Bluegrass at Andalusia

The Foundation has been hosting a Bluegrass concert at Andalusia for the last few years, and it has turned out to be one of the most popular events of the year. This year the concert will be on Saturday evening on October 18, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. The band is Redline Express, a group of talented musicians with quite a following in the middle Georgia area. The cost for admission is only $5 per person. The concert takes place on the front lawn of the main house, under the huge oak trees. People bring folding chairs, blankets, picnic baskets, wine, and flashlights, then set up as close or as far away from the band as they feel comfortable. The air gets cool after sundown, which adds to the whole atmosphere. Some folks get here early enough to walk the nature trail before settling in for the entertainment. The main house is open for tours, along with the gift shop. Bring a friend or the whole family and enjoy an evening out in the country, but only a few hundred feet from Highway 441. The concert is sponsored by Lynda S. Banks and Mary Anne Murray, two members of the Foundation's Board of Directors. Thanks ladies!

Craig

The Big Read

Andalusia will participate in The Big Read, a series of programs hosted by several organizations in Milledgeville and sponsored by Georgia College through a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, all centered around Ernest Gaines's novel, A Lesson Before Dying. During the month of October, there will be celebrations, a keynote panel, oral interpretation events involving full participation for varied audiences, exhibits, movies, and more at locations all around town. The Foundation is hosting a literary nature walk at Andalusia at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 5. We are proud to be part of this wonderful collaboration to encourage the joy of reading.

Craig

What is that animal in the pasture?

Believe it or not, this is a question that I hear from visitors at Andalusia as often as any other. They are referring to the beloved hinny named Flossie, the only full-time resident at the farm. She is actually a descendent of some of the animals that lived here during the time O'Connor was at Andalusia. So what's a hinny? Well, you might say it is the opposite of a mule. And what does that mean? A mule is a cross between a female horse (mare) and a male donkey (jackass). But a hinny is a cross between a male horse (stallion) and a female donkey (jenny). So you have a mixed breed of a horse and a jenny, thus a hinny. They are a sterile breed, and often have more horse-like features than a mule. Flossie is in her very golden years, probably approaching forty if she isn't already there. She is very cautious but will often come up to the fence when visitors stop to speak to her. She has become more curious with each passing year of the people who come from all around the world to this historic site. And here's an interesting tidbit: she is the subject for more professional photographers than anything else at Andalusia, including the main house! She has appeared on several websites, and her image has appeared in numerous newspaper and magazine articles. She was given world-wide attention in the three-page spread in the New York Times on February 4, 2007 by Lawrence Downes. I am happy to report, however, that Flossie remains humble in spite of her international fame.

Craig

Andalusia in O at Home magazine

We were told several months ago that Oprah Winfrey’s magazine, O at Home, was going to publish a story on writers’ homes and would possibly include Andalusia. Well, they did. The article is in the latest issue (Fall, 2008) and includes a full-page color photo of the hayloft in the barn at Andalusia and a brief excerpt from O’Connor’s short story, “Good Country People.” O at Home has approximately 361,000 subscribers. I am especially pleased that the article includes the Foundation's web address and the days Andalusia is open. The Foundation has been very fortunate to have incredible media coverage over the last four years, including articles in the New York Times, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Washington Times, Chicago Tribune, Miami Herald, and in magazines such as Travel+Leisure, Southern Living, and Oxford American.

You can view the online version of the O at Home article on their website at

http://www.oprah.com/slideshow/oathome/200809_oah_writers_residence/5

Craig