I need to remember this

I love Barry Hannah's writing, and I'm really sorry I didn't take the time to read his stuff before he died. Sorry! He slips things in to otherwise ordinary paragraphs that just jab you in the ribs and make you wonder why you didn't think of it first.

Like this:
"In this state [Mississippi] live men and women nostalgic by age eleven. For things rambling, wooden, rain-worn, wood-smoked, slightly decrepit. The heft of dirty nickels. They flee to lakes from hateful pavements, concrete and glass. They are certain the great wars were fought for cheap fishing licenses."
- from Yonder Stands Your Orphan, which I am reading now.

Also, he describes nursing home residents as "convicts of time." Brilliant!

Anyway, I enjoy the heck out of his books, and so I am trying to take it slow and savor each one, since I know he won't be writing any more. I started with Geronimo Rex and then read The Tennis Handsome. Geronimo Rex was really awesome - his debut novel and a great way to start reading Hannah. Bonus points for me because I went to Mississippi College and so did he, and the novel is loosely based on his experiences while a student there in the '60s. I never felt like I really fit in at MC, and I don't think he did, either. If you know anything about the school, you'll understand why.

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I keep saying that I'm tired of all the cool people leaving Jackson, and it's true. There are still lots of cool people in Jackson, but it seems like every other week or so someone else announces that they are moving away. I do get it; I left once too and thought I'd never come back. But I guess I just assume since I got my sh** figured out and have decided Jackson is the place for me, that everyone else has also figured that out. Of course, that is ludicrous.


The latest ex-pat is Johnny Bertram and his wife, Emily. The two were so beloved around town that it's hard to believe they weren't actually from here in the first place. Johnny's musicianship permeated the Jackson scene, to the point that he was playing with a few different groups of people before he left. The Bertrams are heading back to the Northwest, to Portland, from whence they came. Do I blame them for leaving the 100+ degree heat for the deliciously cool, laid-back Portland? No. I wish I had a summer home there, myself. But Jackson sorely misses them already. It's funny, the connection between PDX and JAN. Many Jacksonians have moved outhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif there and stayed, or moved out there and returned, and Johnny & Emily were the first that I know of who moved from PDX to JAN with no prior ties to the place. I'd love it if there were a direct expressway from here to Portland, really, and we could all visit each other from time to time.

The picture above was taken at Johnny Bertram & the Golden Bicycles' last show in town on 5.29.11. It was at North Midtown Arts Center -formerly known as 121 - and I'd never been outside for a show there before, but it was pretty sweet! One of those "This doesn't feel like Jackson" moments. Which hopefully those moments will eventually evolve into "This is SO Jackson" instead. It's people like Johnny B. that have helped make transform this town into the blossoming arts community that it is today. So I am okay with people like him and others leaving Jackson, just as long as they leave something good behind. Or - even better - come back eventually, and bring something good back with them.

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I have a new member of the family now. It happened a week or so ago, completely at random. This little pup appeared in my sister's back yard, and my sister couldn't take care of it along with her 3 dogs and small child, so she and my bro-in-law called me to see what to do about it. It had a hurt leg, and one of the local shelters (that is not a no-kill) had already said they would probably just have to put her down because of the leg. So I caved, went and got her, and took her to my vet the next day. She is scheduled to have surgery this week to see if they can save her leg, but even if they can't, she will be ok with 3 legs. She already runs around as if nothing is wrong. I have named her Lula Belle (after my great-grandmother, HA!), but call her Lulu 90% of the time. She is sweet as can be and gets along great with Sally. I have felt a bit guilty and worry that I am not showering Sally with as much attention as she usually gets, so I have been overcompensating big time. The BF feels the same way. We're constantly saying, "Oh Sally, you're a good dog too, we love you, blah blah blah..." I think she is really fine, though. She seems to like having a playmate, even if Lulu is 1/10 her size. I don't think Lulu is going to get very big, and this is weird for me. I've never owned a dog smaller than 30 lbs. or so. But it's been fun so far. I don't think I need kids now; I have 2 already. And I will try REALLY HARD not to dress Lulu up in ridiculous outfits. I can kinda understand why people do that, though. I keep wanting to put her in bags or boxes or anything small that she can fit in. I don't think she enjoys that as much as we do.

Here's Lulu and Sally, both sleeping after a hard day of playing together.