoon that they will welcome bestselling author Pat Conroy as part of the college’s Writers in Residence Program.

Conroy will read a selection of his work on Tuesday, January 11th at 7:00 p.m. in the Flagler College Auditorium, 14 Granada St.

Conroy is the author of the novels “The Great Santini,” “The Lords of Discipline,” “The Prince of Tides,” “Beach Music” and “South of Broad.” Several of his novels have been made into feature films starring such Hollywood notables as Robert Duvall, Jon Voight, Nick Nolte and Barbara Streisand. He is the recipient of a wide range of literary awards, most recently the 2010 Elizabeth O’Neill Verner Governor’s Award for the Arts, South Carolina, Lifetime Achievement Award.

Conroy’s latest book, “My Reading Life,” revisits a life of passionate reading, including anecdotes from his school days, moving accounts of how reading pulled him through dark times and lists of books that particularly influenced him at various stages of his life.

Conroy, who admits to writing all of his books by hand, stated in a recent interview with The Miami Herald that he found himself pleasantly surprised while writing, “My Reading Life.”

“I was surprised I enjoyed writing it,” he said. “I almost never enjoy writing. But I realized [with this book] that nobody kills themselves, and nobody goes crazy, and nobody’s in agony for 500 pages as they usually are in my novels, so I enjoyed it.”

“Pat Conroy’s writing contains a virtue now rare in most contemporary fiction: passion,” writes The Denver Post. “Reading Pat Conroy is like watching Michelangelo paint the Sistine Chapel,” writes The Houston Chronicle.

Pat Conroy currently lives in Fripp Island, South Carolina, with his wife, the novelist Cassandra King.

This event is free and open to the public. Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis.