Every writer hopes for a place where their story is heard before it travels the world. For Dylan Nigh, that place has been City Center Gallery & Books.
On Friday, July 31, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., friends, readers and fellow writers will gather at the downtown Fayetteville bookstore not only to celebrate Nigh’s debut memoir, Fool’s Gear: A Completely Devastating Thing I’ll Probably Do Again, but also to wish him well as he leaves North Carolina for a new chapter in California.
Nigh recently retired from military service after years of serving his country. He has also been accepted to the University of California San Diego School of Law, where he will begin the next stage of his academic and professional journey. Before heading west, however, he did something that has become characteristic of his approach to life: he climbed back on a motorcycle.
A month-long ride through Canada carried him thousands of miles before ending in San Diego. Next week, he’ll return to Fayetteville one last time to pack the belongings he left behind with a roommate before driving a U-Haul back across the country.
For Hank and Diane Parfitt, owners of City Center Gallery & Books, the farewell gathering is more than a book signing.
“It’s really a celebration of Dylan,” said Hank Parfitt. “We’ve watched him grow not only as a writer but as a person. When he first walked into the bookstore, he was carrying a manuscript and a story. Today he’s leaving with readers who believe in him, a published book and a future that keeps getting brighter.”
The relationship between Nigh and the bookstore began with the launch of the store’s Chat with an Author series. His appearance became the inaugural event and exceeded expectations, drawing readers eager to hear about his cross-country motorcycle journey and the deeply personal experiences that inspired his memoir.
“It proved there was an appetite for authentic conversations,” Parfitt said. “Dylan wasn’t pretending to have all the answers. He was simply willing to tell the truth about where he’d been, and people responded to that honesty.”
That evening helped establish the format that continues today: informal conversations where readers and writers sit together rather than across from one another.
“Dylan helped us prove this idea could work,” Parfitt said. “He’ll always be part of the foundation of what we’re building here.”

Published earlier this year, Fool’s Gear chronicles a winter motorcycle trip across America following the end of a marriage. Equal parts travel memoir and personal reflection, the book examines grief, freedom and the unexpected grace found in starting over. One passage captures the spirit of the journey:
“Some decisions make sense. Others make memories.”
That simple observation becomes the heartbeat of the memoir. Throughout the book, Nigh returns to the idea that growth often begins when certainty ends. His journey across frozen highways becomes less about geography than about learning to live again after loss. Elsewhere, he reminds readers that transformation doesn’t always require crossing the continent.
“You don’t have to travel across the country to discover something extraordinary. Sometimes the greatest adventure begins by seeing familiar places with new eyes.”
Those reflections resonated with readers across Cumberland County, many of whom saw pieces of their own lives in his story. Veterans recognized the challenge of transition. Motorcyclists appreciated the adventure. Others simply connected with the universal experience of rebuilding after disappointment. Parfitt believes that ability to connect is what separates memorable books from forgettable ones.
“Readers weren’t just buying Dylan’s book,” he said. “They were buying into his story because they trusted him. That’s what good writing does: it creates trust.”
That trust extended well beyond the bookstore. Nigh became a familiar face within Fayetteville’s growing literary community, encouraging aspiring writers and openly discussing everything from drafting early manuscripts to navigating self-publishing.
“He never acted like success meant he had arrived,” Parfitt said. “He always made time to encourage someone else who was trying to write their own story.”
Even as his life changed, Nigh continued moving forward. Retirement from military service opened one door. Acceptance into law school opened another. Yet for those who know him, neither accomplishment came as a surprise.
“He’s always been curious,” Parfitt said. “Whether it’s riding a motorcycle across the country, writing a memoir or heading to law school, Dylan doesn’t seem afraid to challenge himself.”

Although Nigh is relocating to California, his connection to Fayetteville isn’t ending. City Center Gallery & Books will continue carrying Fool’s Gear, introducing new readers to the memoir that helped launch its author series.
“We’re proud to keep his book on our shelves,” Parfitt said. “Long after he leaves, people will still discover his story here.”
For Nigh, Fayetteville became more than another Army assignment. It became the place where he found his literary footing, met readers face-to-face and discovered that stories often have a home long before they find a wider audience. Friday’s gathering reflects that relationship. There is no formal program. No reserved seating. No admission charge.
Just friends.
Readers.
Conversation.
And one final opportunity to thank an author whose first published work helped strengthen Fayetteville’s literary community. As he prepares to begin law school on the opposite side of the country, those closest to him believe the road ahead will look much like the one chronicled in his memoir, filled with uncertainty, unexpected friendships and moments worth remembering.
“We’re going to miss him,” Parfitt said. “But that’s the wonderful thing about books. Dylan may be moving to California, but every time someone picks up Fool’s Gear, he’s still here having a conversation with another reader.”
For a writer, there may be no better farewell than that. The event is free and open to the public. Friends, readers and members of the community are invited to stop by, wish Dylan well, and celebrate the next chapter of a writer whose journey
began, in many ways, right here in downtown Fayetteville.