Lanier Library Association

05/24/2026

Limited quantity available at circulation desk.

05/18/2026

Best-selling author Virginia Evans of “The Correspondent” delighted a capacity crowd of 300 at the Tryon Fine Arts Center on Sunday 5/17. The Live@Lanier event was part of the Library’s Distinguished Speaker Series. Her debut published novel, it became the literary sensation of 2025 and remains on The New York Times’ Best Sellers list after 28 weeks. Next, it will be produced as a movie starring Jane Fonda.

In an interview format, she answered questions from Tryon’s Peter Franklin and then from the audience. At the reception afterwards at the library, she chatted with attendees and posed for pictures.

Evans is pleased that “The Correspondent” has inspired an interest in letter-writing among some readers. “If somebody reads the book and decides to write a letter,” she said, “that’s wonderful. Don’t write to me. Write to someone you love.”

The program was free to attend, thanks to support from the Kirby Endowment Fund at the Polk County Community Foundation.

04/30/2026

Two recent debut novels seemed to come out of nowhere and explode in popularity. Virginia Evans did not want to publish “The Correspondent” until persuaded by her agent to at least try. Allen Levi self-published “Theo of Golden” to see his labor of love in print. Both books jumped to number #1 on the NY Times Best Seller List.

Peter Franklin wanted to know the why and how of such an unlikely event. Are there common factors that sparked the passionate early word-of mouth which jump started sales and rave reviews? Was the timing just right for themes of engagement in an era of increasing isolation? What resonates with readers in a variety of demographics?

Peter is a retired marketing executive for Coca-Cola, former Lanier Library officer, and a life-time reader who loses count of the number of books read in a year.

*Audience size for Lanier Library programs has been steadily increasing. Comfortable capacity is 50. To assure a seat on Wednesday, June 17, 1 PM, register now at www.thelanierlibrary.org.

04/23/2026

At Live@Lanier, naturalist Steve O’Neil will help you decide which of the following, and more, are fact or fiction. Copperhead snakes in the Carolinas will chase hikers. Only two types of turtles can crawl out of their shells. Corn snakes are green and yellow like corn. Some turtles can freeze solid and revive unharmed. Baby venomous snakes have more potent venom than adult snakes. Box turtles do not make good pets even if living in a box at least 4x their size.

During college, Steve studied wildlife and fisheries management, and for over a decade worked as a naturalist and science educator. Positions included The Great Smoky Mountain National Park and Chimney Rock State Park. In 2010, his experiences and passion for nature prompted him to found his non-profit Earthshine Nature Programs. “Reptile Myths, Lore, and Facts” is one of many of his programs.

* Audience size for Lanier Library Felburn Programs has been steadily increasing. Comfortable capacity is 50. To assure a seat, register now at www.thelanierlibrary.org.

04/07/2026

The Poetry Trio Reading at Lanier Library

From the pages of their many published works, The Poetry Three will read and take the audience into worlds of lyrical mind sight, Live@Lanier, Wednesday, April 22 at 6 PM.

Award-winning Patricia Corbus writes sly and funny poems about the enchanting, troubled beauty of human life. Her poems spark with surprises. Award winning Wendell Hawken invites readers to a northern Shenandoah Valley farm to marvel on the edge of the wild. She wants to fulfill poetry’s ancient role of teaching readers how to live. Award-winning Greg Rappleye describes poetry as his “profession pursued with a passion.” That skill and heart-felt drive is evident in “Barley Child,” a book that gives sarcastic voice with a touch of wit to four generations of Irish Americans. All three poets have honed their craft in the same graduate MFA program. Rappleye also teaches English at Hope College in Michigan.

Thanks to members and the community, the popularity of Live@Lanier Programs has grown and audiences have increasingly exceeded the comfortable capacity of 50 seats. * To assure a seat at 72 Chestnut Street, Tryon, register now online at www.thelanierlibrary.org.

03/26/2026

Through the mind sight of a poet, good and great poems can be found in all faces, things, times, and places. If you want thoughtful critiques of two of your poems, no matter your inspiration, topic or style, submit them online at www.thelanierlibrary.org by Wednesday April 8 for careful evaluation by award-winning poets Patricia Corbus, Wendell Hawken, and Greg Rappleye. All three have honed their craft in the same graduate MFA program and have multiple collections. The workshop will be a collaborative exploration of possibilities for improving your work. Registration is limited to only six participants. Poems received online after April 8 cannot be accepted. Submission of poems is also your registration for the workshop. Separate registration is needed for the Poetry Trio reading.
Questions? 828-859-9535

03/26/2026

The Distinguished Speaker Series event with Virginia Evans originally scheduled for March 22 has been rescheduled to May 17 at 3:00 at the Tryon Fine Arts Center. We will honor all existing reservations; there is no need to sign up again. If you are unable to come on the new date, please let the library know by emailing [email protected]. If you were on the waitlist, we will let you know if a space becomes available for you.

If you have questions, please contact the library at 828-859-9535.

01/28/2026

At the next Live@Lanier, Wednesday, 2/18, 1 PM, Pam Torlina from Conserving Carolina will help you decide which of the following, and more, are bat facts or fiction. More than 50% of bats carry rabies. Bats are naturally aggressive. Nocturnal habits and appearance have unfairly shrouded bats in superstition, suspicion, and misinformation for centuries. Male bats serenade females with ultrasonic songs. Like bees, bats are pollinators. Bats are blind. Most bats have excellent vision but rely mainly on echolocation to navigate and find food. Bats are in the order of Chiroptera or flying rats and mice. Bats get tangled in human hair when searching for nesting materials during breeding season. White-nose syndrome kills millions of bats a year. Bat wings are elongated fingers covered by thin skin. Echolocation clicks are too high-pitched for humans to hear. Vampire bats consume blood and are the largest bats in the world.

This is the first program in the popular Felburn Nature and Wildlife Collection series for 2026. Thanks to members and the community, Live@Lanier Programs have grown in popularity and with increasing frequency have exceeded the comfortable capacity of 50 seats. Going forward, to assure a seat, please register online at www.thelanierlibrary.org.

01/24/2026

01/04/2026

Book launch of Lanier art surprises, suppositions and mysteries

For more than 100 years, the collection of art, artifacts, and curios at Lanier Library in Tryon has expanded with growth of the historic building. Pieces have been added with the curated care of a museum to intrigue, entertain, and educate in every room. Almost a year in the making, the first illustrated edition of the Lanier Library book of art, artifacts, and curios presents the entire collection in color, expands content, and revises text of the 2003 edition. The book will be first available at the Live@Lanier launch, Wednesday, January 21, 6 PM. Hosts Jenny Purtill, Executive Director, and Tryon art collectors Gary Corn and James Blanton will relate the pages of the book to the Library rooms and highlight pieces with anecdotes and details.

The first printing is a limited edition that can be reserved at www.the lanierlibrary.org, at the circulation desk, or by calling 828-859-9535. One book is free with each individual membership or family membership. Additional copies for members and non-members are also available for a fee on a first come, first serve basis.

Launch program is open to the public, 72 Chestnut Street, Tryon. Library seating is limited to 50. Pre-registration required.

Jenny adds, “This is a table top book and a self-tour guidebook where browsers can learn, for example, that ‘Antinous’ in the Main Room is a bronze casting made in late 19th century by Boschetti, Roma. The sculptor of the second century stone original is unknown, but this is a famous representation of the Greek athlete favored by the Roman emperor Hadrian.

“We art not art historians or expert but caretakers and art lovers who welcome information and clarification. I know of instances of missing names of artists and donors. There are provenances based only on donor memory and suppositions made through research and logic. Future editions will add what we learn.”