A celebration of miniature portraits & more at the gibbes museum in charleston, sc
Oh, Charleston, South Carolina. You are magic.
It was, without exaggeration, a sparking night at The Gibbes Museum of Art celebrating the art and the place which inspired my new historical novel, The Miniaturist’s Assistant.
I’m grateful to everyone at the incomparable Gibbes, not only for their rare and wonderful Miniature Portraits exhibit, which has brought me so much joy and inspiration, but also for Director of Education & Programs Becca Hiester, the Literary Gibbes Book Club and Gibbes Museum board members who attended, one of my all-time favorite professors from The Citadel’s MA in English program (and one of my thesis advisors!)—Dr. Scott Lucas, Head of the Department of English, Fine Arts & Communications—who surprised me, to the many family and friends there, and of course, the Charlestonians who’ve embraced this book. I got to meet the loveliest readers, including a fellow ex-English prof who wore the coolest miniature portrait bracelet in honor of the evening. (See the photos.)
And, my family capped it off with dinner and drinks in Charleston’s French Quarter, at the incredible 82 Queen. I had the filet, which melted like butter in my mouth. It was, by far, one of the best meals of my life.
Back at our hotel, the conceirges—who’d asked all about THE MINIATURIST’S ASSISTANT when I arrived—each greeted me with happy curiousity about how the evening had gone.
So many connections. So many sparks. This is what makes books magic. How can we not feel it in a place like Charleston?
Next stop on book tour: Tuesday, June 17th at the Transylvania Public Library in Brevard, NC, where I’m giving the Noontime Notions talk: How We Keep Each Other Close. See y’all there!
