Tag: entertainment

The look of the town

At a panel at Saints and Sinners which I intend to post about later, the moderator had the writers read first lines from one of their works. On the Colorado trip, as we rode through small towns of the Texas Panhandle, I kept telling Tim I was looking for the last picture show. Later, when David Puterbaugh saw some of my photos from the trip, he, too, brought up the movie The Last Picture Show, which is a favorite of mine, along with Larry McMurtry’s novel. I also like the sequels to both the book (Texasville and Duane’s Depressed) and the movie (Texasville).

I’ve always been an avid McMurtry reader and once considered writing my Masters thesis on his works. Regarding this particular novel, I appreciate how McMurtry’s opening immediately puts me in the setting and inside Sonny’s head, and how the novel remains with me, so that I’m still looking for that old theater and Sonny, Duane, and Jacy in every small town.

Sometimes Sonny felt like he was the only human creature in the town. It was a bad feeling, and it usually came on him in the mornings early, when the streets were completely empty, the way they were one Saturday morning in late November. The night before Sonny had played his last game of football for Thalia High School, but it wasn’t that that made him feel so strange and alone. It was just the look of the town.
Larry McMurtry, The Last Picture Show

You Sweet Thing

Continuing with an earlier theme of songwriters, JJ Cale’s songs have been covered by such artists as Eric Clapton, Waylon Jennings, Lynyrd Skynyrd, John Mayer, Phish, and Jerry Garcia. Cale died nearly a year ago at age seventy-four. I thought of him when I photographed a transport dog this past week, Magnolia.

I first heard Cale’s song “Magnolia” as covered by a favorite Seventies band, Poco. Cale’s version is shorter and good listening for a mellow Sunday. Here’s to you, sweet Magnolia. May you find a wonderful forever home.

Willin’

One of my favorite bands who I never hear anyone talk about anymore is Little Feat. I especially liked Little Feat founder Lowell George’s songwriting. He was a huge influence on some of my favorite music of the 1970s and early 1980s, and he died too young. I thought of him when I saw this sign in New Mexico.


And I’ve been from Tucson to Tucumcari
Tehachapi to Tonopah
Driven every kind of rig that’s ever been made
Driven the backroads so I wouldn’t get weighed

from the song “Willin’,” written by Lowell George

Like many of my favorite songwriters, I found Lowell George thanks to Linda Ronstadt. Here’s her cover of “Willin’.” You can always listen to it just to see how the Comanche, Kawaiisu, and Shoshone place names are pronounced. =)

Every now and then…

“I don’t get it. I’ve been on this adventure for over a year in Earth Time. I’ve been to galaxies far, far away, Wonderland, Middle Earth, the Firefly ‘verse, and who knows where else as I’ve defied all I know of the space/time continuum. I’ve picked up a sidekick and a sidekick’s best friend. I’ve fallen into the pages of literary masterpieces, popular fiction, Mad Magazine, and even the funny papers. I’ve had conversations with oversized crabs, sharks, dragons, and an octopus along the way. I still don’t know what the Giant Rabbit’s note meant: ‘The first part of your journey will be complete when you find Lil Eddy.’ I’ve been to water eddies and snow eddies and found nothing to explain what journey I’m on or what happens next.”

Cuddle: “Maybe you should turn around?”

John Riley: “Yup, Bright Eyes, I’m thinking you’re about to experience a total eclipse of the heart.”

The Adventures of Katnip: 58

Laissez les bons temps rouler!


The usual characters have company in wishing you all a happy Fat Tuesday! A special shout-out to Timmy, too: HAPPY BIRTHDAY! As you know, Timmy, you share this birth date with yet another character, my late mother.

In honor of my Pisces loves, everybody party like a fish! (I don’t know what that even means.)

The Adventures of Katnip: 57. Thanks, Greg, for the Mardi Gras props, and Mary for the backdrop.