B Smith does Lee Smith
a sampler highlighting
The Happy Memories Club
music by Jeff Sebens
The Actress: Her Off-Broadway performances of “Ivy Rowe,” adapted from Lee Smith’s novel Fair and Tender Ladies, have led to thirty-four years of touring Lee’s works, adding those of Fred Chappell, Ron Rash, and Allan Gurganus along the way. Barbara has recently authored two books: “Much Ado about 90” (a memoir) and “Story Circles” (a how-to handbook about sharing stories).
The Musician: Jeff built lap and hammered dulcimers for over thirty years from his home in the Blue Ridge mountains. He has taught workshops at sites throughout the region, including the John Campbell Folk School, recently moving to Jamestown, North Carolina. Jeff serves as tour manager and occasional videographer- as well as musical accompanist- of Barbara’s shows.
The Author: Lee Smith has written seventeen works of fiction, most recently her novel Silver Alert. A multiple award winner, her novel The Last Girls was a New York Times bestseller. Other awards were the North Carolina Award for Literature, an American Academy Award in Fiction, and the Southern Book Critics Circle Award. Lee lives in Hillsborough, North Carolina with her husband, author Hal Crowther.