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In this immersive, spell-binding memoir, an acclaimed screenwriter tells the story of her childhood growing up with the infamous Lyman Family cult—and the complicated and unexpected pain of leaving the only home she’d ever known. On January 5, 1975, the world was supposed to end. Under strict instructions from the Family leader, seven-year-old Guinevere Turner put on her best dress, grabbed her favorite toy, and waited with the rest of her community for salvation—a spaceship that would take them to live on Venus. But the spaceship never came. Guinevere did not understand her family was a cult. She spent most of her days on a compound in Kansas, living with dozens of other children who worked in the sorghum fields and roved freely through the surrounding pastures, eating mulberries and tending to farm animals. But there was a dark side to this bucolic existence: When selected girls in her community turned twelve or thirteen, they were “given” to older men on the compound as wives in training. Turner was part of the Lyman Family, a cult spearheaded by Mel Lyman, a self-proclaimed world savior, committed to isolation from a world he declared had lost its way. When Guinevere caught the attention of Jessie, the woman everyone in the Family called the queen, her status was elevated and suddenly she was traveling in the inner-circle caravan between communities in Los Angeles, Boston, and Martha’s Vineyard. Before long, Guinevere’s world as she had known it ended. Her mother, from whom she had been separated since age three, left the Family with a disgraced member, and Guinevere and her four-year-old sister were forced to go with her. Traveling outside the bounds of her cloistered existence, Guinevere was thrust into public school for the first time, a stranger in a strange world with homemade […]

Hi, friends! Flyleaf Books will be tabling at Carrboro’s Pride Food Truck Rodeo and Dance Party on Friday evening, 6/30. We’ll bring our Read with Pride posters, as large a selection of queer books as we can fit in our car, and stickers, pride tees, flags, pins, and other merch! And we’ll probably be dancing, too. Come see us and stock up on gay books ‘n’ things. Can’t wait to celebrate!

Friday Night Concerts + Movies Each Friday night (except July) we’ll feature a live concert or movie on the Phil H. Kohl MOSAIC Family Commons (event lawn). Food + beverage available for purchase. No outside alcohol is allowed to be brought inside the venue. Bring a lawn chair or blanket. Friday Concerts All concerts start at 7 pm (unless otherwise indicated below). Event lawn opens one hour before concert start time. Beach Music Series June 30 Jim Quick & Coastline (6pm) Fall Music Series August 11 Cravin’ Melon with special guest: Big Time Shine August 25 Megan Doss with special guest: Jordan Pickett September 8 Ace Party Band with special guest: School of Rock September 22 Tim Hair with Indian Outlaw featuring special guest: Petty Thieves October 13 Cat 5 with special guest: The Will McBride Group October 27 Tuesday’s Gone with special guest: Circle City Rockers 6pm for Friday night concerts (7pm-8:30pm) Bring a lawn chair or blanket. Food, beer + wine available for purchase. Location: MOSAIC Family Commons (event lawn) near 51 Mosaic Blvd, Pittsboro, NC 27312

SUMMER SALE! Save on all purchases made in Pittsboro, or shop online at www.french-nc.com and use the code SUMMER2023! Sale runs July 1 to 15.

If you're looking for that perfect leather gift to give to someone (or yourself), look for Ric's Leather at the Red White and Blue BBQ at Raging Bull Harley Davidson, 300 Muldee Street in Durham, NC.

Thanks to all who came out to the Spring Kiln Opening! Mark is back making pots, and Saturday 12 - 5pm he will be making a large planter in the workshop, and the barn/showroom will be open for a Pop Up Sale! Come by to watch and/or shop! AND the online store is now full of new pots!

The Chatham Historical Museum will be open from 1-3 pm on July 2, before Summer Fest starts. Come downtown early, get an easy parking space, and enjoy the air conditioning in the museum while you learn about Chatham County's history!

Annabelle Stein - Fiber Artist, is one of the Featured Artists at Liquidambar Gallery and Gifts. Reception July 4, 2-4pm. Everyone is invited!!! Also: Martha Danek - Gourd Sculpture Selden Lamoureux - Clay Sculpture Sarah Graham - Abstract Painting Kitty Mecham - Copper Electroplated Jewelry John Mecham - Photography

If you're looking for that perfect leather gift to give to someone (or yourself), look for Ric's Leather at Summer Fest. He's just one of the PBA members who will be contributing to making the event fabulous!

💒 Planning your big day? Don't miss the Chatham County Wedding Showcase! Grab your free passes on our Eventbrite link below or in our bio and discover amazing vendors offering samples, discounts, and exclusive deals. Get inspired and make your wedding dreams come true! #ChathamCountyWeddingShowcase #WeddingInspiration #DreamWedding #39WestCatering Eventbrite Link: https://ForestHall-July.eventbrite.com

The Hurston-Wright Award Finalist makes her long-awaited return with this electrifying saga—as moving and indelible as The Twelve Tribes of Hattie, The Turner House, and The Love Songs of W. E. B. DuBois—that explores three generations of a family trying to overcome trials and trauma and free themselves from the darkness of the past. Lottie Rebecca Lee is spoken into the world in Fayetteville, North Carolina by a Black nurse who declares, “Lord Jesus, if that ain’t the blackest little baby born this side of heaven.” Later, Lottie will prove that she is the ancestors’ promise to unearth the Mississippi and Ghanaian atrocities that have tormented Benjamin Lee, her grandfather who was born during the Great Depression in Mississippi’s red clay tobacco fields, and Benjamin Junior, his son and Lottie Rebecca’s father, born in Fayetteville, North Carolina, where the post Korean War GI Bill promises prosperity. These two generations of men are haunted by the Mother-Spirit who did not survive enslavement’s post-traumatic stress violence. Trinity is the riveting story of the daughter-spirit born to stitch love back into the scattered wombs of her Black mothers and call love back into the fishing blues songs of her Black male kin. Lottie Rebecca Lee is the Divine spirited daughter born to set everything back up right again, in this daringly original novel. Zelda Lockhart is Director at Her Story Garden Studios: Inspiring Black Women to Self-Define, Heal, and Liberate Through Our Stories & Nature. Lockhart holds a PhD in Expressive Art Therapies, an MA in Literature, and a certificate in film from the New York Film Academy. Her books include HarperCollins 2023 release Trinity (a novel), HarperCollins 2021 release Mama Bear: One Black Mother’s Fight for Her Child’s Life and Her Own by Shirley Smith with Zelda Lockhart, Diamond Doris: The True […]

Roar, fellow runners! Get ready to unleash your wild side and embark on an exhilarating virtual adventure with our 4th annual Tiger Day 5k Virtual Race! Lace up your sneakers, because it's time to sprint, jog, or walk your way to victory while supporting an important cause. 📅 Date: YOU PICK, but International Tiger Day on July 29th sounds great to us...🐯 ⏰ Time: Anytime that suits you! 🌍 Location: Wherever you are! This race is virtual, so you can participate from anywhere in the world. 🌟 Race Details: The Tiger Day 5k Virtual Race is an opportunity for all running enthusiasts to come together and celebrate the majestic beauty of tigers while raising awareness about their conservation. All proceeds go toward the cats of Carolina Tiger Rescue. 🎯 How to Participate: 1️⃣ Register for the virtual race by visiting our official website https://runsignup.com/Race/NC/Pittsboro/TigerDay5K. 2️⃣ Choose your favorite running route. It could be through a local park, your neighborhood, or even on a treadmill if that's more convenient. 3️⃣ On the race day, track your run using a running app, smartwatch, or fitness tracker. Don't forget to capture some exciting photos or videos along the way! 4️⃣ Share your race experience on social media using the hashtag #TigerDay5k and tag our official page to connect with fellow participants. 📢 Spread the Word: Invite your family, friends, and colleagues to join this thrilling virtual race and help us create a massive wave of support for tiger conservation. Share this post, tag your friends who love running, and let's make this event a roaring success! 🏆 Get Ready to Roar! Don't miss out on this extraordinary opportunity to combine your passion for running with a noble cause. Register today and mark your calendars for an unforgettable Tiger Day 5k Virtual Race. Together, […]

Friday Movies Each Friday night (except July) we’ll feature a live concert or movie on the Phil H. Kohl MOSAIC Family Commons (event lawn). Food + beverage available for purchase. No outside alcohol is allowed to be brought inside the venue. All movies start at 8:30 pm (unless otherwise indicated below). Event lawn opens one hour before movie start time. August 4 The Lion King August 18 DC League of Super-Pets September 1 Moana September 15 Avatar: The Way of the Water (Drive-In Movie) October 6 Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (Drive-In Movie) October 20 Hocus Pocus 2 (Drive-In Movie) Location: MOSAIC Family Commons (event lawn) near 51 Mosaic Blvd, Pittsboro, NC 27312

With the surging interest in foraging for mushrooms, those new to the art need a reliable guide to distinguishing the safe fungi from the toxic. But for beginner foragers who just want to answer the question “Can I eat it?”, most of the books on the subject are dry, dense, and written by mycologists for other mycologists. Frank Hyman to the rescue! How to Forage for Mushrooms without Dying is the book for anyone who walks in the woods and would like to learn how to identify just the 29 edible mushrooms they’re likely to come across. With Hyman’s expert advice and easy-to-follow guidelines, readers will be confident in identifying which mushrooms they can safely eat and which ones they should definitely avoid. Frank Hyman is a professional mushroom hunter, certified to sell wild mushrooms to the public. He teaches workshops across the country on mushroom foraging and identification and has written about mushroom foraging for publications such as Paleo magazine, Hobby Farms, and Modern Farmer. He is a member of the North American Mycological Association, lives in Durham, North Carolina, and forages everywhere he travels.

A haunting, "exquisitely written" novel that explores the true costs of tradition, gun ownership, masculinity, and Southern mythmaking through the lens of an accidental shooting that reverberates across generations (Fiona McFarlane, author of The Night Guest).​ Rachel Ruskin never intended to return to her family’s tobacco farm in Shiloh, North Carolina. But when her academic career studying Southern folklore in New York City flames out, she has no choice. Back in her hometown in the wake of family loss, she is alone, haunted by memories, by ghosts, and by Shiloh’s buried history of racism and violence. When another child is accidentally shot and killed, however, Rachel can no longer avoid confronting her own past wrongs; nor can she continue to hold herself apart from her community. How can the people of Shiloh reconcile their love of hunting and their belief in tradition with the loss of more children? How can she find a way back to those she grew up loving? Drawn into the rhythms of Shiloh and in search of a place to be-long, Rachel must question everything she grew up believing and at the same time find a way to accept those around her. Haunting, fierce, and urgently topical, Inside the Wolf is a page-turning and redemptive novel about masculinity, guns, violence—and the American past. Amy Rowland is the author of two novels. The Transcriptionist, (Algonquin 2014) received the Addison M. Metcalf Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. She is the recipient of fellowships and residencies from the National Endowment for the Arts, the MacDowell Colony, the Norman Mailer Center, and the Sewanee Writers Conference. Her work has been published or is forthcoming in The New York Times, The Southern Review, The Iowa Review, Literary Hub, New Letters, and elsewhere. Daniel Wallace is the author […]

Fridays are ALWAYS fun at the Pittsboro Gallery of Arts! On Friday, July 14, we will have an ART Open House with a demo or two, so please do stop by! Details below. Regular hours: Tuesdays thru Saturdays 10:30 - 5:30 1st Sundays 10:30 - 5:30 Mondays Closed

This talented panel of authors will read from their recent works -- 5 authors, 5 minute readings each -- followed by an evening of conversation to celebrate the recent publication of McIlwain's debut short story collection, Sidle Creek. Set in the bruised, mined, and timbered hills of Appalachia in western Pennsylvania, Sidle Creek is a tender, truthful exploration of a small town and the people who live there, told by a brilliant new voice in fiction. In Sidle Creek, McIlwain skillfully interrogates the myths and stereotypes of the mining, mill, and farming towns where she grew up. With stories that take place in diners and dive bars, town halls and bait shops, McIlwain’s writing explores themes of class, work, health, and trauma, and the unexpected human connections of small, close-knit communities. All the while, the wild beauty of the natural world weaves its way in, a source of the town’s livelihood – and vulnerable to natural resource exploitation. Jolene McIlwain’s writing appears widely in literary journals and the Best Small Fictions anthology. Her writing has been nominated for several Pushcarts and she was named finalist for Best of the Net, Glimmer Train’s New Writer’s Award, and Arts & Letters Unclassifiables contest. Jolene was also a semifinalist in Nimrod’s Katherine Anne Porter Prize and both American Short Fiction’s Short and Short(er) Fiction contests. Her debut short story collection, SIDLE CREEK, was published this spring by Melville House. It has received a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly and reviews from The Associated Press and NPR. Jolene McIlwain was born, raised, and currently lives in western PA. April Bradley is a Durham, North Carolina-based writer and editor. Her writing appears in Blink Ink, Cheap Pop, CRAFT, Gone Lawn, Heavy Feather Review, jmww, Journal of Compressed Creative Arts, Narratively, and SmokeLong Quarterly, among others. […]