The Open Book - Writers Block

Founded in 1971 by Tom Gower, The Open Book is South Carolina’s oldest and largest independent bookstore. A fervent supporter of local and regional authors, The Open Book sponsored the Writers Block during the Upstate Women’s Show held in August at the Carolina First Center in Greenville, SC. In this video, viewers hear from two Greenville authors who attended the show, Michael Cogdill and John Jeter. Cogdill, a news anchor at WYFF-TV in Greenville, talks about ‘Cracker The Crab’, a children’s book he wrote after watching a wheelchair bound boy playing at the beach. Jeter, the owner of The Handlebar in Greenville, discusses his book, The ‘Plunder Room’, a work of fiction that explores the shift of American behavior from The Greatest Generation to the current climate of town hall meetings, Britney Spears and Bernie Madoff. Also in this video, viewers visit The Open Book on South Pleasantburg Drive in Greenville, hearing from owner Duff Bruce and author Nicolas Sparks during a book signing by Sparks. A native of Simpsonville, SC, Sparks visited The Open Book to promote his latest novel, ‘The Last Song’. Since the release of his first novel, ‘The Notebook’, Sparks has returned to his hometown with each new release to greet local fans and support The Open Book. In addition to new books, The Open Book has an extensive selection of used and rare books. The Open Book houses a café and espresso bar, and serves as a meeting place for community groups.