I Found Her! by Jim McKeown

I found Miss Marie!

In case some of my loyal readers have forgotten, in an early post, I told the story of my first expedition to the library in Philadelphia in the summer following the fourth grade.  I got my first library card, and I joined the “Vacation Reading Club.”  Miss Marie was the children’s librarian, and I had my first boyhood crush on her.  Every summer – for about five years – I read ten books and wrote ten book reports.  For this effort, my reward came in September, when Miss Marie visited my class to give out the certificates.

Then I lost touch with her, until one day in about 1985, I happened to be in another branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia, and there she sat.  We chatted for a few moments, but I had to hurry to class.  When I went back for another visit, she had retired.  In June of this year, I went back to that branch, and the children’s librarian remembered Miss Marie, and she thought she could find out where she lived.

Last week, I was back in Philly, and I drove to her retirement home.  There she was hardly changed at all.  We visited for about a half hour.  She told me the story of her life, we reminisced about the Kensington Branch of the Library and the days of the Vacation Reading Club.  I confessed my crush, and she laughed and blushed in that sweet, sweet way I remembered.  The dinner bell rang, and I had to leave.  I asked her if I could kiss her on the cheek, and she said, “Sure.”  I bent down and thanked her for making me the reader and book lover I am today.  Her eyes filled with tears, and she thanked me for going to so much trouble to talk to her.  I had a difficult time holding back my own tears, and when I got out to my car, I could no longer help it.

The moral: don’t hesitate to say thanks, or I miss you, or I love you, and most of all, don’t hesitate to get that kiss.

Bohemian Scene : Thanksgiving Weekend At True Love Bar By Dominik Young

By Dominik Young

True Love Bar DEFINITELY ruled this past weekend! I have a feelin’ that all my Waco Bohemians loved rockin’ out with Fonedead, Tea Aguilar, The Last Domino, Married With Sea Monsters & especially Johnny Hootrock.  Now, it seems that the little rock & roll bar that could has plans to take over Thanksgiving weekend. Another added bonus is that one of the owners will be celebrating their birthday. So, be sure to hook that person up with drinks & money! On Friday November 25, Cellar Door will jumpstart the Thanksgiving weekend with some Americana & folk rock. The post-Turkey Day festivities continue Saturday, November 26 with everyone’s favorite Gatesvillains Johnny’s Body whose been mentioned before on this blog. The band will be accompanied by Angels of Mercy & Me and The Devil. Trust me, your soul will be ROCKED! After enjoying Thanksgiving with your immediate family, come hang out with your second family here at True Love Bar!

Quiet Moments of Pure Joy by Jim McKeown

Imagine something simple, unexpected, and new which leaves you with a calm, quiet, and warm feeling.  It can come at any time, any place, anywhere.  Those moments appear when I close a book, I have thoroughly enjoyed, or a biography which has taught me some interesting lesson of history, or a novel with some insight into human nature.

They also arrive in museums and art galleries.  I have long loved the Impressionists from the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries.  I remember my first visit to The Art Institute of Chicago renowned for its collection, and for me, especially, its collection of Monet, Renoir, Cezanne, Degas, Cassatt, Prendergast, among others.

When I entered, I immediately went to the Monet collection of “Haystacks.”  He painted twenty-five beginning after the harvest at the end of summer of 1890 and continued through the following spring.  The master painted at different times of day, in different weather, and from different angles.

I had seen many of these canvases in several of the books on Monet in my collection; however, I was not prepared for the overwhelming experience that day in Chicago.  I turned a corner and entered a gallery with five of the paintings.  I was so overwhelmed, tears began streaming down my cheeks.  Fortunately, a seat opposite the canvases in an un-crowded gallery allowed me an unobstructed seat to collapse and take them all into my memory.

I don’t know how long I sat there, looking from one to another and back again.  Each glance showed me the true power of the Impressionists – the use of light, color, and texture.  A group entered the room with some noisy patrons and a guide.  I did not want that distraction to ruin the moment, so, I stood up to leave.  When I did, I experienced a profound moment of peace, warmth, and happiness.  I stayed for a moment longer for a last look.  And I turned and walked away.

Here are three example:  Evening, Morning, and Snow:

New Exhibit at Art Center Waco by Jim McKeown

Last Friday evening I attended the opening of a new exhibit at Art Center Waco.  The Art Center and my favorite NPR station – KWBU FM 103.3 – co sponsored the event.  The “Membership Invitational Art Exhibition” features the work of Central Texas artists and runs through to February 5, 2012.  Five cash prizes totaling $2000 will be awarded in February for the 40 pieces created in a variety of media..  In addition, the first place winner will have the piece reproduced as a poster of the event.  When I entered the gallery, I was given a ballot to vote for a “”People’s Choice Award.”

I was struck by the consistent quality of the works.   Iris Lee, the mother of Bohemia poet Isis Lee, has a mixed media composition entitled “Jaguar.”  Her mixed media piece has a striking collection of cultural and mythological images.

Realistic work, including a vivid portrait of Willie Nelson, and a number of abstract and expressionist pieces, make up an exhibit with something for everyone.

By all means, do NOT miss this show located on the MCC campus.

Johnny Hootrock at True Love Bar : What To Expect by Dominik Young

By Dominik Young

DISCLAIMER: The following video (below) is rated BH-13 (PG-13 or TV-14) for risky behavior . Not appropriate for Bohemians under 13.

I know that all of my Waco Bohemians are UBER excited about this upcoming weekend at True Love Bar. Things get kicked off Friday, November 18 when Fonedead, Tea Aguilar, & Austin musician The Last Domino ROCKS the stage. Then things get EVEN MORE rockin’ when another Austin act Johnny Hootrock blaze the stage with indie faves Married With Sea Monsters on Saturday, November 19. Those who frequent Beatnix, Hemingway’s Watering Hole, & the aforementioned bar (in the title) are quite familiar with the Sea Monsters. However, some might not be familiar with Johnny Hootrock. Allow yours truly to school you.

Johnny Hootrock is a psycho garage-a-billy band that have been causing a ruckus throughout every rock ‘n’ roll bar in the U.S. Southwest. They are known for their fast, dirty, & MOST DEFINITELY HARD-rockin’ sound. On stage, the band is accompanied by a bevy of  beautiful go-go dancers/ burlesque performers. Here’s what to expect when the Hootrock boys come to the 254 :

 

The BoHo Crowd in Waco by Amanda Hixson

The BoHo Crowd in Waco

You got it– they’re ambitious
some shy to be trying
(but not purposely trying to seem unaffected)
sincerely– shy

Special
the fact that they’re trying makes them first special
for getting over fear of mass rejection and second special
because the Boho Crowd is backed with talent

They know & don’t know
what to do with themselves
except create & wait

They are bohemians too

I'm here. Remember me ? By: Autumn Mercy

 I’m here remember me ?

Its been a while, how you be ?

I’m not allowed to mingle you see

with these new artist friends that make me feel free

I’m in this little box, till I’m 18

Then I’ll shout out I AM FREE

I’m ready to grow up and learn how to fly

but as of now they have clipped my wings and all I can do is try

Try to live this hard life, that brings me a lot

but I’m still fighting, I’ve fought too hard to give up now

 I’m not really sure why this has happened… ?

I’m sure this is the place that I truly belong

but they just don’t seem to get along

 they’ve never even met any Bohemians

If only they’d just sit down and have tea

with these beautiful humans that hold the key

to self-expression and a beautiful life

When I’m with them everything I do feels right and I feel keen

But untill I’m 18 I cannot hangout

the treasures of this life I’m beginning to truly doubt

2 more months and I’ll be leaving this cage

Just please you guys, I’m still here…

I hope you will still remember me

(doesn’t rhyme all that well, but my emotions are jumbled at the moment)

I’m here. Remember me ? By: Autumn Mercy

 I’m here remember me ?

Its been a while, how you be ?

I’m not allowed to mingle you see

with these new artist friends that make me feel free

I’m in this little box, till I’m 18

Then I’ll shout out I AM FREE

I’m ready to grow up and learn how to fly

but as of now they have clipped my wings and all I can do is try

Try to live this hard life, that brings me a lot

but I’m still fighting, I’ve fought too hard to give up now

 I’m not really sure why this has happened… ?

I’m sure this is the place that I truly belong

but they just don’t seem to get along

 they’ve never even met any Bohemians

If only they’d just sit down and have tea

with these beautiful humans that hold the key

to self-expression and a beautiful life

When I’m with them everything I do feels right and I feel keen

But untill I’m 18 I cannot hangout

the treasures of this life I’m beginning to truly doubt

2 more months and I’ll be leaving this cage

Just please you guys, I’m still here…

I hope you will still remember me

 

(doesn’t rhyme all that well, but my emotions are jumbled at the moment)

 

Memories for Veteran’s Day 2011 by Jim McKeown

Only one word could describe my friend Bernie – shabby.  We were in elementary school together, and he lived over on the next street.  There were no children my age on my block, and no one would play with Bernie on his block.

Bernie carried a huge back pack way before they became popular.  The bag was military surplus, sandy, and tattered in many places.  I tried to move it once with my foot, but it would not budge.  Once I asked him what was in it, and he said, “Things.  Important things.”  As friendly as we were, he never let me see inside his life or the bag.

He was tall, about six inches over everyone else in the sixth grade.  Rumors abounded he had been left back.  No one knew how old he was; he kept that a closely guarded secret.  His hair was never combed, his thick, dirty glasses, were always crooked on his face, and they always had a piece of tape or a paper clip holding them together.

His clothes were worn and, more often than not, dirty.  Bernie never had shoe laces.  He rarely had socks.  He never brought lunch to school, but always sought out leftovers from the few kids who didn’t make fun of him.

Then there was the smell.  I was only in his house once – he never wanted to take me there. It smelled the same as he did.  It was some weird combination of cigarettes, urine, vomit, beer, and too many other strange odors for my 11-year old nose to decipher.

Some kids called Bernie “Snowman.”  He never really lifted his feet, but rather  slid every where he went.  Hardly a week went by that Bernie did not get beat up by somebody.

On one occasion, a bunch of kids formed a club to trick him.  It had a crazy name, and they asked him to join.  The initiation was simple: every kid got to beat Bernie, and if he fought back he was out of the club.  He tried his best to endure the punishment, but some adults came along and broke it up.

Something about Bernie made me want to protect, to fix, to help him, but I was powerless.  All I could do was be his friend.  I started bringing him sandwiches.  He never thanked me, he stared, wiped snot from his nose on his sleeve, then vainly tried to straighten his glasses.  Even though he barely moved his lips, a smile crossed his face.

One day, about two years later, Bernie stopped coming to school.  I went to his house, but it been boarded up with an “Official Notice” tacked to the blank piece of plywood where the front door had been.  I never saw him again.  But I did read about him in the papers.

It was 1966, during my senior year of high school.  Bernie had been killed in Viet Nam.  He had joined the Marines, and was accepted into a recon battalion – the meanest, toughest branch of the Corps.  The details were murky.  I went to his funeral, and saw his mother.  She was holding his glasses.  I talked to her briefly, but she neither heard nor saw me.

To me, Bernie was the face of poverty in this country, and I think about him so often.  I can still see his crooked smile and glasses, his runny nose, and the huge back pack. It is feeble, I know, but each time I give some change to a homeless man or woman, each time I buy an extra burger for someone living in a doorway, I pretend I am helping Bernie.  It is all I can do now. 

Sounds of Bohemia : November by Dominik Young

By Dominik Young

Greetings fellow Bohemians! Your friendly neighborhood Dom is back with a new Sounds of Bohemia. First of all, allow me to apologize for not posting one in October. I got caught up with the Halloween festivities at Clicks, True Love Bar, & Best House Party Ever (BHPE) which were EPIC. Next time, I’ll be sure to be at the top of my music-blogging game.

Since this is the month of Thanksgiving, let me present you with a feast….of new music.

Canadian duo & highschool sweethearts Electric Youth show you that the ’80s will not “Fade Away” with their new track. Brooklyn foursome Black Taxi will have you walking on a “Tightrope”.  Bolstered by his “Bowser swag, Sephiroth flow”,  XV follows the trend of rappers rhyming over dubstep beats as he tackles Skrillex’s “Scary Monsters & Nice Sprites” in the video-game inspired song “Boss Level”. You’ll be a “Fanatic” after listening to the indie electro pop of Chilean band Mecanico.

• Electric Youth- Fade Away

• Black Taxi – Tightrope

• Black Light Dinner Party – Gold Chain

• Chairlift – Peculiar Paradise

• Jet Life – 1st Place (ft. Curren$y, Trademark Da Skydiver, Young Roddy & Mikey Rocks)

• XV- Boss Level (prod. by Skrillex)

• Mecanico- Fanatic ( Check out their new single “Street Royal“)

• BONUS : Childish Gambino – CAMP ( CLICK PICTURE TO STREAM ENTIRE ALBUM)

Well, I hope you’ve saved room for dessert! Because Sounds of Bohemia have a VERY special treat! For the 1st time, an ENTIRE album will be streamed. It’s “Camp” by Childish Gambino. Some of you are probably familiar with the rapper’s alter ego actor Donald Glover who plays Troy Barnes on NBC sitcom Community.  His album is slated to come out on Monday, November 14.

Nightshift Husband Midnight by verymandy

An aggravated assault criminal’s portrait lingers on the screen as easy jazz music rejoices his crimes. “This is a wanted criminal. Any information that leads to his capture will be rewarded.” And I wonder why all my friends have switched to DVR TV and downloading episodes of sitcoms off the Internet. Still, there’s a comfort in basic cable and late night commercials.

Mind numbing programming and waiting for my husband to get home. Feeling guilty about little things I promised him I’d do today but did not. Yet, a heap of seemingly meaningless tasks have culminated into certain victories.

I e-mailed 47 individuals. I chatted with 15. I texted 9. I actually talked to 4 via phone. I met 1 person in person to personally talk things through. And all of these collisions of interaction are actually building into future enterprises and I wonder hopefully about what it will all do. I’m a juggler. A conductor. He doesn’t understand. He thinks I’m lazy.

The dishes are done. Or waiting to be done, in the dishwasher with no soap. Going to the grocery store is on the list of things I neglected. The random little things I need have piled up—body wash, conditioner, socks, dish washing liquid, half and half, and Sweet & Low. And if we’re confessing, I need to shave too.

It’s hard to have someone to answer to. He won’t notice that I rearranged our shelves intricately. Or that I cleaned out my cell phone contacts list. He can’t see the magazine clippings I’ve organized or why I do these things.

On busy days I do too much and am in and out and gone. I’m unavailable. On days like today I am here and stuck but productive in my own way.

Sweet sushi roll aftertaste echoing under my tongue from my afternoon meal. I brush my teeth real good. When he walks through the door, I tell him how hard I worked out and I grab the groceries out of his hands to escort him to the couch. I laugh and tell him all the funny things that the cat did today. He looks tired, but smiles anyway.

I was worried for nothing.

Amanda Hixson 2011

Soulful. Thankful. Coming of Age: A Dave Barnes Rendering by Mandy B.

Will I Love You Still?

That is the question crooned hauntingly in Dave Barnes’ hit “I Have and Always Will,” explored and tested against the light of day by Barnes’ latest litany of songs.

A lyrical and a stylistic renewal is in play for singer-songwriter Barnes. Often branded as pop/rock with Motown and reggae influences, 33-year-old Barnes describes his sound as simply “soulful.” “My voice sounds a little grovelly,” the Mississippi native laughs.

A Waco concert regular, Mississippi native Barnes will stop by Common Grounds this Friday, November 11, as one sojourn on his stripped-down acoustic tour touching four Texas cities.

Audibly influenced by the 70s, Barnes looks to Stevie Wonder and Emily Saliers of the Indigo Girls for inspiration. From the bluesy beats of “Loving You, Loving Me” and “What I Need (feat. Jonny Lang)” to the acoustic revelry of “On a Night Like This,” Barnes’ sound accomplishes both chants of elation and intimate whispers.

“I wanted to examine, ‘How do you deal with the yin and yang of things?’” said Barnes of his latest album, What We Want, What We Get, which explores the difficult phenomenon of staying in love with someone after initial romance.  “I stumbled upon this theme because it’s closest to me, because it’s one of the only things I have the expertise to write about.”

Barnes’ wife Annie is cast in the starring narrative role in many of his songs, and her influence in his music ranges from cameos in his music videos to background vocals to songwriting guidance.

As the songs show, however, no marriage is all rosy. Each of his lyrics seem to seek to strip away the mask from the upbeat exterior of the songs, leaving a vulnerable and candid core underneath. “Little Lies” and “My Love, My Enemy” on his latest album illustrate the dichotomous nature of intimate committed relationships: “What do you say?\Let’s give up now and just be done\Maybe we’re afraid\Of all that we will and won’t become, Everyday\We come together or come undone\Every time I break \Tell me again how far we’ve come” (“My Love, My Enemy”).

“She doesn’t mind!” insisted Barnes about the honest portrayals of their relationship. “I always pass everything through her. She’s really kind about it.”

Despite some dark and complex undertones, Barnes manages to keep his signature uplifting sound as a constant thread throughout his musical catalogue. “There’s enough [downer music] out there, and I’m not good at writing it,” he admits.

“Happy accidents” have paved the way to Barnes’ renown as a Nashville singer and songwriter, he confesses. Freshly out of college nearly a decade ago, Barnes began to travel and open shows with friend Matt Wertz (another college circuit regular) before headlining shows of his own and being signed.

“When I was in college, I started to sheepishly sing,” he said. Originally setting out to be a songwriter, Barnes didn’t imagine his would be the face gracing an album cover. Earlier this year, his songwriting success returned explosively when country singer Blake Shelton picked up his hit song “God Gave Me You,” catapulting the song to the top of the country charts.

“I never planned for it to go that way,” Barnes said of the cover’s success. “I love it; it’s one of the coolest privileges of this job. My work can be released to 50 million people, and I can cheer from the sidelines.”

With five full-length albums and a Christmas album tucked into his discography, Barnes is no starving artist.  Yet, he doesn’t take any victory for granted.

“I feel very successful… very blessed. I’ve gotten infinitely more success than I ever imagined,” Barnes said. “The opposite of expectations are thankfulness. I have to be really diligent about that balance. Expectations can run amuck, for my life, my marriage, my career, relationships.”

You won’t find Dave Barnes sitting on his laurels. His next album is set to release in March, with the working title Stories to Tell.  Fans should expect a distinctly more poppy sound from the new piece, thanks in part to new producer John Fields (Goo Goo Dolls, Jon McLaughlin, Lifehouse, Switchfoot, Jonas Brothers).

“I know most artists feel this way, but I’m the most excited about this one,” Barnes plugged. “It’s much more of a pop record, so a little bit of a change for me. I’m excited to see what people think.”

In the meantime, he will be trolling around the country sans band, advocating the nonprofit Mocha Club, and nurturing young artists such as Steve Moakler, Ben Rector, Andrew Ripp, and B. Reith.

Friday’s acoustic show will hold “more stories and fun” for the 8^th St. venue. “When it’s just me, I play differently—I engage the crowd differently,” said Barnes. Keep your eye out, Bohemians, there might a sneak peek on the set list for the upcoming album.

11 November · 20:00 – 23:00

Common Grounds, 1123 S 8th St., Waco, Texas

Andrew Ripp Opening
$15 adv
$18 doors
http://commongroundswaco.com/
All Ages

Charleston, SC Adieu! by Jim McKeown

Well, we are home again, to a somewhat muggy Waco, after three days in wonderful Charleston.  On Saturday, we strolled through the farmer’s market across the street from the Francis Marion Hotel.  The temperature was a balmy 68 degrees, with a slight breeze.  We sampled a lot of local delicacies, and I bought some fresh curry powder (yellow, mild, and garam masala, a bit sweeter).  The man who ground these spices, also gave me three recipes for chicken, salmon, and potatoes.  I see a curry dish in my near future.

We also tasted another southern delicacy, boiled peanuts.  “Eat the shell!” proclaims the sign, and we did.  They were delicious.  We also tasted and purchased roasted pecans.

Then we walked a couple of blocks to our favorite used book store – The Blue Bicycle.  Usually we come away with quite a stack of books.  Last year, there were too many for our suitcase, so we had them shipped home.  This year the pickings were a bit slimmer, and we only bought three: Anita Brookner’s Making Things Better, Francine Prose’s A Changed Man, and Pat Conroy’s The Lords of Discipline.  I believe this last completes my wife’s collection of Conroy’s works.  I did hold another book in my hands that I would loved to have purchased – a signed, first edition of Gone with the Wind, but at $19,900 dollars, it was out of my budget.

Then we went to our favorite place for lunch – Jestine’s Kitchen.  We always stop there for the delicious southern food, especially the best fried chicken anywhere.  The desserts are special, too.  I got a blueberry and blackberry cobbler with granola.  Count on a line to get in to this small restaurant, but it is always worth the wait.

We are already counting the days to next year’s conference and some new adventures in Charleston.

Charleston, South Carolina by Jim McKeown

Here I am in overcast, breezy, wonderful Charleston.  Our annual trips for this weekend conference never fail to relax, renew, and settle my weary bones.  This trip comes at precisely the right time – after the furious work of The Stone Circle, mid-terms, the beginning of the last push to the end of this semester, and, new this year, the final proofing of the November Issue of Bohemia. 

A friend asked me if maybe I have a bit too much work on my plate.  I emphatically answered, “No!”  I love every bit of what I do.  My classes are going well – for the most part – Stone Circle is at the printer, Bohemia is nearly so, and I am now ready for the final four weeks of the semester.

Charleston plays a large role in the truth of what I write.

I brought four books with me.  The first, Good without God: What a Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe by Gregory Epstein, is an interesting philosophical history of humanism.  I have been dipping in and out of this one for a couple of weeks, and I have decided this weekend will see the end of it.

While on the flight here, I looked at the latest issue of Poets and Writers, and read an article by Ellen Sussman, whose recently published novel, French Lessons, I happen to have and brought as book Number Two.  In the P&W article, she writes about the importance of writers writing, as often and as much as they can.  So, I spent most of today reading about the adventures of Josie in Paris – my favorite city outside the US.  Some might see this as “chick lit,” but I do not.  It has a flare of the literary about it, and I do enjoy the occasional romance.

I am excited about Number Three, José Saramago’s last novel, Cain, but the pick of this litter is the 2011 Booker Prize-winning novel by Julian Barnes, The Sense of an Ending.   More later, I have to get back to my reading!

Old Books, New Friends by Mandy B.

I am such a sucker for secondhand books, whether they are borrowed, bought, or found. I can browse shiny covers in a Barnes & Noble and never buy anything, but surround me with musty, eclectic used books, and I can’t leave the store without an armload.

Twice-loved books

There was a secondhand bookstore I loved in downtown Colorado Springs called Poor Richard’s that was connected to a café, pizzeria with an unmatched wine and tisane bar, and old-school toy store. I had several classes held there, and yes, it was the perfect recipe for never leaving the place without a new/old book in hand.

This weekend, the mother of all secondhand book sales is going on in Waco. It’s called Friends of the Waco-McLennan County Library Book Sale. Last year when my husband and I decided to stop by, we didn’t quite know what we were getting ourselves into. We entered a side building of the Extraco Events Center to what we considered a large room of book stands, about the size of a normal community bookstore, with sections set aside for specialty and children’s books. We spent about 10 minutes browsing before passing into THE room, a warehouse-like room about three times the size of the previous one filled from wall to wall with used library books and other donated treasures. Some attendees had showed up with suitcases to fill with books.

We left about two hours later with two large paper sacks. Our total? $19.

The book prices range from $1-$4 and are mainly arranged by genre. It truly is a bibliophile’s dream. All I can say is, go. If you love to read, go. If you haven’t got much money to spend, go. The sale goes on until Sunday– last year, they even had a special deal “all you could carry” deal for a flat fee on the last day.

Will I bring a suitcase this year? I’m not ruling it out.

Thursday – 10am-9pm – no sales tax!
Friday – 10am-9pm – no sales tax!
Saturday – 10am-7pm
Sunday – 12 noon-6pm

Old Books, New Friends by Mandy B.

I am such a sucker for secondhand books, whether they are borrowed, bought, or found. I can browse shiny covers in a Barnes & Noble and never buy anything, but surround me with musty, eclectic used books, and I can’t leave the store without an armload.

Twice-loved books

There was a secondhand bookstore I loved in downtown Colorado Springs called Poor Richard’s that was connected to a café, pizzeria with an unmatched wine and tisane bar, and old-school toy store. I had several classes held there, and yes, it was the perfect recipe for never leaving the place without a new/old book in hand.

This weekend, the mother of all secondhand book sales is going on in Waco. It’s called Friends of the Waco-McLennan County Library Book Sale. Last year when my husband and I decided to stop by, we didn’t quite know what we were getting ourselves into. We entered a side building of the Extraco Events Center to what we considered a large room of book stands, about the size of a normal community bookstore, with sections set aside for specialty and children’s books. We spent about 10 minutes browsing before passing into THE room, a warehouse-like room about three times the size of the previous one filled from wall to wall with used library books and other donated treasures. Some attendees had showed up with suitcases to fill with books.

We left about two hours later with two large paper sacks. Our total? $19.

The book prices range from $1-$4 and are mainly arranged by genre. It truly is a bibliophile’s dream. All I can say is, go. If you love to read, go. If you haven’t got much money to spend, go. The sale goes on until Sunday– last year, they even had a special deal “all you could carry” deal for a flat fee on the last day.

Will I bring a suitcase this year? I’m not ruling it out.

Thursday – 10am-9pm – no sales tax!
Friday – 10am-9pm – no sales tax!
Saturday – 10am-7pm
Sunday – 12 noon-6pm

Old Books, New Friends by Mandy B.

I am such a sucker for secondhand books, whether they are borrowed, bought, or found. I can browse shiny covers in a Barnes & Noble and never buy anything, but surround me with musty, eclectic used books, and I can’t leave the store without an armload.

Twice-loved books

There was a secondhand bookstore I loved in downtown Colorado Springs called Poor Richard’s that was connected to a café, pizzeria with an unmatched wine and tisane bar, and old-school toy store. I had several classes held there, and yes, it was the perfect recipe for never leaving the place without a new/old book in hand.

This weekend, the mother of all secondhand book sales is going on in Waco. It’s called Friends of the Waco-McLennan County Library Book Sale. Last year when my husband and I decided to stop by, we didn’t quite know what we were getting ourselves into. We entered a side building of the Extraco Events Center to what we considered a large room of book stands, about the size of a normal community bookstore, with sections set aside for specialty and children’s books. We spent about 10 minutes browsing before passing into THE room, a warehouse-like room about three times the size of the previous one filled from wall to wall with used library books and other donated treasures. Some attendees had showed up with suitcases to fill with books.

We left about two hours later with two large paper sacks. Our total? $19.

The book prices range from $1-$4 and are mainly arranged by genre. It truly is a bibliophile’s dream. All I can say is, go. If you love to read, go. If you haven’t got much money to spend, go. The sale goes on until Sunday– last year, they even had a special deal “all you could carry” deal for a flat fee on the last day.

Will I bring a suitcase this year? I’m not ruling it out.

Thursday – 10am-9pm – no sales tax!
Friday – 10am-9pm – no sales tax!
Saturday – 10am-7pm
Sunday – 12 noon-6pm