Charleston - Carolina Days

As luck would have it, we're in Charleston at the same time they're having a "Carolina Days" (that's Adrienne after an interview there) festival - celebrating the city's history during the American Revolution. Spent part of yesterday at Washington Park and then the Battery taping interviews about the festival and the Revolution.

The evening was spent at the Charleston Library Society's building at an event sponsored by them, the Preservation Society of Charleston and our Comcast Cable partners. Thanks to everyone for a wonderful night - one that was topped off by historian and author Robert Rosen talking about South Carolina's secession from the Union - very timely as this year begins the marking of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War's beginning - and it started in here when the first shots were fired on Fort Sumter.

Lots more to do - all of this will be on Book TV and American History Television during the July 30-31 weekend.

-Debbie

Charleston, SC

We're in Charleston, SC! Beautiful city, and site of where the Civil War officially began with the shots fired at Ft. Sumter. On Monday, we spent part of the day with renowned historian Bernard Powers from the College of Charleston as he took us around to African-American heritage sites. Later in the day, we visited the Lasch Conservation Center to get an update on the Hunley, the civil war era submarine that was found off the coast of SC. Fascinating.

For Book TV, we spent time visiting Civil War historic sites with "Confederate Charleston" author Robert Rosen. He'll also be the guest speaker at an event we're covering for Book TV on Tuesday night that is sponsored by our Comcast cable partners, the Preservation Society of Charleston, and the Charleston Library Society.

Tiffany, Adrienne, and Debbie

Savannah weekend on Book TV and AHTV

This weekend of June 25-26 we'll feature Savannah on C-SPAN 2's Book TV and C-SPAN 3's American History TV. Lots of editing these past few weeks as we prepare everything for on-air and online. Check us out at www.c-span.org/localcontent for all the segments (like the one pictured above on a visit to the Flannery O'Connor Childhood Home) and events we'll be posting and airing. At last count, 12 produced pieces on AHTV and 10 on Book TV. Lots to cover in Savannah with its rich history, but we've been able to get to most of it. Beautiful city - which I hope shows up as people watch.

Thanks again to our Comcast partners and all of the friends we made in the "Immortal City."

Mark, Debbie, Tiffany, and Adrienne

Savannah!

We have all returned from Savannah. Very busy and fruitful time there in what many call "The Immortal City." Thanks to Comcast Cable partners in the Savannah area - particularly Tina and Tess. Other shout outs go to the folks at the Savannah Book Festival, the mayor's office, the Telfair Museums, Daniel Carey, Chris Floyd, Preston Russell, Charles Elmore, Martha Keber, Michelle Hunter, Vaughnette Goode-Walker, and pictured above l-r Cindy Wallace, Barry Sheehy and Laurie Ross - and many more.

The week saw us visit so many historic sites as well as getting a chance to talk with local area authors. An abundance of stories for us to tell on the weekend of June 25-26 as we'll feature all of this on C-SPAN 2's Book TV and C-SPAN 3's American History TV.

Thank you Savannah!

-Mark

Savannah - Day 3 - June 3

This is a city famous for its preservation movement, and its history dating back to the 1700s. It's also known for its historic cemeteries, both in folklore and in the true stories they tell about Savannah's past. We spent time visiting one of those today - the Bonaventure Cemetery - where we talked with Jerry Fleming, who heads up the city's Department of Cemeteries and Stacy Doty, head of the Bonaventure Historic Society (she's the one on the left in the picture). Very interesting day. Bonaventure has lots of stories to tell.

-Adrienne

Ebb and Flow - Wednesday, June 1 - Savannah

Quite an evening as we spent time with a group of high school students who have re-discovered Savannah - both its history and what it's like to live there today. The students are sponsored by AWOL - for "All Walks of Life." This is a non-profit organization that provides arts and technology education for at risk youths in Savannah. The students' project was to produce videos on Savannah's history - part of the city's official effort - called "Ebb and Flow" - to document Savannah's historic neighbhoroods. Very interesting to hear their thoughts on what they learned about the history of race relations - both in the past and what it's like now - in this formerly segregated city.

-Adrienne