A Southern Missive

I decided to look at again at James Lee Burke’s novel, Two for Texas. As words are important, I decided to make a little Texas vocabulary quiz from words in the book. Take the quiz and see how you do. The answers are below.

Vocabulary Quiz from James Lee Burke’s Two for Texas

1. Who were Houston’s “Twin sisters of Texas”?
2. What were Zapadores?
3. What is a jenny-barner?
4. What Texas Indian tribe mentioned practiced and was known and feared for their ritual cannibalism (of enemies)?
5. What is a cutpurse?
6. The name of the only man who refused to stay and die in the Alamo.
7.  In the historical setting, the town of San Antonio was known as what?
8.  Which Alamo defender was said in the book to be related to Santa Anna by marriage?
9.  What is deguello?
10.  What were maisons de chiens?

Answers:

1. Two six-pounder cannon.
2. These men were the elite, crack troops of Santa Anna.
3. A prostitute
4. Tonkawas
5. Pickpocket
6. Louis “Moses” Rose
7.  Bexar
8.  Jim Bowie
9. A bugle call indicating that no quarter will be given to survivors.
10.  Dog houses. Wooden punishment boxes in the Louisiana prison system that prisoners were locked into.  In the cramped, hot space, with only a cigar-size hole for air, men were known to go mad or suffer intense physical damage to their body.

BOOK SIGNING NEWS:

Tomorrow afternoon, I’ll be in the French Quarter for signings. Tomorrow night, I’ll be at the Barnes and Noble in Metairie at 7:00 p.m. signing books and doing a story time. I’ll then have to drive back to Monroe as I have a busy weekend with the Celtic Festival here. When I add that busy schedule to my online classes I must work with every day, it doesn’t leave much time for sleep.  I’ll post as I can this weekend–hopefully with some pictures.

I’ve always tended to read by author. When I find an author I like, I do try to read everything they write. I’ve long enjoyed the award winning author James Lee Burke with his Dave Robicheaux novels, so I was surprised to read a bit of his historical fiction entitled Two for Texas (Hyperion 1989). I was pleased with the read.

The novel reflects intense research. As is typical in his other novels, Burke avoids stereotypical writing and creates so many memorable phrases. My supervisor at Louisiana Delta Community College, Karen Harmon, a wonderful writer herself, studied under Burke. I wish I had been able to. The back jacket gives this summary of the novel:

“Sam Holland and Hugh Allison have only one thing in common–they escaped from prison together.   . . . What ensues is a whirlwind trip from Louisiana to Texas where they collide with flavorful characters and life-threatening circumstances. With teh world of their escape traveling fast, the only hope they hafve of freedom is by becoming key players in the Texas Revolution.”

Here are some lines I really liked:

“Where do you think you are? The regular rules don’t have nothing do to with this place” (10).

“It ain’t good to look back and sometimes figure how many years you lost . . .” (42).

[This is a prophetic statement] “Once this revolution is over, Texas won’t be no different than back in the Uninted States. They’ll have a rule for everything and a manacle to go with it” (65). I’ve often wondered about this scenario: Texas seceded from Mexico (by revolution). Texas joined the U.S. with the understanding it could leave. The Civil War came and Texas left. The U.S. made it stay. Hmmm.

“Sometimes you can’t do everything eright, boy” ( 92).

“Listen, boy. It’s no good to go back where you already been. It ain’t the same. Other people own it, and it ain’t yours no more” (113).

There are so many good lines in this novel, but these perhaps will pique your interest in Burke’s book. As I am working on my Texas school programs, I found this book a good investment.

Junior League Hollydays

Today turned cool. I drove back from Baton Rouge early this morning to attend my grandson’s baptism. I had a long day yesterday at the Junior League’s Hollydays where I played my guitar and signed books for the Lollipop Tree Children’s Store in Baton Rouge. I was there from 11:00 a.m. till 5:00 p.m. You should visit the store’s site here: Their motto is, “Where Imagination Grows.” They are located between Kenilworth Parkway and Staring Lane, near Mount Hope Plantation, at 8476 Highland Road Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70808 225-615-8069. As the signing went very well, it appears I’ll be doing more signings with them in the future. I’ve never seen such shopping madness! I met so many cool people, but I was so busy I never got to leave the booth to look around! The Junior League gave away a new Mercedes in a raffle (tickets were five dollars). Alas, my one ticket didn’t win.

The store is owned and operated by Meredith Benoit and this Saturday she was helped Saturday by her Brent, also posing with us in the picture below. He is a novelist himself and we had some good discussion about writing). Here we are at the event.

Here is Stephany, a young lady who is going to be a teacher.

Saturday night, Michele Aucoin hosted a little soiree in Assumption Parish for some of us musicians. Steve (from Arkansas), Krushev (from Assumption Parish) and I played songs and talked until past midnight. This was my first time back to the parish in quite a while. I couldn’t help noticing the major damage the last storm had inflicted on the timber and several buildings in the area. One of Krushev’s songs is one I loved by Mickey Newbury . I did a search and found the lyrics. You can read the bio of the songwriter and descriptions of his music here: I intend to purchase his music. I searched unsuccessfully for the song on iTunes. Anyway, the song touched me. I wish now I had recorded Krushev singing the song.

Nights When I Am Sane by Mickey Newbury

Nights When I Am Sane by Mickey Newbury

Chorus:

Well, it’s cold on this mountain
When Winter comes along
The dew in the meadow
Is sprinkled alone

This road down to Nashville
Like crystal and stone
Its a place where a man
Sells his soul for a song

God knows I loved her
Too much I can see
Much more than she
Could have ever, ever loved me
If I was the last man
In East Tennessee

Well, at times I feel I need the rain
At time’s I need the sun
Pleasure is a thread of pain
When it is undone

My moments of insanity
Are never like a chain
I only know I am not free
The nights when I am sane

So do not be concerned my love
If you should see me cry
For the laughter does not change
To free the happiness inside
Just as there may seem to be
A smile that’s out of place.
It only means there is a pain
It hurts too much to face.

Chorus:

I’m just one man
Sometimes I wish I was three
I could take a .44 pistol to me
Put one  in my brain
Just for her memory
One more for my heart
And I would be free.

One more for my heart,
And I would be free.