Wadmalaw, Circa 1915

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https://charlestonlibrarysociety.org/event/wadmalaw-circa-1915/

Wadmalaw, Circa 1915

Join Victoria Hansen of South Carolina Public Radio along with historian and Charleston native Sherman E. Pyatt for a personal recount of his latest novel which is uniquely special for its narrative subject matter, but also because it is predominantly written in traditional authentic Gullah. Abundant in African-American tradition, culture and suspense Standing in the Gap is a spiritually enlightening and enjoyable novel that explores the typical African-American family life from 1915 to 1917 on Wadmalaw Island. What is not typical are the Logan-Rouse line of Gullah sea islanders, including young Jacob Rouse, who possesses an intriguing connection to the spiritual world brought with them five centuries earlier from Africa. As a child born “under the veil,” he holds a distinctive birthmark, meaning that he lives in the ‘gap’ between Heaven and Earth. Complete with its own glossary of Gullah dialect, notable on its own, this engrossing story is a reflection to a time gone by and worth revisiting.

If you are unable to attend the event, but would like to purchase one or more signed copies, please visit Buxton Books here.

About Sherman Pyatt

Sherman E. Pyatt is a native of Charleston, South Carolina. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Johnson C. Smith University and his Master of Library and Information Science from Indiana University, with further certifications in archival sciences from Georgia State University. Pyatt has served as research librarian, interim director, and archivist at The Citadel Military College, The Avery Research Center at the College of Charleston and at South Carolina State University. His publications include Martin Luther King, Jr., An Annotated Bibliography, Greenwood Press, 1986; Apartheid: A Selective Annotated Bibliography, 1978-1987, Garland Publishing, 1990; A Dictionary and Catalog of African American Folklife of the South, Greenwood Press, 1999; Charleston South Carolina: Black America Series, Arcadia Publishing, 2000; Burke High School: 1894-2006, Arcadia Publishing, 2007; and The Other Side of Skillet: Healthy and Alternative Eating in the Lowcountry, Lulu Publishing, 2015. He volunteers with several Lowcountry organizations and served as a commissioner on the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor (2016-2020). Pyatt also volunteers as a research assistant at the International African American Museum in Charleston.

About Victoria Hansen

Victoria Hansen is South Carolina Public Radio’s Lowcountry connection covering the Charleston community, a city she knows well. She grew up in newspaper newsrooms and has worked as a broadcast journalist for more than 30 years. Her first reporting job brought her to Charleston where she covered local and national stories like the Susan Smith murder trial and the arrival of the Citadel’s first female cadet.

An opportunity to anchor the news for an ABC affiliate took her to Nashville, Tennessee. But summer vacations were always spent in Charleston. She moved back in 2006 to the city she calls home to anchor and report again at the tv station where she began, ABC News 4.

Victoria’s work in radio is often featured on NPR where she regularly works as a contributor. She been honored with numerous industry awards for reporting and community service, including several Emmys.