The local connection behind the author who will speak in Oak Ridge

One of our most popular annual events in Oak Ridge is the Lunch for Literacy program, which has been held for the past 34 years. Plan to be at Oak Ridge High School on Tuesday, March 24 at 11:30 a.m. to enjoy a great lunch. Fire and Salt head to the restaurant and meet New York Times bestselling author Kristy Woodson Harvey.

City manager who is a ‘history nerd’ knows his family

He was recommended to us by our City Manager Randy Hemann.

Randy knows Kristy’s father, Paul Woodson, who has a business in Salisbury, North Carolina.

“I have known Paul and his mother, Beth, since 1997,” Randy said.

Kristy agreed to come to Oak Ridge because of this family connection. Randy will introduce Kristy at lunch.

Since I am a city historian, I cannot miss this opportunity to express my gratitude to our city manager and his love for history. I asked Randy to tell me something about his interest in history.

He said: “One day I told Michael Stallo that my aunt, Henrietta Hemann Holbrook, lived in the area (I only knew about their time in Clinton) and Michael did some research and found out that she had been here in the 1940s and lived with her husband Fella Holbrook (Corp of Engineers) on Tennessee Avenue.

“Michael even pulled out his Library card. I don’t have it in the office, but the card number was around 3600. They were married at Chapel on the Hill, and their son, Richard Hobrook, my brother Rick’s namesake, was an ORHS graduate. My Aunt Henrietta would send me Little Golden Books for my birthday every year when I was growing up. She would always write a message inside them. It was very meaningful to me to have that family connection,” she said.

“I’m a bit of a history buff, always traveling and looking at history. For 16 years I lived in Salisbury, North Carolina, where there are more than 1,400 properties on the National Register. Tennessean Andrew Jackson studied law in Salisbury (1784-85) under Spruce Macay (Mecham mentions Salisbury very briefly in his book). Macay’s office was torn apart and put on a railroad car to be shipped to the United States. The Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia in 1876 and was never seen again.

“I enjoyed finally arriving at the Hermitage. Also, when Daniel Boone went west to ‘discover’ Tennessee, he was outfitted at the Nesbit store in Salisbury (where he left an unpaid bill, I might add). Salisbury was the western outpost in those days, and what would become Tennessee was all part of Rowan County, of which Salisbury was the county seat.”

“During my years of downtown development in Salisbury, I had a working capital and was part of a series of renovations. I (dragged) my son through so many historic buildings that one year, when he was a teenager and we asked him what he wanted for Christmas, he said ‘an old building’.”

How about this? I’m proud to have a city manager who is a self-described “history nerd.”

Kristy Woodson Harvey

Kristy Woodson Harvey, author of 14 New York Times bestselling novels and co-host of the popular weekly web show and podcast “Friends and Fiction,” is our annual luncheon speaker. Harvey’s work has received numerous awards, including Good Morning America’s Buzz Pick, Southern Living’s Most Anticipated Reads, and Katie Couric’s Featured Books. Her writing has appeared in various publications, including Southern Living, Parade, Traditional Home, and USA Today.

TNBankl is our 2026 presenting sponsor and will award a scholarship to an Oak Ridge High School student again this year. Tickets are on sale for $60 at TNBank, 401 S. Illinois Ave., Oak Ridge. Book clubs or other groups seeking seating reservations should contact wessel.sandranm@gmail.com.

In addition to Harvey’s expected joyful presentation, there will also be the opportunity to purchase signed books and pre-order his latest novel, “Summer State of Mind,” which is scheduled to be released in May.

Lunch for Literacy – all forms of literacy

Altrusa International of Oak Ridge and the Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotary Club proudly present their annual Literacy Luncheon, sometimes referred to as Lunch 4 Literacy or L4L. We have had a wide variety of speakers over the years, some locally, some internationally significant. For example, Denise Kiernan’s “Daughters of the Atomic City” has been published in many foreign languages, including Polish, Italian, Hungarian, Portuguese and Chinese.

“I have attended Lunch 4 Literacy for as long as I can remember,” said Oak Ridge resident Anna Robinson. “Hearing authors talk about their work is a wonderful experience. I have been the coordinator and discussion leader of a book group for nearly 30 years. Many of my participants attend the Literary Luncheon. The cost of the event supports literacy and, from my perspective, reading is very important in an individual’s life. If someone can read, they are way ahead of the game! L4L is an important way to encourage reading. Guest writers are always interesting and engaging. I am happy to support this event.”

“There is an increasing emphasis on reading skills for all ages,” said Sue Byrne, lead representative for the Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotary Club. “This year, new literacy challenges involve much more challenges than reading. Traditional reading is now intertwined with information and media literacy. The ability to evaluate sources, distinguish facts from opinions, and act as a responsible digital citizen is a fundamental need for all ages. We are seeing a significant shift. Literacy includes understanding how to evaluate source data and how to use artificial intelligence responsibly.”

But the main reason for Lunch for Literacy is to raise funds to fund projects that will help improve literacy at all ages. There was currently a grant of $32,411 in 2025 and $23,900 in grants in 2026. These grants cover a wide range of literacy initiatives. The budget for the 2026 grants is $45,000. Efforts are currently ongoing to solicit additional non-competitive grant proposals in the areas of artificial intelligence (AI) and information literacy for the benefit of our community.

Donations are accepted at lunch or any time and checks should be made payable to the Altrusa Oak Ridge Foundation with ‘Lunch for Literacy’ in the memo line and given to any of the Lunch for Literacy hosts or mailed to PO Box 4164, Oak Ridge, TN 37831.

Make plans now to join and support this initiative to increase literacy in our communities.

D. Ray Smith is the historian for the city of Oak Ridge. The “Historical Conversation” column appears weekly in The Oak Ridger.

This article was first published on Oakridger: The local connection behind the author who will speak in Oak Ridge