See my column about a love affair with a state gone right and wrong. Just because neither of us can help it, evidently. It’s at
Voted Best Local Blogger in Austin Chronicle Readers’ Poll
See my column about a love affair with a state gone right and wrong. Just because neither of us can help it, evidently. It’s at
I agree, who would want to “escape from Texas?” Or, more broadly, from anywhere Southern. I take a cue from our writers through the decades. Many went North to find themselves/be understood/join their kind/whatever, but what did they ultimately write about? The South. Universal themes, yes, but always filtered through an indescribable Southern atmosphere. And that “sense of place” almost always comes across as strongly as any flesh-and-blood character, sometimes more so. There is a mesmerizing melody here. If you hear it at birth, you can never escape it any more than Ulysses could escape the sirens’ chant, though you might try. But you’ll crave it! Fail to touch base with it in a timely fashion and you’ll likely turn to the bottle, trying in vain to mute the call. I would rather be pigeon-holed among that pantheon of Southern writers than be known as a writer at all. Without that distinguishing modifier, I would call myself a failure!
Winston, honey — I hate to break the news to you, but my old friend Craig doesn’t think you exist. He thinks I invented you as a foil for my blog. Like I have that much imagination, energy and wit!
Craig, Ruth didn’t invent me. I have a dog who can ably attest to that! But she does have enough imagination, energy and wit to awaken the same in me.
Well, I guess I’ll believe it when you two mount that off off Broadway production you both are working on . I vaguely remember what Ruth looks like so you’ll be the one I don’t recognize
When you don’t particularly care about what other people think, (which certainly describes me and probably a majority of Texans) how wonderful it is to be a Texan. Go anywhere in the world, and people know Texas. As far that goes, what Texan would go anywhere in the world and describe themselves as from “the states?” None. We’re from Texas.
My friends from other places in the South resent Texas because so many hear their drawl and ask if THEY are from Texas (despite the obvious difference in accents to our ear).
Near as I can tell, there’s lots of Texas-envy out there, most of all among those who are silly enough to suggest that we might want to escape and become one of them.