Local Author Speaks to Bluffton Rotary

Posted by Dot Jeger

Local author Carl T. Smith entertained The Bluffton Rotary Club on February 13 with an amusing account of his life. Smith wrote Low Country Boil and Louisiana Burn, among others. Originally from Virginia, Smith "got lost in the Northeast for 35 years" before moving back to the Low Country about 12 years ago. His background is varied from theater, Rock and Roll music, to writing.

Smith started writing in college but put it aside through the other careers. The publishing industry is very tough and more corrupt than the music industry ever was, according to Smith. "Lots of payola" in the publishing industry.

Smith writes all the time with no schedule. "I don't know what's happening on the next page. Sometimes characters take on a life of their own and surprise me."

Smith's advice on where to get stories: "They're already there inside you - you just have to open your eyes." "Words just drop out of the sky".