Dac Crossley's Western Blog

Texas Odyssey

I’m back home in Georgia, after a two-week series of adventures within the boundaries of the Lone Star State. Here’s a little summary:

THE GOOD

Selling my books at five different events, greeting old friends and making new ones.
Trading verbal jabs and reminiscences with childhood chums at a cheerful high school reunion.
Fiesta time in San Antonio, all in bright colors.
Trekking west along US 90, a straight black ribbon through the desert, no traffic at all, open sky, small towns with familiar names.
The Big Bend country, greeting Santa Elena Canyon once again.
Musical trio at Cullum’s Landing on the San Antonio Riverwalk, polite jazz.

THE BAD

Wasn't allowed to sign Escape from the Alamo at the Alamo Gift Shop (the Daughters of the Republic of Texas operate it, and they objected to some of my language).
Missing faces at the high school reunion, some gone forever.
The landscape arid throughout the state, extensive grass fires smoldering.
No bluebonnets, no spring wildflowers (see above).

THE UGLY

Burnt-over western grasslands, the hint of smoke in the air.
Old familiar childhood settings somehow smaller now, deteriorating, fading away.
My hotel room in Alpine, Texas.

Now, back to the writing life.

Dac Crossley
April 21, 2011 (San Jacinto day)

"Mixing politics and religion is like mixing manure and ice cream. It doesn't do much to the manure, but it surely does ruin the ice cream." - Will Rogers

Do You Enjoy Poetry?

Just back from a writer’s conference in Blue Ridge, Georgia, a pleasant little mountain village where the emphasis is on arts and artists. A mostly regional conference, a one-day affair, a chance to sign and sell my western novels.

And a rare chance to rub elbows with some regional poets, those shy, self-effacing creatures, so different from us belligerent novelists.

Do you read poetry?

I’m certain you did back in High School. One of the good memories from Kingsville High is Ms. Williams, who led us through Shakespeare (Larry C. and I recently challenged each other quoting “MacBeth”). Ms. Williams insisted that we write our own verse. Did you?

Yes, I still read poetry, mostly late at night when sleep is hovering, half there. Some Texas poems – remember “Laska?” And there’s the little book of verses my grandmother read to me.

And Kipling:

“Now in Indjia’s sunny clime,
Where I used to spend my time,
A’servin’ of ‘Er Majesty the Queen,”

Kipling puts you right in there. A lesson in technique for us novelists.

I asked Deborah R., a local writer of many talents, to comment on one of my little efforts. She says I write masculine verse.

I hope so.

And now, off to Texas.

Fredericksburg, Berkman books, afternoon of 4/5.
The Alamo Gift Shop, mornings of 4/9 and 4/10.
The Twig Book Shop in San Antonio, morning of 4/16.

Look for me...

Dac Crossley
April 3, 2011

“He who is in love with himself has at least this advantage – he won’t have many rivals.” – Georg Christoph Lichtenberg.