Charleston Raconteurs

11/05/2024

The Charles Town colony was a favorite port for pirates looking to sell stolen goods at reasonable prices. But that began to change on Nov. 5, 1718. Enjoy a quick look back at Charleston's piratical heyday!

Charleston Raconteurs in Charleston offers visitors the opportunity to visit historic sites beyond the popular tourist spots.

05/23/2024

Many thanks to and Erin Kienzle I ABC News 4 for having me on this morning's show to talk about my new book, Then & Now. It's an updated version of the original volume written by Chris Phelps decades ago, so I was absolutely honored when invited me to rewrite what had been one of my favorite books when I was just learning more about our . I hope you will enjoy it as well. It's available at many of Charleston's local , as well as , , and .

https://abcnews4.com/lowcountry-live/author-spotlight-leigh-handal-05-23-2024

05/12/2024

I hope you can join us for the Launch Party of my new book, Charleston Then & Now, on Wednesday, May 15, 4-6 p.m. at the Wine Shop, 3 Lockwood Blvd., second floor. It'd be great to see you there! Charleston Raconteurs Charleston History before 1945 St. James, Goose Creek Chapel of Ease Historical Site Charleston SC Charleston Tour Association

01/28/2024

When reading, we don't fall in love with the characters' appearance. We fall in love with their words, their thoughts, and their hearts. We fall in love with their souls.
~ Anonymous

01/28/2024

11/27/2023

Yea! I just submitted the final line edits to this morning for my next book, a rewrite of the classic Charleston Then & Now. It won't arrive until spring 2024, but if you'd like to pre-order it as a Christmas gift, you can do so now at https://www.amazon.com/Charleston-Then-Now-Leigh-Handal/dp/1911663453/ref=sr_1_4?adgrpid=1332609329028498&hvadid=83288280059391&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=64210&hvlocphy=64210&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvtargid=kwd-83288960332794%3Aloc-190&hydadcr=15303_13518545&keywords=charleston+then+and+now&qid=1701123550&s=books&sr=1-4
So excited!!

Charleston Then and Now

11/27/2023

Ever wonder why the Dock Street Theatre is located on Church Street? The mystery is solved in today's Post and Courier's "Do You Know Your Lowcountry" column at
https://www.postandcourier.com/news/lowcountry-charleston-dock-street-theatre/article_161ed4cc-894c-11ee-805d-b307751245bf.html
If you have any trouble with the Post and Courier's link, here's a backup link: https://charlestonraconteurs.com/dock-street-theater.html

11/13/2023

Arthur T. Wayne is one of my favorite Charlestonians you've probably never heard of. His marriage to Maria Louisa Porcher is also one of Charleston's great love stories. Read more in today's Post and Courier. https://www.postandcourier.com/news/lowcountry-charleston-ornithologist-arthur-trezevant-wayne/article_35b6b7c0-7a5e-11ee-90bf-0f715b6b38d2.html

Or if you have trouble with that link, visit CharlestonRaconteurs.com and select the Do You Know Your Lowcountry link on the homepage.

The Nov. 2 Post and Courier carried an article by Christina Larson noting that the American Ornithological Society has decided to rename those bird species whose popular moniker honors an

10/30/2023

A couple of years ago - on a bet - I spent the night in Charleston's Old District Jail. What a creepy place as told in today's Do You Know Your Lowcountry?

Few places in the Lowcountry have more cruel or inhumane stories to tell than the 4-acre block bounded by Magazine, Logan, Queen and Franklin streets. Historians estimate 10,000 to 14,000

10/05/2023

Hope you can join us!

10/02/2023

For many of us, White Point Garden is one of our favorite places in . But it hasn't always been such a great place to hang out. If you'd like to learn a little more about the history of this special place, read more in today's Post and Courier's "Do You Know Your Lowcountry" column at

Sometimes, when a place is especially beautiful, it’s easy to forget the pragmatic origins of its creation. Such is the case at one of Charleston’s most iconic historic sites: White

09/25/2023

Here's a quick story for all my College of Charleston Alumni friends from the Post & Courier's "Do You Know Your Lowcountry?" How many schools can say they've gone an entire century without a loss?!

http://charlestonraconteurs.com/college-of-chas-maroons.html