Better Than Friday - 2

Book (possibly) in the Pipeline:

All The Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy.

Surprisingly few literary books take place in Texas, I’ve discovered. This happened to be one of them, so I headed up to John King Books in Ferndale and grabbed a copy for the trip. 

Blood Meridian and Suttree are two of my favorite novels. If you've enjoyed Flannery O'Conner, or William Faulkner, then I highly suggest you pick either of those up immediately. 

This is the first in McCarthy's 'Border Trilogy', the others being The Crossing, and Cities of the Plain. 

I'm told it's less dark than other McCarthy. So far it's terrific. 

The Last Important Thing I Learned:

Persist. 

The following may contain platitudes, but they're true. 

People might tell you a refund is not an option, that the policy is strict, that you have no options, that there’s nothing you can change, no way to fix things. 

This is often not true. Do not give in. 

It's important for you to prove to yourself that you can do difficult things. 

The more difficult things you achieve, the more you realize you can handle. 

People around you will notice, your spouse, your friends, and they will be inspired to take on their own challenges. 

I'm not sure if we ever reach our potential. 

It could be that it's dynamic, that it changes depending on a myriad of conditions, but I don't know if anyone discovers their true limit. 

What I’m Reading Down South:

Accompanying me in my southern journey is the Georgian Carson McCullers ‘The Heart is a Lonely Hunter’. 

And just now I put it together...Carson McCullers...Cormac McCarthy. 

I wonder if they’ve ever met and discussed the similarities of their names. 

Here’s a poem about McCullers by Bukowski.

she died of alcoholism

wrapped in the blanket

of a deck chair

on an overseas

steamer

all her books of

terrified loneliness

all her books about

the cruelty

of the loveless lover

were all that was left

of her

as the strolling vacationer

discovered her body

notified the captain

and she was dispatched

somewhere else

upon the ship

as everything else

continued

as

she had written it.

A clip that will literally make me cry on cue:

Half of my family comes from the Oklahoma/Texas area. I have a special place for the culture, and as I grow older, the pull is stronger. 

Townes Van Zandt was a Texan who created some of the most beautiful, but darkest country songs. My favorites are Lungs, Our Mother The Mountain, and Waitin' round to Die.   This is a from documentary called 'Heartworn Highways'. 

Every time I see that guy sitting behind Townes with tears in his eyes I just break down.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vASFMouQwxE

Best Coffee Shop (so far) in Austin:

Mañana. 

We came here and had a blueberry basque cake. Unreal. 

Stunning space with blue tiles, hidden out of the sun. Gorgeous. 

Everything you want in a coffee shop (photo by the business owner, not me)