Local Poetry

The Peyote Milkshake Review, a local poetry zine published by uber-lionhead Mike Snyder, is now accepting submissions for the fall issue. Inquiries may be sent to Mike at mikeandlaura10 @ embarqmail.com (with spaces removed from addy, of course). And yes, this would be the same Mike who, during the course of his poetry slam/book release party, revealed that our sweet and erudite local Shakespeare prof is ACTUALLY...

DARTH MOUMIN!!!

NaNoo, NaNoo!

Wow! What a busy month we've had here at the Lion. If anyone is wondering why I have giant blue circles under my puffy eyes...No; I didn't walk into the door again, thank you--I've just been running on an average of 2 hours of sleep per night for the last few weeks. Here are a few photos from last week's shennanigans at the bookshop.

I'll update this post with further pics as they are sent to me, but for now, enjoy:

We had some great discussions about the recent UFO sightings. Good company, good conversation, great chips and hot sauce (Thank you, Santa Fe County Taco Company!).

We are still accepting first-hand accounts of mysterious local phenoma for our Erath county section of the Lone Star Library; whether it happened last night or 50 years ago, please add your experience to the archives.

Author Forrest Jackson visited our bookstore. We still have for sale here a couple signed copies of his books, Cosmic Suicide: The Tragedy and Transcendence of Heaven's Gate, and Three Myths of Gods, Devils and Beasts. Thank you, Forrest!

This fellow was delighted because he was able to find copies of Where the Red Fern Grows and Lysistrata for under a dollar each here at the Lion. I believe his exact response to the find was, "oOOOOOOoooo!"

An alien culture pow-wow, here:

And, last but not least, my very favorite prop, ever, for inciting spontaneous recitations of Hamlet:

That's all, folks! Keep the photos coming!

100 Years of Stephenville Sightings

Explore the History of Stephenville's Sightings

Have you seen something that defies explanation, or are you just curious about others' accounts? Skeptics and believers alike, come be a part of history in the making as we discuss the beginnings of UFO sightings in Erath County--some dating back over 100 years! Additionally, we will be archiving your eye-witness accounts in our county history section at the Lone Star Library Texana Collection of the Literary Lion.

*display of Mysterious Phenomena Timeline for Erath County
*Special Guest Forrest Jackson, co-author of books on a variety of mysterious phenomena
*Whether you saw it yesterday or 50 years ago, log your story for future generations in our Erath County history section.

Thursday, Jan 24th, 7pm
The Literary Lion at 160 E. Washington in Stephenville
This event is free and refreshments will be served.

Please RSVP at either 968-6611 or via a blog comment. Thank you.

They're Heee-ere Part 2

Yet another "Lion in News Unrelated to Bookselling" spot, this one from the Dallas Morning News video blog:

http://neighborsgo.com/video/521

The picture hanging on the wall behind me in the blurb is original artwork done by the superlative folks at Ethan Allen Studios. More about them, later.

They're Hee-eere!

Okay. The Lion appeared in the news again...this time in articles that take the cake for "Most Unrelated to Bookselling."

UFO Sightings in Stephenville, Texas, Keep the City and Nation Abuzz San Angelo LIVE! - San Angelo,TX,USAAt the Literary Lion, an antiquarian bookstore in this small city 70 miles southwest of Fort Worth, patrons are scouring sci-fi titles more and clamoring ...

and another:

Someone Saw Something (from the neighborsgo blog of the Dallas News)

So yeah...we're having a little something here next Thursday. More tomorrow on the details, but suffice it to say, it'll be absolutely Phenomenal.... :)

Bygone Days on the Bosque

I much prefer my cowgirl hat to a sun bonnet, blue jeans to petticoats. Still, a good time was had by all, and we got to show off some of the Lone Star Library's Texana collection. (photo sent by D. Wilson--thanky much!).

Big Country Book Tour

These two folks came into the store on one of the craziest, messiest days we've had at the Lion (and that takes some doing!). I didn't realize they were reporters on a mission until toward the end of their visit...I guess we didn't scare them off too badly (Even after J. dropped in carrying several pounds of frozen water buffalo steaks for my freezer.).

Anyway, here's the link:

Big Country Book Tour

Ironically, we also have a book-related goat story, or goat-related book story, depending on your perspective. Stay tuned.

By the way, the name of the restaurant is actually Santa Fe County Taco Company, not to nit-pick or anything.

Poem

This is an excerpt from Mike Snyder's awesome poem, "Thoughts collected on a super crazy bouncing ball, or Poem written in a rare used bookstore." Thanks, Mike--we'll get to work on those out-patient procedures...as soon as I put up that 5 cent psychiatry sign.

Mike's book, Poems Written Near a Laundromat, is now available for purchase at the Lion.


"...But in some downtown beloved bookstore one may bundle toboggans finding a cease-
fire in this sea of love-n-literary desire lying about with the lonely lions
devouring minty tea feasting on a banquet of coffee-n-biscotti...
'self-educated' can never be overrated..
the seeds are sewn, and who knows where they're goin',
..please excuse the mess,
a rampaging nanny goat just smashed thru a downtown police barricade
and galloped in
looking for 3 billy goats gruff..this is noooo jest..
Earlier we had a Sinatra crooner yammer at the top of his lungs
and some kooke demanding a library card or he'd start a fire,
sir, this is not a library--only a sanctuary..
and we're still working on out-patient procedures."

-Mike Snyder, from "Poem written in a rare used bookstore"