Dear VA-Hist members, The Virginia Shop at the Library of Virginia will have its Grand Opening next week and is hosting a series of events from Monday, November 28, to Thursday, December 1, 2005. You can check out the details and discounts here: http://www.lva.lib.va.us/whoweare/events/index.asp My main reason for posting about the Grand Opening to the list are several events on Virginia literary and historical themes. On Wednesday, November 30, William Hoffman, a prolific Virginia author, will discuss and sign copies of his latest novel, Lies. This event is free. Mr. Hoffman lives in Charlotte Court House, Virginia, and long served as a professor and writer-in-residence at Hamden-Sydney. He is the author of thirteen novels, including The Trumpet Unblown, Yancey's War, Furors Die, A Death of Dreams, Tidewater Blood, and Blood and Guile. He has received a National Endowment of the Arts Creative Writing Fellowship, The John Dos Passos Prize for Literature, a Best American Short Stories Award, The Fellowship of Southern Writers Hillsdale Prize, the O. Henry Prize, and the Hammett Prize. On Thursday, December 1, the Virginia Shop is sponsoring "Toe Tappin' Thursday," a full day of musical activities starting at noon with "Virginia Roots Music: A Celebration," a free multimedia lecture by yours truly featuring images and recorded and live music. The festivities continue with a traditional music workshop from 3:30 to 5:30 PM. The day concludes with a concert from 6:00 to 8:00 PM. The workshop and concert will feature the Paschall Brothers, a gospel quartet from Chesapeake who were recently featured at the National Folk Festival; Old-time musician Mark Campbell, winner of the fiddle contests at the Virginia State Fair, the West Virginia State Folk Festival, and the prestigious Appalachian String Band Music Festival; and Jeffrey Scott, a Culpeper County native recently featured at the Blue Ridge Heritage Festival and the D.C. Blues Festival. The workshop fee is $20 and includes one ticket to the evening concert (registration required). Tickets to the concert are $10 and are available at the Virginia Shop at the Library of Virginia and at Plan 9 Records. Please feel free to contact me directly for further information about the musical events. Gregg D. Kimball, Director Publications and Educational Services 804/692-3722 [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html