Home > Pulpwood Queen Blog > Archives > 2007 > May
May 2007
*NEW YORK, NEW YORK!*
I have always had a fascination with New York City. When I grew up, I lived for the movies. I loved those black and white films set in New York with all those glamorous Hollywood stars. Scenes with men in top hats and tails, women resplendent in glittering gowns, diamonds, and ruby red lips going to nightclubs where they dined at little white linen covered tables with lamps illuminating in the center. Savy and suave tuxedo’d waiters whisked drinks to the table with names like Manhattans, Sidecars and for that special occasion, Champagne with corks popped and bubbles exploding and fizzling. Sultry torch singers with hankerchief in hand sang their hearts out and dancers entertained us with their spendiferous costumes and razzle dazzle. Oh, the drama and glamour!
Waiters bringing telephones to the table for personal calls. You could dance the tango, cha cha cha, and ballroom dance to your heart’s desire. Nightclubs with dreamy names like the Rainbow Room or slightly naughty Kit Kat Club. Yes, I always dreamed of New York days and nights and just as saying goes, “bright lights, big city”. Now tell me, where is my limo?
So you can imagine my delight and anticipation when my publisher, Grand Central, announced they were flying me to New York City to speak at Book Expo America. I am also to sign advance copies of my first book ever, “The Pulpwood Queens’ Tiara Wearing, Book Sharing Guide to Life”. Small town girl, big city dreams has always been my story. I can hardly wait to visit the BIG APPLE and the largest home of the best in publishing, theater, and arts!
I have been shopping for months looking for just the right ensembles to wear. What a challenge in the land of Wal-Mart and blue light specials here in the East Texas piney woods. With New York City being the fashion Mecca, trying to compete with designer and couture, was I up to the task? Forget Versace, Dior look out! Here in Texas, where we know everything is bigger and better, and we thrive on individuality, I decided to embrace the “Dallas” style. Be prepared for Big Hair, Big Tiaras, KICKASS cowboy boots, and as always with The Pulpwood Queens, Big Reads and BIG TIME FUN! I may never be able to compete with the style and fashion of New York but isn’t it just like they say in writing, “write what you know”? I have decided I will wear what I know. We never take ourselves too seriously, The Pulpwood Queens, but we are damn serious here in the south about reading and literacy. There is no place in the world that loves a story better and the telling of the tale than in the south. As author River Jordan once told me and let me paraphrase her here, “Up north they hide away their crazy people in the attics and closets but here in the south we prop our eccentric characters up on the front porch for all to see.” Go River Go! Prop me up against the bookshelf and let me die!
We hope to send that message home dear readers, as we sashay down the book publisher rows of aisles. Yes, we do read EVERYWHERE in America, not just the East and West coasts! And who better, than a southern, blonde Texas hairdresser, and yes avid reader, to send that message to the big guns in publishing! Look out world, here come the Pulpwood Queens “where tiaras are mandatory and reading good books is the RULE!” Our sole mission is to get everybody reading, one person, one book club chapter, one author, and one book at a time. We also want to break some stereotypes and help that yet undiscovered author get discovered in a big way!
When I travel to NYC, my hope is to meet many of you there at Book Expo America. I invite you all to come give me a hug. That is what we do here in the south, we hug. Besides, it just makes you feel good to hug somebody. I also plan to see and experience as much of the city as I possibly can. Below is my itinerary for some of the things my publisher and I have planned. For those of you who will not be attending, I am determined on sending my daily experiences and musings to be posted on my www.pulpwoodqueen.com blog site. Whether you are an armchair traveler or travel in person, books can take you wonderful places. I know my life has always been all about the stories and all about the books. And just like one of my favorite children’s books by Dr. Seuss, “Oh, The Places You’ll Go!”
To read daily blogs of my trip to New York City, please go to www.pulpwoodqueen.com. To pre-order Kathy L. Patrick’s book and learn more of Beauty and the Book and The Pulpwood Queens, please go to the official website, www.beautyandthebook.com To read news of Jefferson, Texas and the surrounding area, please go to www.marioncountytexas.com
Tiara wearing, Book , and Book Expo America sharing,
Kathy L. Patrick
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Are You My Mother?
Remember that popular Dr. Seuss book, “Are You My Mother?”. I must have read it to my girls a kazillion times when they were little. They would laugh when the little big eyed bird would ask the bulldozer if it was his mother? Or the cow? Then finally the little bird found it’s mother who had been out catching a worm for her little baby bird, a very reassuring ending. “Again, momma, ” my baby birds would cry, “Read it again.”
That was many years ago but as Mother’s Day rolled around again this past Sunday I remembered fondly reading that book and asking myself the new question, “What makes a good mother?” Both my girls were gone on Mother’s Day. One on a end of school Jefferson Junior High student council educational trip to Atlanta, Georgia. I had been receiving phone calls daily giving a blow by blow account of each and every stop along the way. “Mom, Mom, we’re at the CNN studios in Atlanta.”It was very early my friends. Barely awake, I mumbled, “That’s nice Madeleine.”
“Mom, mom, I think we might get to see that old guy. You know the old guy?”“Do you mean Anderson Cooper, Madeleine. But he’s not that old, he just has prematurely grey hair.”“No, mom, mom, that old guy that interviews authors.”“Oh, Madeleine, you mean Larry King?”“Yeah, mom, that old dude.”
By now I’m laughing as I’m thinking it is way too early for this conversation about Larry King.On and on the past few days Madeleine would call in, (God Bless cellphones), and give me the latest. Mom, we just went to the Braves Museum and it was the best. I took my picture with Hank Aaron’s’ number and got a baseball, it was so cool and very informative.
Yes, she did say informative and that really got my attention. somehow thought her favorite part of the trip would be visiting the Margaret Mitchell house as how many times had I went on and on about “Gone With the Wind”? But no, her favorite part was Turner Stadium and going on the field.
I learned of her visiting Martin Luther King’s grave and his home and the Georgia Aquarium. By the time she got home, I felt as if I had gone on the trip with her and then of course, we had all the photographs she took of her trip.
Now the whole time this was going on with Madeleine we were in full throes of getting ready for the Jefferson Prom for Lainie. Lainie had designed her own dress and my good friend and Pulpwood Queen Kay Brookshire had created and sewn this prom masterpiece that was a knee length strapless concoction. The bodice was cream with black swirls, full satin skirt with side drapes, and cream tulle peeking out from under the hem. Very French and ooh la la. Now she wore this dress with a vintage black rhinestone necklace, bracelet, black sheer short gloves, cream lace anklets and black pumps. Her corsage was cream roses with black berries, black leather strips attached to a vintage arm cuff created by Timber Guy and florist extraordinaire, Dale Vaughn. Martha Stewart has nothing on the floral designs of Dale Vaughn. Her blonde hair was swept up to the side with side bangs and texture waves. She looked almost too grown up to me as where was my little girl? Her date had on a black pinstriped zoot suit complete with black hat and some kind of, was that a long watch chain. Not sure, but this was more like a theatrical production than prom. Well, she was going with all her friends from the Drama Club, Emily, Adam, Nick and Megan, what more could I expect? A long way from my Gunny Sak oatmeal colored prom dress with baby blue sprigs and sheer floppy hat on my long blonde parted down the middle hair. My date, Randy Click, who was 6’ 7” wore a baby blue ruffled tux. The theme to our prom was the song “Seasons in the Sun”. Lainie’s was suppose to be “Diamonds and Ice” but somewhere along the way they thought that sounded too drug related and changed it up somewhat. I laugh, as my junior year’s prom theme was “Stairway to Heaven”by Led Zeppelin. I guess things haven’t changed too much. Now on prom we left to change into blue jeans and work shirts to head out to a pasture party back in Kansas. All the kids Lainie went with changed to go Cyber bowling then out to eat breakfast at IHOP. As a mother the next day, I laughed as I cleaned out all the UNSPIKED Yahoo chocolate drinks out of my Inferno Red Pacific that I let the kids borrow for the prom night. Whew! I made it through another prom but still have one more for Lainie then Madeleine. My mantra is keep my kids safe, keep my kids safe. Lainie had to work the next day down at the General Store and Madeleine was returning home from Atlanta on the schools chartered bus. Both called to wish me a Happy Mother’s Day. Jay and I went to Lowe’s to buy sealer for the beaded wood walls of my NEW shop location then went to work at the new shop.
As he hooked up the telephone, internet, and television cables, I quietly painted in my new office. I had plenty of time to reflect on what is a mother. I came to this conclusion. A mother is one of the most important person’s in a child’s life. She may be the most important as she carries the child and feathers the nest. Mothers can make or break a child’s spirit. Leave that egg unattended and it may get snatched or broken. We are the ones totally responsible for teaching our children. We give our children wings, teach them how to fly, then send them on their way just like that little baby bird in the Dr. Seuss story. My girls are testing their wings and it seems those trial runs are working out well. They have big dreams, big hopes for the future. Their mother may have been slightly flawed, well make that a total basket case, but they seemed to have turned out pretty darn gosh good. As they flew out the door for school today, I see their futures looking bright. Who knows where they fly and will make their nests? I hope it is not too far but then again I can always fly, right? I would love to hear from you and what you think makes a great mother?Do you have a great mother story? Two of the happiest days of my life were when my girls were born, a miracle that often times I think we forget. Also God’s gift to us to give us that second chance to make things right in the world.
Tiara wearing, book sharing, and one proud momma,
Kathy L. Patrick
Founder of the Pulpwood Queens Book Clubs
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We Caught the Best Kind of RASH!
Every month I select a book, an author, whose work I find outstanding. They must be well written, give a new voice to literature, and be willing to venture to our neck of the woods. They also must be an author who is yet undiscovered in a big way. Author, Ron Rash was our special guest this month of May! I assure you, he will be famous soon. He is a writer to watch.
Ron is a poet who teaches creative writing and Appalachia studies at a southern university. He has never roamed to far from thearea in which he has been raised other than book tours. The first time Iand the Pulpwood Queens heard Ron read aloud to our book club we were hooked. If there has ever been an author who gave voice to literature, it is Ron Rash. That southern inflection and knowing just when to pauseand continue makes him a master at storytelling in its finest. The Pulpwood Queens voted Ron Rash our favorite read aloud author and I could not wait to have him back. I selected The World Made Straight as our Pulpwood Queen Book Club Selection and this was no easy read. This book addressed what happens when you take away rural peoples livelihood of being farmers that also happen to lack in education. We have ageneration of young people growing up trying to figure out what to do with too much time and no means of support. They turn to other cash crops which aren’t so legal.
I wanted to address the ever-growing population of our country, the rural south, that are at poverty level and no means of support. We havea generation of youth turning to drugs as a means of escape and support. Here in East Texas and my Marion County, we have a 39% of adult illiteracy. Most of these people live in the rural areas of the county with no means of transportation. These folks have children and have no skills to teach their children to do better. Education and literacy is the key to abject poverty, but how do we reach these people. Ron’s book raised questions of basically good people growing upand making bad choices. Our conversation was very lively and thought provoking.
There is no longer a black and white world just like their is no longer black and white television. We live in a world that is all shades of grey. Just this week a major story hit the front page of The DallasMorning News and my community. Crystal meth is now being made to flavor strawberry called sometimes Strawberry Quick to entice children in to anasty and horrendous drug habit. Made to look like the popular children’s candy Pop Rocks. Scary as I came from the generation of penny candy and getting your ten cents worth at the local candy counterat the grocery store. Candy that can now kill and ruin the lives of children. Books can enlighten and educate as well as entertain. Though Ron wrote a tough book, at least we are now all on the same page as what we can do as a book club to be aware of the dangers for our future generations.
Ron also wrote Chemistry and other Stories, a short story collection that I chose as our Bonus Book Club Selection published by Picador. I have to thank this publishing house for sending Ron to us yet again as you see he is a two time Pulpwood Queen Book Club Selection author. I would like to think I personally discovered Ron Rash but this is one Rash I wish to share with all of you. You would be doing yourself agreat disservice by not reading his wonderful books. In fact, Iencouraged the Queens to read his entire body of work as this author is amazing. Poetry, short stories, novels, he has something for everybodyand the best part is every book is a treasure.
We will have up on our website shortly at www.beautyandthebook.com the video interview I did with Ron Rash at my Beauty and the Book. And I must encourage you as a reader if he is in your neighborhood to go hearRon read in person. I know it was one of my most treasured authorminutes, listening to Ron Rash READ!
Next up, Kathy L. Patrick as a mom, what motherhood means to me and end of the school adventures with my two children, no make that my blossoming young women. With Mother’s Day just behind me, I think I now know what love is.
Tiara wearing and Book sharing,
Kathy L. Patrick
Founder of the Pulpwood Queens Book Club
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HAPPY ANNIVERSARY JAYBIRD!
I get this phone call out of the blue.
“This is Kathy!”
“Kathy, this is Rue McClanahan, calling from Manhattan. Do you know who this is?”
Did I know who this is? Absolutely! Besides books, music, art, I love the theater. Rue McClanahan is a star of stage and screen. She probably has become most famous by her role on televisions /Golden Girls/ where she played the southern sex kitten Blanche Devereux. I have loved Rue McClanahan! She is smart, sexy, and always made me laugh out loud. I have always felt that an actor that can make you laugh out loud had major talent. It is easy to make someone cry but to laugh, now that is a gift.
We talked for quite some time. In fact, I was talking to Rue on my cell phone in my car in front of my shop so long that a couple who had gone into my shop for a haircut came back out to find me still on the phone. John and Debbie Chamberlain and I had quite a laugh over that, well we had a lot to say. Mostly, we were scheduling a time for Rue to come visit my book club, The Pulpwood Queens for a book signing of her latest,/ My First Five Husbands…And the Ones Who Got Away! / Great title and really much, much more than her life in marriage. This book was her memoir and I found the book fascinating.
The morning of the day I was to pick her and her assistant, Kathy up at the airport, my husband kissed me and wished me “Happy Anniversary”. I gasped and realized I had done it again. I had forgotten our big day when we got married 19 years before. Jay laughed as it has been our own running joke, either he forgets or I do. Sometimes we both forget and I think this is mainly because we married one Sunday evening on the sly thinking we were escaping everybody’s radar. We eloped. Now that is another story that I will tell at maybe our 50th Anniversary!
Rue came to Jefferson, Texas and besides treating her to lunch at The Hamburger Store and the best pie ever, I actually got to do Rue’s hair. What a pleasure! To say that her event which I called /An Evening with Rue/ was a success is an understatement. At the last minute, due to the fact that the sky was about to fall with a torrential storm and the numbers of presold tickets where climbing, we decided to move the event to the Banker’s Building generously donated to us for this event by The First National Bank of Hughes Springs here in Jefferson. We brought in extra chairs loaned to us by Jimmy Moore owner of East Texas Forest Products and got 13 volunteers from the Jefferson High School Drama Department to help run the event.
Rue loved the drama kids and to one boy in particular she gasped and stated, “Why Kathy, he is the spitting image of a young Rock Hudson.” I think Adam Brooks will never be the same. She even talked about the striking resemblance the next day. But the thing that impressed me the most was she gave each and every one of those kids an autograph after signing well over 100 books and having umpteen photographs with each and every attendee. Rue McClanahan is a trooper!
Rue had requested that I put on a skit just for her and we did. My best friends. Pulpwood Queens and Timber Guy, Pam McGregor, Carol Lancaster Lucky and Fred McKenzie helped me put together a skit that we titled /The Pulpwood Gals /as a tribute e to Rue starring on /The Golden Girls./ We were three middle age sisters, Earleen (me), Pearleen (Carol), and Sherleen (Pam) Boudreaux who had all come back to live with our MeeMaw (played hilariously by Fred) in her double wide trailer on Caddo Lake just outside of Jefferson, Texas.
You may go to www.easttexastownsonline.com to scroll down and view photos from the event. Photographer, Ron Munden has truly captured these “golden” moments and the photos are also available for purchase.
Now you may wonder what my husband did on our anniversary since I was so involved in the Rue McClanahan event? He was filming the event for your enjoyment and you may click on the link below to watch our skit or you may go to www.beautyandthebook.com and click on Videos to watch that Academy Award winning performance. Well, at least an East Texas Academy Award Winning performance, ha ha ha!
Rue’s book is climbing the charts and I certainly hope you will read her book. A fascinating life from a fascinating person and sends home the message that reading can be a wonderful entertainment. The following morning my friend and Pulpwood Queen Margie Dilday of Monroe, Louisiana escorted Rue and her assistant Kathy on to the rental car place with me in Marshall. As it took them quite awhile to get a car ready, we had plenty of time to chat and recap our event. Then Rue spotted this woman diligently working in the service department of the car dealership where we were to pick up the car. Rue told me, “I have to reward that woman in some way.” We walked across the parking and entered the building. As we approached this woman sweeping, I called, “Excuse me, I have someone I would like you meet.”
Rue asked her, “Have you ever watched The Golden Girls on television?”
“Yes ma’am,” she replied.
“Do you know who I am?”
“Yes, ma’am, you are Rue McClanahan.” Then it was our turn to be surprised.
“Ma’am, aren’t you from Ardmore, Oklahoma?”
“Well yes I am,” Rue answered surprised.
“Well ma,am I’m from just outside of Ardmore, Wilson, Oklahoma and they have all your things there in the museum. Your clothes and things.”
We found out her name was Nancy and Rue signed a Cadillac catalog from the dealership and gave it to the young woman with the broom. As we said our goodbyes, I had goosebumps. Of all the people to choose to go out of her way to meet, a fellow Oklahoma girl. You know that some things are just meant to be.
I live for the days when we have authors grace our doors. I think Rue McClanahan was truly my first brush with dealing with a major celebrity, a real live STAR! Quite frankly, it was a little frightening how many people recognized her and then asked for an autograph. From the moment she arrived at the airport to the minute she drove off in the rental car to continue her book tour we were approached by people wanting her autograph. I asked her about her about just that and she told me that that just comes with the territory. I hope I am that gracious at 73. Through her small acts of kindness I felt besides earning that “star” quality she also deserved a halo!
I’m not too sure what Jay thought of our 19th Anniversary but I had a blast. Jay has just resigned himself to the fact that he has married an obsessed reader. Anyway I can honestly say our marriage has never been boring, high drama to say the least. Now we are on to our next events with author, Ron Rash who I will be taking to visit our Shreveport, Louisiana chapter the evening of May 7th. Then again he will be featured Tuesday night, 6:30 p.m. at Beauty and the Book in Jefferson hosted by our Pulpwood Queens of East Texas. Ron has two books I have selected as Pulpwood Queen Book Club Selections, The World Made Straight and Chemistry and other Stories and being sent to us by Picador. Yes, the Jaybird will be filming that event too! Thank God Jay is not one who got away, ha ha! The official press release will be forthcoming but in the meantime go to our official website for all news pertaining to Beauty and the Book, The Pulpwood Queens Book Clubs, and book and author events.
Also if you are in the area, stop by and visit me at Beauty and the Book! I have these leopardlicious postcards that my publisher, Grand Central Publishing has sent to me to hand out to promote my up-and-coming book release, The Pulpwood Queens’ Tiara Wearing, Book Sharing Guide to Life. I would love to give you one and more if you promise to send them to all your friends! And if you see Jay tell him he is a saint for putting up with me. I know he would greatly appreciate it! Thank God he believes that reading and literacy are important too even when his wife booked an author event on their anniversary!
Tiara wearing and Book sharing, Kathy L. Patrick Hairdresser to the Authors Beauty and the Book 210 West Austin Jefferson, Texas 75657 903-665-7520 www.beautyandthebook.com , official website of The Pulpwood Queens www.pulpwoodqueen.com , official blog site of The Pulpwood Queens
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Reading Is NOT Important?
What did I just say? I will say it again as even I cannot believe it. Reading is NOT important. In fact, that is exactly what is being said by a favorite southern newspaper. The Atlanta Journal Constitution let go their book editor and is discontinuing their book section. Yes, you heard me right. A newspaper has decided that books, reading, and literacy are not important. In fact, having a book section is bad business, those pages are just not selling enough newspapers. They are considering plugging in The New York Times Book Reviews. I don’t know, but if I wanted to read The New York Times Book Reviews I would subscribe to The New York Times or check it out online for goodness sake.
Book reviews are not selling enough newspapers? Sensational news stories and color photos help sell papers. Why not just do a whole newspaper in pictures, maybe add some coloring pages. I also believe comics are something that everybody reads. What is happening to America? Here there are some of us doing everything we possibly can to promote reading in our homes, schools, book clubs, communities, and literacy not-for-profits and yet one of the leading southern newspapers wants to cut costs by doing way with the section that deals with reading?
As a bookseller, a reader, and now an author, I have always thought that The Atlanta Journal Constitution was the newspaper to look to for the best in good reads, known for it’s book section and book reviews. That newspaper has been considered one of the premier book review sections in the country especially for southern authors and readers. Sorry for the pun, but looks like covering books is gone with the wind.
Read the petition below that was sent to me by Shannon Byrne and look and see who has signed this petition. That is right, I am number 244. I was awed by all the authors and their comments. Feel free to sign and post a comment, I did. In this day and age I am dumbfounded by a newspaper that does not want to support books and reading. I thank God for The Marshall News Messenger everyday. Not one day goes by that they do not have a story on literacy, usually three or more. And guess what? They are both under the Cox newspaper umbrella. Go figure.
Tiara wearing and as God is my witness, book sharing, Kathy L. Patrick Founder of the Pulpwood Queens Book Clubs www.beautyandthebook.com To: The Atlanta Journal Constitution
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s recent decision to eliminate its book editor position and, possibly, its book review section is demoralizing beyond words. The AJC’s book section is one of the best-edited literary pages in the country. It provides Atlanta, which ranks #15 on the University of Wisconsin’s list of most literate cities in the U.S., with a powerful and necessary cultural dialogue. Under the astute guidance of the section’s editor Teresa Weaver, the books page has demonstrated an admirable commitment to both literature and nonfiction works which have grappled with some of America’s most complicated issues and themes.
Not only has the AJC’s book section helped to champion such important writers as Edward P. Jones, William T. Vollmann, and Colm Toibin, not to mention Paul Hendrickson and Monica Ali all of whom are now recognized as major literary voices, but it has struck a fine balance by also letting readers know, through in-depth interviews and event listings, about more popular authors who make Atlanta a stop on their book tours. If the major newspaper in a major market like Atlanta lacks a book section, then we may soon be missing authors, too, when publishers decide not to send their writers to a city where the primary forum of ideas and review is ignoring them.
I am a subscriber to and/or a frequent reader of the Atlanta Journal Constitution, and I want the AJC to continue publishing a book section edited by Teresa Weaver that gives Atlanta a unique, thoughtful approach to books, one that represents a diverse array of voices, and is not simply fed by wire copy from the Associated Press or the New York Times.
Sincerely,
The Undersigned
View Current Signatures
The Help Protect Atlanta’s Book Review Petition to The Atlanta Journal Constitution was created by and written by National Book Critics Circle (NBCCAtlanta@hotmail.com) . This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no endorsement of this petition, express or implied, by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. For technical support please use our simple Petition Help form.
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