Do you ever wonder what happens to all of the interesting people who come to live in Beaufort, then move on? 
Well, some of them come back. Teresa Bruce, for instance.
Most people remember Teresa as our local news anchor – the pretty blonde one who sent shock waves rippling through the community when she cut her hair short. This was back when we had local news on WJWJ.
As a journalist, Teresa had a lot going for her, besides the fact that she spoke standard English. She was creative, her video production skills were solid, and she exhibited an insatiable curiosity about the world around her.
Best of all, Teresa could put together a great story. God’s Gonna Trouble the Water, a documentary she made with Paul Keyserling, was good enough to be aired on PBS, and in 1999 it won a Cine Golden Eagle award.
Then Teresa was gone.
It was predictable. The truth is, the Lowcountry is just a stepping stone for most talented young workers. They serve their time here, then make their escape to places where the wages are higher, the rent is cheaper, and opportunities of all kinds are more abundant.
Fortunately for us, though, Teresa had fallen in love with the Lowcountry. Even after she left, it was her dream to come back to Beaufort to live and work.
So after spending several years working big city jobs in the fast-paced world of advertising and public relations, Teresa made Beaufort her home again. She bought the house her dear friend Byrne Miller had lived in, and brought back with her the love of her life, Gary Geboy.
Gary is one of those people who might never have made it to Beaufort otherwise. As a photographer and cinematographer who captures images of some of the most beautiful places on earth, he probably never would have set foot in pluff mud if it hadn’t been for Teresa.
Now he, too, has fallen under the spell of this place. And Transfer of Grace is the result.
Transfer of Grace: Images of the Lowcountry (2007, Joggling Board Press) is not a book of photographs, nor is it a book of prose. It is a unique and syncretic literary entity.
What do I mean by that? What I’m trying to say is that the book juxtaposes visual images and verbal images without following the usual conventions. These are not photos with captions; this is not text peppered with photo illustrations.
This is something more, and whatever it is, it creates an undeniable synergy, and it will stand as an enduring tribute to the beauty of the Lowcountry.
BOOK SIGNINGS
Sat. Dec. 1, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. – Waldenbooks at Charleston Place, 120 Market St., Charleston.
Thurs. Dec. 6, 5:00 p.m. – Preservation Society of Charleston, 147 King St., Charleston.
Fri. Dec. 7, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. – Bay Street Trading Co., 808 Bay St., Beaufort
