Audio By Carbonatix
I sent Hank Stuever, author of Tinsel, an e-mail this morning to see how his trip back to Frisco had gone this week (he wraps up a three-day stay with a signing in Fort Worth tonight before he heads down to Austin). He responded thusly: “It was great — no effigy-burning or anything. People came very curious, ready with questions, and bought books. Sort of anti-climatic in a way, but also nicely crowded, esp Legacy Books.” He said he’d try to put something longer on his blog today. He then sent word just a little while ago: Bingo.
The item’s a long’un. So, an excerpt to go along with this photo Stuever took during his three years, on and off, living in Frisco in search of the American Dream … or, at least, the Perfect Christmas:
I went to Stonebriar Centre (one last time?) Wednesday afternoon to catch up on some work and answer all sorts of e-mails. (Being on tour is mostly about answering e-mails and voice mails.) I ate at the California Pizza Kitchen and got a Chinese chair massage (my last?). In the food court, while I bought my Route 44 diet cherry limeade at the Sonic, I saw Santa Claus sitting there by himself, eating a Charlie’s sub. This is the “new” Santa, who replaced the Santa everyone loved. There are a lot of reasons not to like this new Santa (customers say he’s grumpy, has a weird hairdo, etc.) but I think his biggest mistake is sitting in the MIDDLE OF THE FUCKING FOOD COURT eating lunch like he works at a cell-phone kiosk or something. Dude, respect the fourth wall, y’ know? Of course, it’s exactly the sort of thing I would have put in Tinsel. I thought about joining him, but guess what — I don’t care anymore.
That’s a strange feeling.
