Charleston Currents – Special to Charleston Currents

REVIEW: Wolf in White Van

Review: Wolf in White Van: Sean Phillips is reclusive due, in large part, to a severe injury he sustained as a teenager. His main contact with the world around him is through Trace Italian, the mail-order role-playing game he created and runs. Troubles arise for Sean when two players, Carrie and Lance, switch their playing from the game world to the real world. As Sean’s story, along with the story of Carrie and Lance, unfolds, the reader is taken on a riveting journey backward through Sean’s life.

by Special to Charleston Currents · 06/08/2015 · Comments are Disabled · Features, Reviews

HISTORY: Classical music in South Carolina

S.C. Encyclopedia | The first permanent English settlers in South Carolina arrived in 1670, bringing their European musical traditions with them. Psalmody (the singing of psalms in divine worship) was the primary music of the colonists, and by 1700 singing schools provided both musical and devotional training.

by Special to Charleston Currents · 06/01/2015 · Comments are Disabled · Uncategorized

REVIEW: Did She Kill Him?

Did She Kill Him? A Torrid True Story of Adultery, Arsenic and Murder in Victorian England, by Kate Colquhoun

Crime attracts people whether it’s on television, in movies, mystery novels, or non-fiction books. Why do we like to read about it? Perhaps we want to look into the minds of criminals to find out why they commit heinous crimes.

by Special to Charleston Currents · 05/25/2015 · Comments are Disabled · Features, Reviews

REVIEW: The Book of Wisdom: The Heart of Tibetan Buddhism

Osho was an Indian mystic, a spiritual master with a large following, during the second half of the 20th century. In his discourses, he reinterpreted the writings of various religious traditions and philosophies from around the world. The Book of Wisdom is filled with his brilliant outside-the-box interpretations. It is also a guide, if you are curious to take the path, to deep awakening and happiness that does not fade. In the very first chapter the reader is given a recipe to follow in seven easily digestible steps.

by Special to Charleston Currents · 05/18/2015 · Comments are Disabled · Features, Reviews

FOCUS: Begin With Books seeks help to meet North Charleston challenge

By Patty Bennett-Uffelman | Reading aloud promotes healthy growth in babies. That’s why we want Begin With Books (BWB) to keep growing so that we can put books into the hands of every baby and toddler in Charleston County. This month, we are challenging you to help us take our growth to the next level.

The Samuel Freeman Charitable Trust has entrusted BWB with a major incentive grant, a $65,000 challenge to open service in the City of North Charleston. We need to match this grant with $85,000 in donations from the community to meet our next major growth objective. Councilman Ed Astle has notified us that the City of North Charleston has already made a $5,000 commitment to support the campaign this year.

by Special to Charleston Currents · 05/11/2015 · Comments are Disabled · Focus, Good news

HISTORY: Historic Charleston Foundation

Historic Charleston Foundation (HCF) sprang from the activities of the Carolina Art Association. In 1941 the association began a survey of historic buildings in Charleston, published in 1944 as This Is Charleston.

by Special to Charleston Currents · 05/04/2015 · Comments are Disabled · Features, S.C. Encyclopedia

REVIEW: How to Win Friends and Influence People

How to win friends and influence people: Upon considering whether to read this classic self-help/business book originally written in 1936, I had three main concerns: First, how applicable would it be to today’s cultures and practices? Second, how pertinent would it be to me in my non-business world profession? Third, would I struggle to stay awake through what I assumed would be rather dry text?

by Special to Charleston Currents · 05/04/2015 · Comments are Disabled · Features, Reviews

Redcliffe Plantation, now a state historic site.

HISTORY: Redcliffe

Constructed between 1857 and 1859, Redcliffe was the homeplace of South Carolina Governor James Henry Hammond and three generations of his descendants. Located in western Aiken County near Beech Island, Redcliffe served as an architectural and horticultural showplace, as well as the center of domestic life for the Hammond family. By 1860 it functioned primarily as a headquarters for Hammond’s extensive cotton plantations, which were sustained by more than three hundred slaves.

by Special to Charleston Currents · 04/28/2015 · Comments are Disabled · Features, S.C. Encyclopedia

REVIEW: The Martian

The Martian: A novel by Andy Weir. Mark Watney is pretty much the perfect man: a problem-solver with a wry sense of humor, he thinks on his feet and is cool under pressure. Unfortunately, he’s an astronaut stranded on Mars and left for dead with literally the entire Universe working against him. Fortunately, he’s Spaceman MacGyver and can build a new spaceship out of canvas, duct tape and potatoes. Ok, I exaggerate, but not by much.

by Special to Charleston Currents · 04/28/2015 · Comments are Disabled · Features, Reviews

HISTORY: Christopher Gadsden

Patriot and merchant Christopher Gadsden was born in Charleston on February 16, 1724, the son of Elizabeth and Thomas Gadsden, a collector of customs.

by Special to Charleston Currents · 04/13/2015 · Comments are Disabled · Features, S.C. Encyclopedia