Friends of J. Fred Matthews Memorial Library - St. Paul, Virginia

08/05/2026

Our children's programs start back next week! We are excited to see everyone again!

07/31/2026

07/30/2026

Many thanks to these locals for providing free refreshments for the 14th Annual Cooks & Books on July 25, 2026. Please support these businesses and boost our community! SHOP LOCAL!!

07/25/2026

Better come out and taste the goodies! All donated to support the Lyric and the Library!!

07/24/2026

07/21/2026

COOKS&BOOKS 2026 is Saturday, July 25, 6PM-8PM at the Deen Building at 16619 E. Riverside Drive in St. Paul. This event supports Friends of the Library and the Lyric Theater. WE HAVE A SILENT AUCTION! Advance tickets can be purchased here: https://thelyrictheater.ticketspice.com/cooks-and-book-2026
MEET THE AUTHORS: Wally Smith is a conservation biologist and a poet at The University of Virginia’s College at Wise. His creative writing has appeared in numerous regional and national literary journals and several anthologies, including the recent Weatherford Award-winning poetry anthology Had I A Dove, which explores the impacts of Hurricane Helene on southern Appalachia. He has a poetry collection currently in press. He is also the author of two regional hiking guides allowing residents and visitors alike to experience the outdoors in southwest Virginia and nearby portions of adjacent states. High Lonesome Trails covers hiking destinations in southwest Virginia’s High K**b Region, while Hiking Pine Mountain explores trails across the region’s border with Kentucky. He lives in Wise, Virginia but can usually be found somewhere in the woods.

07/20/2026

DON’T FORGET THE SILENT AUCTION!

COOKS&BOOKS 2026 is Saturday, July 25, 6PM-8PM at the Deen Building at 16619 E. Riverside Drive in St. Paul. This event supports Friends of the Library and the Lyric Theater. Advance tickets can be purchased here: https://thelyrictheater.ticketspice.com/cooks-and-book-2026
MEET THE AUTHORS: E. B. Fletcher has enjoyed a lengthy career in education and writing. With over twenty years of experience teaching in Virginia schools, she currently serves as an education specialist in the private sector working with children who are dyslexic. Fletcher's diverse roles in education include serving as a regular classroom teacher, Title I and Reading Recovery teacher, educational diagnostician, administrative reading specialist, Wilson reading tutor, reading coach, assistant principal, adjunct professor and drum major coach. She has delivered numerous presentations on reading, writing, and the challenges associated with dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalcula, and ADD/ADHD. Her writing portfolio includes several works, such as "Don't Fly the Coop, Lincoln McCarthy!", "I Loathe Snow, Lincoln McCarthy!", "Why Is Ginny Anne Crying, Lincoln McCarthy?", "Ice Cream for Breakfast, Lincoln McCarthy!" Tick, Tock Goes the Clock, Lincoln McCarthy!", "Walk Softly and Carry a Big Stick, Lincoln McCarthy!", "There's a Smudge of Fudge on the Judge, Lincoln McCarthy!", - the latter being nominated for an Amazon Award in 2022. Other notable works include "Merry Kissmus, Lincoln!", "Lincoln McCarthy, Attorney at Law" (featured on the January 3020 New York Times Book Review List), "The Last American Star", and "Grandfather's Ship, The S.S. United States" (nominated for a literary award through the Library of Virginia in 2000). Fletcher also served on the Advisory Council of the S. S. United States Conservancy from 2006 - 2025.

"Let's Celebrate the Brave, Lincoln McCarthy!" is expected to be released in late summer of 2026 -

07/17/2026

COOKS&BOOKS 2026 is Saturday, July 25, 6PM-8PM at the Deen Building at 16619 E. Riverside Drive in St. Paul. This event supports Friends of the Library and the Lyric Theater. Advance tickets can be purchased here: https://thelyrictheater.ticketspice.com/cooks-and-book-2026
MEET THE AUTHORS: Jacinda Penley is the author of the Finding Home series. She has been writing short stories and poetry since she was five years old. Born and raised in a small holler in the mountains of Southwest Virginia, she developed a deep appreciation for the rich language, close-knit-communities, and enduring traditions that continue to inspire her storytelling.
Jacinda loves writing stories that readers can connect with on a personal level. Whether through romance, family, faith, or the complexities of everyday life, she enjoys exploring the many facets of love and the emotions that shape the families we are born into and the ones we choose to create. Her greatest hope is that every story leaves readers feeling seen, encouraged, and eager to turn the next page.
She is married to her best friend, Chad, and together they have four wonderful children: Cheyenne, Hayley, Ryan, and Jaylynn. One of Jacinda’s greatest joys is cheering on her children, nieces, and nephews as they discover their passions and build lives they love. Although she doesn’t hold an official degree in psychology, her family often jokes that she has earned one through years of listening, encouraging, and offering plenty of unsolicited—but usually appreciated—life advice.
Jacinda holds a bachelor’s degree in business from Berea College and is pursuing a master’s degree in education through Liberty University. She works as a Regional Admissions Manager for Berea College and as a real estate agent, but her lifelong dream is to travel the world, gathering inspiration for stories that celebrate the beauty of God’s creation and the hope that can always be found in coming home.

07/10/2026

COOKS&BOOKS 2026 is Saturday, July 25, 6PM-8PM at the Clinch River Farmers Market Pavilion in St. Paul. This event supports Friends of the Library and the Lyric Theater. Advance tickets can be purchased here: https://thelyrictheater.ticketspice.com/cooks-and-book-2026
MEET THE AUTHORS: Catherine Yael Serota is a native Southern Appalachian growing up roaming the Blue Ridge and the Great Smokies. A regional storyteller, Catherine Tells original tales about Jack, folklore, historical and personal narratives all embellished with keen insight and humor. Several of these (28) have found a home in the first volume of “An Appalachian Life: A Storyteller’s Perspective.”
She homesteads with her husband Wallace Shealy in Flag Pond Tennessee.