(June 30, 2012) AUBURN, AL – The last night of June turned out to be one of my favorite nights of the tour so far.
The day started around 10 a.m. as I rolled out of bed after less sleep than I probably needed. Which is my own fault, of course, for going to bed at 3 a.m. After a shower and a bit of futzing I walked over to Patrick McCurry’s house to upload yesterday’s tour diary and do a bit of work. Patrick was putting the finishing touches on the charts for the night’s musical performance. Here’s a gratuitous shot of Patrick’s garden:
He and I had lunch at a good Indian restaurant called Bombay, then headed back to his house – and its air conditioning – to escape the 104-degree heat. I did a bit more work then moved to his comfy couch to read more of Travels With Charley. I read a few pages and was soon sound asleep on the couch, where I awoke an hour or so later. Patrick’s kids were there – Charlie, Jamie and John – and we hung out and played for a while before Patrick and I headed to The Gnu’s Room for the event.
There’s something special about this town. I’ve been here two days and I feel like I know these folks and like I belong. Let me try to explain.
First off, Patrick. We’d never spoken a word to one another before yesterday when he picked me up at the Greyhound station in Columbus, GA. But within seconds I felt completely comfortable around him, which doesn’t happen often for me. By today I was telling him fairly intimate details of my life and treating him like someone I’d known for years. Probably much to his chagrin.
Then there’s Rachel Sharpe, the woman with whom I’m staying. She’s one of those people whose role seems to be to welcome everyone and make them feel at home. She’s smart and curious and funny and a joy to be around. She has cool dogs. And, as I mentioned yesterday, her guest room has a Buddha statue on one shelf and a copy of Mostly Harmless on another.
Tina Tatum, who runs The Gnu’s Room, is another gem. She’s devoting her life to enriching the cultural community of Auburn and the surrounding area in ways far beyond just having a bookstore. I’m going to interview her on Sunday, so you’ll be hearing a lot more about that.
And Maddie Wilder. As I write this she’s one of the baristas in the coffee shop at The Gnu’s Room. Starting Monday she’ll be the owner of the coffee shop. I liked her instantly and she jumped right in trading jabs with me. She’s smart and quick and ambitious and kind – one of those people I wish I had more time to get to know. And luckily, thanks to technology and the way it gives us all access to one another, I do.
An (unfortunately blurry) action shot of Tina (left) and Maddie.
I think all four of these folks will be part of my life for a while. A good long while, I hope. And it all happened in less than 48 hours. Quite a bit less. This tour never stops reminding me how lucky I am. I lost my home and gained a dozen others.
And then there was tonight’s event at The Gnu’s Room. A full house turned out to hear fellow radio guy Kyle Gassiot interview me about the tour. Even better than that, Patrick set three of my poems to music and performed them with a band and vocalist Jane Drake. The whole thing lasted about two hours and no one left in the middle. It was incredible.
Photo by Rachel Sharpe. The book is an inside joke. Sorry.
Kyle’s an excellent interviewer. He played clips from The Jazz Session and asked insightful questions. I hope we’ll find other ways to work together in the future. Some of the audience members asked questions, too. Quite a few folks came back after being in the audience the night before for my poetry reading.
But the most moving part of the night was Patrick’s setting of my poems.
Hearing the poems as lyrics was something I never expected. In the case of one of the poems, it turned it into a very intense and emotional experience for me. I felt like I was hearing the words and experiencing the situation afresh in a way I didn’t think possible. What a gift to receive here in Auburn.
With the band, after the show.
After the reading we all lingered, talking, before heading over to the Piccolo for another night of live jazz. It was a different band from last night and they sounded fine as they worked through standards for an appreciative crowd. Several folks from The Gnu’s Room crowd came over to join Jane and Patrick and me.
Around 11 p.m. most of us walked over to the nearby Balcony Bar for something that hasn’t happened in Auburn in a long time, if ever – a burlesque show, straight from New Orleans. The show was great. Sexy and funny and spirited and celebratory. It wasn’t how I expected to end my night’s entertainment, but it was a great way to end it.
Afterward, realizing I hadn’t really eaten anything but a little hummus since lunch 12 hours before, Patrick and I ducked into Jimmy John’s. I ordered a veggie sandwich that turned out to be missing about half the advertised veggies. But I was hungry and tired and plowed through it anyway.
I’m running out of ways to say how grateful I am to be doing what I do and meeting the people I’m meeting. I fall in love with every town and the beautiful human beings in it. But there’s something special about this place. I’ll be back here. I’m sure of it.
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