The characters in her books embrace their connection to the South, and so does Dorothea Benton Frank, a prolific and successful writer who was born and raised on Sullivan’s Island and still spends much of her time in the South Carolina Lowcountry. On an unseasonably chilly afternoon in March, Frank, affectionately known as “Dottie,” revealed that she loves to meet people who … [Read more...]

Editors’ note: As Mount Pleasant and the Lowcountry move forward into 2013 and beyond, it’s important to recognize that our history is closely tethered to our future. In celebration of Black History Month and our women’s issue, we are featuring one professional woman’s triumphant story. Cheryl Hamilton, the Lowcountry’s first black news reporter, arrived in Mount Pleasant, … [Read more...]

As I once said to my coeditor, Brian Sherman, women should be able to both wear lipstick and kick butt. The truth is, women can do anything, particularly East of the Cooper. Here, we raise our families and run our businesses simultaneously. For our annual Women in Business issue, we’ve highlighted a couple of area women’s organizations, as well as several women whose ability … [Read more...]

Do you remember the days when a single guy actually had to risk humiliation by sparking up a conversation, buying a drink or even offering a bold wink to a reasonably cute girl at the bar? Or how about when a single woman used to spend hours in front of the mirror just so she would look hot enough to shoot down that idiot winking at her from across the room? Well, for a … [Read more...]

When we give to someone in need, we create a spark that fires up others. That’s the theme we noticed while speaking with some of Mount Pleasant’s most selfless individuals – the idea that putting someone else first is contagious and is passed along. Each of these community members has a specific calling to better the world. Some of them are in the limelight; some are more … [Read more...]