Chelsea Grinstead

You could always pick up the latest New York Times bestseller, but sometimes the most compelling stories are written much closer to home. In this new Arts & Culture Lab column, we spotlight five books on our radar by South Carolina authors and writers inspired by the Lowcountry. These books may be a good addition to your reading list, whether you're looking for literary fiction, history, romance, mystery, a memoir or something harder to categorize.

The Charleston Gaillard Center announced its inaugural 2026–27 Boundless season, a new initiative designed to extend the organization's artistic vision beyond its downtown campus and into venues throughout the city. The series complements the organization's broader 2026–27 season in the Martha and John M. Rivers Performance Hall by bringing even more acclaimed performances to well-known venues and unexpected spaces alike across Charleston.

A yellow thread for safety, pink for growth, blue for love, green for purpose. You start with the value that matters most to you, then follow the thread and see what it takes to build that life. That’s just one interactive station featured in a new permanent exhibit called “The Missing Half of Justice” on display in North Charleston at Turn90, a nonprofit focused on reducing prison recidivism in South Carolina with additional locations in Columbia and Spartanburg.