Ann Ipock brings latest in ‘Life Is Short’ series to gallery on Nov. 9

Ann Ipock will speak at Sunset River Marketplace in Calabash, NC on Thursday, Nov. 9 from 10 to 11 a.m. as part of the eclectic art gallery’s Coffee With the Authors series. The event is free but seating is limited so reservations are required. Call 910.575.5999 to hold your spot. Sign up online here.

Ipock is an award-winning Southern author, speaker and humorist, Her writing is at once hilarious, and in the next breath, poignant said Dorothea Benton Frank, the New York Times best-selling author of All Summer Long. Dew On the Kudzu, the Southern writer’s blog said that Ann writes in the vein of Erma Bombeck, but in the gentler, Southern Belle manner – quiet smiles while reading as opposed to snorts.

Life is Short, Pack Your Bags Now! was released in late 2016 and follows Life is Short, I Wish I Was Taller; Life is Short, So Read This Fast! and Life is Short, But It’s Wide and completes the Life is Short quartet. It explores the beautiful yet strange human race: elderly ladies hogging church pews, ridiculous Siri voice interpretations, and marital matches not made in heaven. Other subjects include holiday hysteria, kitchen misadventures including a large ham that needs its own seat belt and, of course, travel: bad vacation karma and tips on never packing light. Ipock’s zany humor is balanced by nostalgic tales of growing up in the sixties and affectionate family portraits, from her dancing 85-year old father to her lovable (but hairy) Grandog, Gus.

Ipock has written for Georgetown Times, South Carolina’s oldest newspaper; Sasee Magazine; Columbia County Magazine and Salt Magazine. She has taught at the South Carolina Writer’s Workshop in Myrtle Beach, the Foothills Writers Guild Conference at Anderson University, and was selected as a judge for Catfish Stew anthology, as well as the Silver Coast Winery’s Short Stories.

Upcoming events at Sunset River Marketplace include:

November 11. Reception for Out of the Box. Art Matters is a group of artists who come together weekly at the gallery to paint and explore art concepts. Out of the Box is an innovative collection of their work. Reception runs 1 to 4 p.m. Open to the public at no charge.

November 29. Paint & Party-Collage Christmas Cards. A special Paint & Party event to create one-of-a-kind Christmas and Holiday cards will be held Wednesday evening, Nov. 29 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. featuring artist Babs Ludwick. Visit the website or call 910.575.5999 for more information and availability. Fee.

December 14. Coffee With the Authors. Dana Ridenour (Behind the Mask and Beyond the Cabin) Dana Ridenour is a retired FBI agent. She spent most of her career as an FBI undercover operative. Her first novel, Behind The Mask, is fiction but based on her personal experiences working as an agent. Beyond The Cabin, the second novel in her FBI undercover series, is set in the South Carolina low country. Both have earned her the Hal Bernard Best Novel Award presented by the Southeastern Writers Association. Free.

February 8, 2018. Coffee With the Authors. Sean Keefer (The Solicitor) When you make your living fighting for justice, the last place you expect to wake up is behind bars. Attorney Noah Parks has spent his life keeping people out of jail. When he’s charged with the murder of a candidate for Charleston County Solicitor he finds himself on the wrong side of the law for a crime he says he didn’t commit. No longer fighting for others and now relying on the help of the few people he does trust, Noah must fight to clear his name and find the real killer before it’s too late. His search will lead him through a maze of deceptions, lies, family turmoil and treachery that spans generations. The Solicitor is set in historic Charleston and the surrounding South Carolina low country where under the surface things are not always as genteel as they appear. Free.

About Sunset River Marketplace

Sunset River Marketplace showcases work by approximately 150 North and South Carolina artists, and houses some 10,000 square feet of art work in virtually every genre. Custom framing, painting and pottery classes and art workshops are also offered through the gallery. Since opening its doors in 2002, Sunset River Marketplace has supported not only the visual arts, but literary and performing arts, as well. It has become a popular community center and art hub for both NC’s Brunswick County and nearby Horry County, SC.

Sunset River Marketplace is located at 10283 Beach Drive SW, Calabash, NC. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information call 910-575-5999 or visit the website: www. staging.careful-crib.flywheelsites.com. For daily updates, “like” the gallery’s Facebook page.

Sunset River Gallery