This week, Columbus reached out to characters, hysterical and frightened, chic and social, both on-stage and off. The Tennessee Williams Tribute and Tour of Victorian Homes presented a wealth of plays, lectures, tours, luncheons and elegant evenings.
Although it is almost over, you may still have time to catch a few of the Sunday events. This morning begins with the sermon at St. Paul”s Episcopal Church, 318 College St., at 10:30 a.m. The Very Reverend James Carlyle focuses his address on “The Rose Tattoo.” I feel sure Tennessee”s grandfather, the Reverend Walter Dakin, would approve.
At noon, Beth Proffitt will serve lunch in St. Paul”s Parish Hall. Songbird Molly Jane Carpenter, accompanied by Debra Atkinson (on the Steinway grand piano!), will entertain with art songs based on the poetry of Tennessee Williams.
In the afternoon, The Columbus Cultural and Heritage Foundation offers a tour of Victorian homes (for a small fee), and a bus tour of our Historic District (free).
And, if you haven”t had your fill of drama, you can still catch scenes from “The Glass Menagerie” in the very intimate Omnova Theater at 2:30 p.m.
Meet Dr. Brandon Beck
Columbus is a place with a sense of timelessness. It sometimes seems that the decades, and even the centuries, blur into a soft fog.
We are proud of our part in the creation of Memorial Day. A walk through Friendship Cemetery can feel as if The Civil War has very recently ended. Ghosts of soldiers surely must still stride between the graves, even though they are unseen.
Memories of that horrible war on our soil have faded. All who experienced it are gone. The battlefields are silent. Now, the stories have less hurt, the grief muted. However, our fascination with The Civil War remains strong.
On Sunday, Sept. 20, at 2 p.m., we have an opportunity to meet a Civil War scholar, author, and lecturer. Dr. Brandon Beck will speak at the Tennessee Williams Welcome Center about his work.
Dr. Beck is a history professor, author of eight books and founder of the McCormick Civil War Institute. His next book will be “Battle of Okolona: Defending the Mississippi Prairie.” (To be released Feb. 22, the anniversary of that battle.) He will be available to sign books and answer questions.
Since moving to Columbus, I have heard more than one explanation about how so many of the exquisite antebellum homes survived here while, in other places throughout the South, precious architecture was destroyed. I”ll bet he knows the right answer.
This is the second in a series of events sponsored by The Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau, called “No Dead Authors.” It is free and open to the public. Last month, we ran out of seats, but did not run of refreshments. Please come, bring your friends and your questions about Civil War history. The ghosts want to be remembered.
Adele Elliott, a New Orleans native, moved to Columbus after Hurricane Katrina.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 41 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.