Carleton Varney visit

 (This is a reposting of Mr Varney's visit with the new date of January 31st from 6 to 8PM)

Occasionally we are lucky enough to have someone find us, even though most of the time I feel like we are located at the end of the world.  Such was the case a month or so back when Kirk Mills walked in with the gentleman who was doing the interior design work for his home on the island.  Since I know so little about the field of interior design the name Carleton Varney didn't resonate with me until I started to do some research.  I discovered he was the owner of the famed Dorothy Draper and Company design firm of New York City, and is actually one of America's best known interior designers.  Imagine my chagrin when I again thought of him looking over our haphazard placement of books and hodgepodge selection of furniture and fixtures.

Mr Varney had mentioned he had released a new book recently and indicated he would be willing to do a book signing at the store when he returned for the final installation at Kirk's home.  Time passed and I forgot about it.  So, imagine my surprise when I received a call from Mr. Varney himself offering to make arrangements for a signing and reception on the evening of the 31st of January.

So I am happy to announce that we will be having Carleton Varney at Paragraphs for a book-signing and reception on January 31 from 6 to 8pm.


About Carleton Varney:

Carleton Varney is the president/owner of Dorothy Draper & Co. Inc., located in New York City. It is one of the oldest established interior design firms in the United States and is named after the founder of the company, Dorothy Draper, a doyenne of interior design in the United States from the 1920's to the 1960's. The Varney design philosophy stresses…"the use of bright colors and the rejection of all that is impractical, uncomfortable and drab". In embracing this practice, he continues the tradition of Dorothy Draper, by being associated with the adventurous use of vibrant colors, floral patterns and bold contrasts.

In addition to the decoration of numerous private residences, the company has also been associated with the decoration of cruise ship and private plane interiors. Carleton Varney was the curator of the former presidential yacht, the USS "Sequoia". In 2008 he also designed the Architectural Digest Green Room for the Academy Awards celebration at the Kodak Theatre, in Los Angeles.

Mr. Varney's versatility in design can be seen in the wide range of products that bear his mark, ranging from dinnerware, crystal, scarves, and he has designed a line of furniture for the Romweber and Kindel Furniture companies as well as for Ficks Reed. His fabric designs, launched under the names Carleton V Ltd. (New York) and Carleton Varney by the yard (Palm Beach, Florida) grace the rooms of some of America's most beautiful resorts and homes. He also appears regularly on the HSN television program “Live Vividly - Carleton Varney” featuring home décor items of his designs.

A native son of Lynn, Massachusetts, he was educated at Oberlin College, Ohio, where he obtained his Bachelors of Arts degree - and the University of Madrid, Spain. He obtained his Master of Arts degree at New York University. He also holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Charleston, West Virginia, and founded the Carleton Varney School of Art & Design in that institution. Architectural Digest, in its January 2005 edition, named him as one of the 30 “Deans of American Design”.

Meet the Author Series at Paragraphs

Saturday January 18^th           1-3PM

“I Have Always Been Here”

Book signing, discussion and reception with poet, Christopher Carmona

"I Have Always Been Here" resists the lie that Chican@ language, culture, and people are somehow foreign to the American experience, for Chican@ ancestry is as much Native American -indigenous to the U.S. Southwest - as it is now European and African. A Chican@ Beat poet from the Rio Grande Valley of deep South Texas, Carmona explores his own discovery of this truth in this, his second poetry collection, written in a natural, engaging style.

This book is a mixture of poetry/flash memoir and stories that tell the journey of a poet from growing up in the border community of the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas to becoming socially and politically aware, and finally to today’s politically/racially charged world.  Weaving together beat, Chicano, and Native poetics, this book serves as a bridge between these seemingly different identities.  This book challenges the idea that Chican@s are immigrants to this land when most of them have had the empires change around them but we have never left.

Christopher Carmona is a Chican@ Beat poet. He was a nominee for the Alfredo Cisneros de Miral Foundation Award for Writers in 2011 and a Pushcart Prize nominee in 2013. He has been published in numerous journals and magazines. His first collection of poetry called beat was published by Slough Press and his second book, I Have Always Been Here is published by Otras Voces Press. Currently he is the organizer of the Annual Beat Poetry and Arts Festival and the coordinator of the Writers Live Series at the University of Texas at Brownsville.

This event is free and open to the public.

Paragraphs On Padre Boulevard  5505 Padre Blvd. South Padre Island, TX

For information call us at 956-433-5057

Carleton Varney coming to Paragraphs

Occasionally we are lucky enough to have someone find us, even though most of the time I feel like we are located at the end of the world.  Such was the case a month or so back when Kirk Mills walked in with the gentleman who was doing the interior design work for his home on the island.  Since I know so little about the field of interior design the name Carleton Varney didn't resonate with me until I started to do some research.  I discovered he was the owner of the famed Dorothy Draper and Company design firm of New York City, and is actually one of America's best known interior designers.  Imagine my chagrin when I again thought of him looking over our haphazard placement of books and hodgepodge selection of furniture and fixtures.

Mr Varney had mentioned he had released a new book recently and indicated he would be willing to do a book signing at the store when he returned for the final installation at Kirk's home.  Time passed and I forgot about it.  So, imagine my surprise when I received a call from Mr. Varney himself offering to make arrangements for a signing and reception on the evening of the 17th of January.

So I am happy to announce that we will be having Carleton Varney at Paragraphs for a book-signing and reception on January 17 from 6 to 8pm.


About Carleton Varney:

Carleton Varney is the president/owner of Dorothy Draper & Co. Inc., located in New York City. It is one of the oldest established interior design firms in the United States and is named after the founder of the company, Dorothy Draper, a doyenne of interior design in the United States from the 1920's to the 1960's. The Varney design philosophy stresses…"the use of bright colors and the rejection of all that is impractical, uncomfortable and drab". In embracing this practice, he continues the tradition of Dorothy Draper, by being associated with the adventurous use of vibrant colors, floral patterns and bold contrasts.

In addition to the decoration of numerous private residences, the company has also been associated with the decoration of cruise ship and private plane interiors. Carleton Varney was the curator of the former presidential yacht, the USS "Sequoia". In 2008 he also designed the Architectural Digest Green Room for the Academy Awards celebration at the Kodak Theatre, in Los Angeles.

Mr. Varney's versatility in design can be seen in the wide range of products that bear his mark, ranging from dinnerware, crystal, scarves, and he has designed a line of furniture for the Romweber and Kindel Furniture companies as well as for Ficks Reed. His fabric designs, launched under the names Carleton V Ltd. (New York) and Carleton Varney by the yard (Palm Beach, Florida) grace the rooms of some of America's most beautiful resorts and homes. He also appears regularly on the HSN television program “Live Vividly - Carleton Varney” featuring home décor items of his designs.

A native son of Lynn, Massachusetts, he was educated at Oberlin College, Ohio, where he obtained his Bachelors of Arts degree - and the University of Madrid, Spain. He obtained his Master of Arts degree at New York University. He also holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Charleston, West Virginia, and founded the Carleton Varney School of Art & Design in that institution. Architectural Digest, in its January 2005 edition, named him as one of the 30 “Deans of American Design”.

Meet the Author Series at Paragraphs

 “Memories of Fort Brown”

Sunday January 12^th    1-3PM

Book signing, discussion and reception with author, Jim Mills

Currently home to the UTB-TSC campus, Fort Brown's place in Brownsville history is important. James Mills, a professor of history at UTB-TSC offers visitors to wonderful opportunities to learn more about Fort Brown and the community's connection to the first border post.

On Sunday, January 12 at 1-3pm, Mills will present his book, "Memories of Fort Brown," an anthology of oral histories collected from Brownsville citizens. The tales, going back as early as World War I, recount the special relationship the military post had with locals and its importance in protecting Brownsville.

James W. Mills is a tenured instructor of history at the University of Texas at Brownsville. He is the recipient of the prestigious Chancellor’s Council Outstanding Teaching Award and has recently received statewide recognition by being awarded the Regent’s Outstanding Teaching Award.  Mr. Mills is also a member of the Board of Directors with the Brownsville Historical Association.  He especially enjoys researching 19^th century military history and has published several articles on this topic.

This event is free and open to the public.

Paragraphs On Padre Boulevard, 5505 Padre Blvd. South Padre Island, TX

For information call us at 956-433-5057

Meet the Author Series at Paragraphs

Saturday January 11^th           1-3PM

“Unsuspecting Prey”

Southern Mystery At Its Best

Book signing, discussion and reception with author, Margie Myers

Twenty-five years after her not-too-pleasant departure, Madison Monroe returns to her once-palatial home in Creston, NC innocently assuming she will reunite with family, all will be well, and she will return to her Kansas City home after her father’s funeral. But the canvas of Madison’s return is nothing like she has anticipated. Both foreground and background are flush with nefarious characters bent on doing her harm once they learn she has inherited the bulk of her father’s estate. She is paralyzed with fear when she learns that a provision in the will requires that she remain on the premises of Pine Hurst for the remainder of her life, which appears tenuous at best. Madison begins to question her sanity as she is repeatedly met with terrifying, life-threatening events. Time and time again, she attempts to discern who wants her dead only to realize that the list is all but endless, as are the reasons. Assured her saving grace will be the life-long devoted servants of her family, she is horrified to learn they are leaving her alone in a hideously-decaying mansion, in the middle of nowhere, to fend for herself. Her childhood home has once again become a house of horrors.

I made my debut on a beautiful spring day in Columbus County, NC. I have since traveled far and wide. I attended elementary schools in both New Hanover and Pender counties graduating from Burgaw High School. I began my writing career at a very young age having a short story published at age 14. For as long as I can recall, writing has been my first love. Psychology my second. I attended the University of Missouri-Kansas City where I received a bachelor’s and master’s degree in psychology. After beginning work on my doctorate, I decided to throw in the towel, and pursue my first love, writing. Since then, I have written five books, but never seriously considered publication until now. Life took many twists and turns before I reached this point and I am more than blessed to have finally arrived.
My husband Michael and I with our son, Masa, and our four-legged babies – an Australian Silky Terrier named Chloe Belle and a Chihuahua named Quigley – reside in San Benito, Tx.

This event is free and open to the public.

Paragraphs On Padre Boulevard, 5505 Padre Blvd. South Padre Island, TX

For information call us at 956-433-5057

Storytime with Santa

Santa will be at Paragraphs to read to the kids (of all ages) on Saturday, December 21, at 6:30 pm. Join us for the fun and make this a family tradition.

Meet James Bathurst Author of "Cat on a Leash"

Meet The Author Series at Paragraphs

MONDAY DECEMBER 30^th   1-3 PM

Cat On A Leash

Reception, and signing with author, Captain Jim Bathurst

There is a fine line between admiration and stalking. The story of a persistent cat, the couple she “dated”, and their... More > travels aboard the motor-vessel Wild Blue. The 50-something couple retired early, sold their home & photography business, scooped up the cat, and hit the waterways. Life isn’t always easy onboard a 25 foot boat, but it is an interesting escape. Featuring Molly the cat.

This heart-warming story will touch the soul of any pet lover.

James Bathurst is the story-teller behind Cat On A Leash. Known as Captain Jim to his audience on the internet, Jim’s style is off-beat and folksy. Writing isn’t his “day job;” Jim was a photographer for 32 years. During that time, he wrote articles for many photography magazines, taking often dry trade topics and making them humorous.
Jim retired from a career in photography at age 52 to take his wife, Joan (also known as “the Blonde”) and Molly, the boat cat, traveling. It was about that time that he started a cruising thread on a boating forum; “The Cruising Adventures of Wild Blue and Crew” soon became one of the most visited sites on that forum with over 200,000 views.
The “captain” part mentioned above isn’t just a nickname - Jim holds a US Coast Guard Master license, a commercial pilot’s license, and a spirit of adventure.

Bathurst and his wife Joan make their home in Port Isabel.  Prior to making this their “home base” for their travels, the Tropical Tip was their seasonal escape since the mid-90s.

The newest member of the Bathurst family is Isabel (Izzy).  She is a beautiful long hair domestic cat, rescued from the Laguna Madre Animal Shelter.

You can view more of Jim’s writing at http://captnjim.blogspot.com/

This event is free and open to the public

Paragraphs On Padre Boulevard, 5505 Padre Blvd. South Padre Island, TX

For information call us at 956-433-5057