Y’all already know how far ahead the magazine staff and I must work to produce each issue, but you’d probably howl with laughter at the tricks we use to get the creative juices flowing. While you all were enjoying beach days in August and September, we were channeling the start of the holiday season—cranking the A/C, burning pine-scented candles, and listening to vintage Christmas tunes—as we shopped for and designed our annual Holiday Gift Guide.
Starting on page 106, you’ll find ideas for everyone on your list—235 of them!—from gorgeous jewels and feathered belt buckles to perfect host gifts and nifty toys for kids of all ages. There’s even a page devoted to fur babies. Knowing from the folks at Lowcountry Local First that $45 of every $100 spent at an area store goes right back into our community, we put an emphasis on locally owned businesses, as well as items crafted here and those that give back.
With Thanksgiving also on the horizon, I spent a good bit of August flipping through my collection of local cookbooks, looking for special dishes to bring to a Turkey Day feast. From the Lee Brothers’ spiced pecans and Nathalie Dupree’s deviled eggs to Mrs. Hamby’s pumpkin cake roll, compiling the feature “Be Our Guest” (page 92) was a trip down memory lane with the many talented cooks—those still with us and those passed on—who we’ve been privileged to feature and get to know over the years. With their pro recipes and expert tips, you’re sure to be invited back year after year.
While Thanksgiving traditionally kicks off the holidays, November in Charleston is time for celebration, especially for bookworms. Between the Charleston Literary Festival (November 7-16) and YALLFest (November 14-15), there are myriad opportunities to meet favorite authors and poets, hear them discuss their work, and attend lively parties. In “The Page Turner” (page 82), you’ll meet Sarah Moriarty, the dynamo who has grown the Literary Festival into its most expansive program in nine years. And in “A Novel Idea” (page 56), you’ll learn about YALLFest, the young adult fiction extravaganza dreamed up 15 years ago by Jonathan Sanchez of Blue Bicycle Books and a couple of YA novelists. Eschewing digital screens, meeting face-to-face, and having meaningful conversations about ideas and ideals, now that’s something to celebrate.
Enjoy!
Darcy Shankland
dshankland@charlestonmag.com