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Friends Groups Present Author, Columnist, and TV and Radio Host D. G. Martin for Joint Dinner/Lecture

Friends Groups Present Author, Columnist, and TV and Radio Host D. G. Martin for Joint Dinner/Lecture In-Person

Photo Credit: Alicia Stemper

The Friends of Hackney Library and the Friends of the Wilson County Public Library are pleased to announce that author, columnist, and TV and radio talk show host D. G. Martin will be the guest speaker for the Friends’ jointly-sponsored 2017 Fall Dinner and Program on Tuesday, October 3, 2017. The event will be held in Hardy Alumni Hall on the campus of Barton College. A book signing and wine reception will be held from 6:00 to 6:30 pm, followed by dinner at 6:30 pm and the program immediately afterward. Martin will be available to sign copies of his latest book at the event, which will be available for purchase both at the book signing and following the program.

David Grier (D. G.) Martin, Jr., was born in Atlanta but raised in Davidson, North Carolina, where his father served as president of Davidson College.  Martin attended Davidson and played basketball under coach “Lefty” Driesell.  After graduation, he joined the U.S. Army, eventually becoming a Green Beret.  Martin attended Yale Law School after leaving active duty, and upon graduation, returned to North Carolina to practice law in Charlotte for 20 years.  Subsequently, he joined the University of North Carolina, serving as Vice President for Public Affairs and chief legislative liaison.

Martin is a Renaissance man of sorts, to which his career and civic activities attest.  He has been involved with public service and politics throughout his life, including stints after retirement as interim Vice Chancellor for Development and University Affairs at both UNC-Pembroke and North Carolina Central University; work as the Carolinas Director of the Trust for Public Land; in leadership positions with the Triangle Land Conservancy, North Carolina's Clean Water Management Trust Fund, and as President of the William R. Kenan, Jr. Fund.  In the political arena, he conducted two races for Congress in 1984 and 1986, and a hard-fought 1998 campaign for the Democratic nomination to the U.S. Senate against John Edwards.  He has also served in leadership roles at Davidson College, the YMCA, the United Way, the National Conference of Christians and Jews, and the North Carolina Bar Association.

Since 1999, he has hosted UNC-TV’s North Carolina Bookwatch, the state’s premier literary television series featuring interviews with more than 380 North Carolina authors.  In addition, he has participated in other UNC-TV productions, including segments of the popular Our State series, and the intriguing documentary, The Search for Princess Charlotte.  He currently writes a weekly newspaper column, One on One, that covers books, politics, and related topics and is carried by some 40 North Carolina newspapers;  he is also a frequent contributor to Our State magazine.  In addition to his work in television and print, Martin has interviewed over 1,000 individuals as the host of Who’s Talking, a daily interview program on WCHL-1360, a Chapel Hill, NC, radio station.  In May 2008, Wingate University awarded him an honorary degree.North Carolina’s Roadside Eateries: A Traveler’s Guide to Local Restaurants, Diners, and Barbecue Joints by D. G. Martin

Martin’s latest publishing endeavor is a book about the state’s local food joints: North Carolina’s Roadside Eateries: A Traveler’s Guide to Local Restaurants, Diners, and Barbecue Joints (UNC Press, October 2016). In it, Martin, who spent years traveling the highways and byways of North Carolina, recounts more than 100 notable North Carolina eating establishments not far off the interstates that range from local barbecue joints to Mexican restaurants to Greek diners, as well as introducing readers to the restaurants’ owners and the locals who frequent their establishments. According to novelist Charles Frazier (of Cold Mountain fame), “I’ve had the good fortune to have D. G. as my personal guide to some of the fine eateries in this book. I’m grateful to him for introducing me not only to so many memorable meals but also to the many fine local people and places that I’ve come to treasure.” Says Bridgette Lacy of the News & Observer, “Martin wants . . . us to take his guide and have our own adventures. . . . He encourages readers to go a little out of their way to be greeted like an old friend at one of these places even if it’s your first visit.” Organized by interstate highways and the eating establishments located near each, the book provides a wealth of information not only about great places to eat throughout North Carolina but also about the local color and culture they reflect. And in the "After Eating" section following each restaurant write-up, Martin recommends other nearby "don't-miss" sites to explore.

Martin and his wife, Harriet, live in Chapel Hill and have two grown children and four grandchildren.  Their son, Grier Martin, serves in the North Carolina House of Representatives.

Admission to the event is $30 each for Friends of Hackney Library members; for Friends of the Wilson County Public Library members; and for Barton faculty/staff, students, and spouses. For all other guests, admission is $35 each.

For more information about invitations for the event, please contact Luann Clark at (252) 399-6329, or email the Friends of Hackney Library at fohl@barton.edu. Space is limited, and after invitations have been issued in late August/early September, reservations must be received by Monday, September 25, 2017.

This event is co-sponsored by the Friends of Hackney Library and the Friends of the Wilson County Public Library.

We hope you will join us for a delightful evening with this engaging raconteur!

Date:
Tuesday, October 3, 2017
Time:
6:00pm - 9:00pm
Time Zone:
Eastern Time - US & Canada (change)
Location:
Hardy Alumni Hall
Audience:
  Faculty     Friends of Hackney Library     Friends of Wilson County Public Library     Staff     Students  
Categories:
  Dinner     Lecture  

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Robert Cagna

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