State of the Heart, Volume 1

"Southerners—whether they write poetry, fiction, or non-fiction—have a sense of place. In their work, sometimes that place is a literal, physical presence; sometimes it is spiritual. For some a place is a haven, for others it is a muse: a front porch, a garden, a cabin in the woods, a library, or the Carolina Coliseum. In this wonderful book of mini-memoirs you can discover the places that have inspired and continue to inspire a marvelous group of South Carolina writers."—Walter Edgar

"The anthology reveals a state that is more than a playground for tourists; it is a state of human hiding places that echo in the hearts of its literary citizens."—McCormick Messenger

"'State of the Heart: South Carolina Writers on the Places They Love' shines new light into places as familiar as a clucking fiddler crab shaking its 'big' claw at the high and mighty. And it helps us explore unknown places, telling how they came to be and why they matter."—David Lauderdale, "The Island Packet," June 2013.

"Rogers has assembled and edited an anthology of reflections on favorite spots, and she has selected a group of writers who can express themselves meaningfully and with descriptions that create wanderlust or nostalgia and, in several cases, set your mouth to watering.—"—Ivy Moore, "The Item," May 2013

"State of the Heart is a rich collection of personal stories, reflections, historical facts and front porch yarns as colorful, timeless and inspiring as the people and landscape of the Palmetto State. This heartfelt book is a must-read for everyone lucky enough to have been born here or who now calls South Carolina home."—Mary Alice Monroe, New York Times bestselling author, Beach House Memories

"State of the Heart reminds us of what is best about South Carolina and her many gifted writers, the monumental power of this place to shape our memories into stories and then our stories into art."—Pat Conroy, from the foreword

"The anthology reveals a state that is more than a playground for tourists; it is a state of human hiding places that echo in the hearts of its literary citizens.McCormick Messenger"—

"Rogers has assembled and edited an anthology of reflections on favorite spots, and she has selected a group of writers who can express themselves meaningfully and with descriptions that create wanderlust or nostalgia and, in several cases, set your mouth to watering.—"—Ivy Moore, "The Item," May 2013

"'State of the Heart: South Carolina Writers on the Places They Love' shines new light into places as familiar as a clucking fiddler crab shaking its 'big' claw at the high and mighty. And it helps us explore unknown places, telling how they came to be and why they matter.—"—David Lauderdale, "The Island Packet," June 2013