Books in Bloom

I went to the Books in Bloom festival at the historic Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs out of curiosity (and to cover it for the City Wire), not thinking I'd find anything in particular that I'd want to read. My book wish-list and must-read list from friends is already out of hand, but the event was so diverse, it was difficult to choose which author to talk to at which times. There were five hour-long premiere presentations by the most well known authors, a reading tent that constantly housed an author reading snipets of their works and booths for each author to talk with readers informally.

So much to do, see, read! So little time!

Crescent Dragonwagon spoke dynamically about the role of food in life, a world of sensory memories and coming to terms with the death of friends and of ourselves.

You don't exactly hear Crescent speak, so much as experience her speaking- her wild and quick movements, the sweeping of arms, the clanking of bracelets, swishing of her long print skirt against her striped blazer, the brilliance of her smile against her fiery red hair. She has an amzingly adept form of storytelling, not just on paper in any of her 50 books, but in person, in acting it out.

I sat too close to the front of the room, so during one of these acted out stories, I was inadvertenly grabbed by the elbow and became a character in the story, in front of a full room of 70+ people. Gotta keep an eye on those authors and reporters.

The author of this book is a psychic, who claimed to have seen the stories appear on her windshield while driving along I-40 past Eureka Springs. When her blackout ended, she said she was in New Mexico (even though she wasn't planning on going to New Mexico.) Logistical problems aside (How did running out of gas not bother her trance? Didn't she get hungry? Didn't she go above or severely below the speed limit at some point?) it's an interesting story. Really hope I never have to pump out a novel based on such a strong mental intervention...

These two ladies have a great arrangement as co-authors. Day after day, they meet in the same coffeeshop for scones and coffee, while one relates to the other what she'd like to say. Since her sight is so poor, she can't do any of the writing or typing herself. How awesome is it that she can continue to relate her stories? As a historian and deep family roots in Eureka, I'm sure they're invaluable to the town.

After the event, I took a break to stroll around Eureka. For now, I'm just redecorating, but I'm having plenty of daydreams of living in a place that doesn't have a stranger constantly singing karoke upstairs; somewhere with a patio and enough space to entertain.

I love these little splashes of red here and there.

Earth laughs in flowers

Below are just a few of my personal images from Gardens Uncorked! at the Compton Gardens in Bentonville earlier this month, which I covered for the City Wire.

This sweet couple serving wine poured generously and made everyone feel welcome, stopping people to talk along the garden trail. They asked me why I kept writing things down, and encouraged me to think about advertising for the City Wire on billboards and other physical media, to reach a wider audience ("those who don't use the internet much"). I did my best to take their advice and not mention that I didn't have anything to do with advertising or editorial decisions.

The meadow was chock full of different plant species. Foxglove was everywhere.

These had beautiful markings on the inside.

My personal favorites seemed to glow as the light was dying.

Inbetween taking advantage of the blueberry brie, hors d’oeuvres and champagne, this lovely jazz duo (often seen at Legacy Blues) kept the atmosphere warm as we moved inside for dinner.

Keeping your distance

A few weeks ago, I started freelancing for a local publication. A friend of mine put me in touch with an editor, and it has ended up being a great match. They cover interesting events in the community, and I love going out to these experiences, meeting new people, hearing everyones' stories.

The first event I was handed was a charity luncheon by the M&N Augustine Foundation, who served nearly 6,000 people on Easter weekend.

As interesting as the foundation's story is, Merlin's (the founder's) nature was just as fascinating.

During our twenty minute interview, he stopped many people to check up on them. For every one, he remembered the thing that mattered the most to them: an anniversary of their father's death, the number of years a certain cook had volunteered his time to the Easter Feed, the number of nieces and nephews someone had, how long one attended the Methodist church (where we were), the state of their new business, and thanked them all for helping others, knowing exactly what sacrifices each were making.

He didn't just donate a certain amount of money, step back and let everyone else handle it while watching from a distance in a tailored suit.

He made time for everyone, sat down at each table while wearing blue jeans and a t-shirt, caring for and listening to everyone and wishing he could do more.
















Generally, Merlin is cautious of giving interviews, but since he granted me a brief one, he asked that I do something in return: sit down with a plate of food like everyone else. He didn't want his foundation to be dwindled to a set of numbers, amount of money, number of people. Instead, he wanted me to experience the kindness and generosity that was central to the event's purpose.

Families chatted, friends caught up warmly, new friends were made, people packed boxes of food for home delivery...

There seemed to be no barriers. Everyone welcome, no one alone on this holiday.

There's a lot of pressure for journalists to be detached from a story, but in some cases, I think that's rather silly.

If you're interested in helping people have a safe home, something to eat, and the chance to earn an education and job opportunity, the M & N Augustine Foundation is a great place to support.