If you ever do get to Booked Up, write a column about it and post it here. If you have time left from reading all the books you are sure to buy there.
Been there, been doing it every year in August for more than 12 years, going this year, of course, told Rambi about it a few years ago, talked to McMurtry when he was building bookshelves for one of his buildings--he mumbles horribly, good thing he can write because he surely can't speak very clearly.
A good place to stay in AC is the Spur Hotel--only place to stay, I should say. I'm a fan of old Texas hotels--the Gage, the Menger, the Paso del Norte, Driskill, and the Spur, which is reviewed here.
austinchronicle.com
Archer City is bookaholic central. Since real estate is so cheap, McM. has a serious economic edge as storage costs are cheap. If you are a bookaholic, you will eventually go. The SOB won't computerize so it's all haphazard, though he does file in categories and the staff is wonderful. I was looking for something specific one time, one of them knew it was in stock and told me exactly where to look. With minds like that, who needs computers?
When you walk in to the main bookstore, first thing you see is a campaign flyer from Goldwater's 1964 campaign-- a picture of BG with his campaing slogan: "In Your Heart You Know He's Right." I hope one day to get McM. to sell it to me. |
