“Townes Van Zandt is the best songwriter in the whole world and I’ll stand on Bob Dylan’s coffee table in my cowboy boots and say that.” -Steve Earle

After listening to Steve’s new album, “Townes”, I would stand on that coffee table in agreement with him and add a few names of my own; like Willie Nelson who even today when he breaks out a new song at a concert never ceases to bring me to tears and Steve Earle himself who had me at “I lost my heart to a Galway girl.”

Tomorrow night I’m seeing Steve Earle live for the first time. I wish my mom was going with me…she has turned out to be my favorite concert companion and never looks at me funny when I cry during my favorite songs.  I can’t wait! It’s out doors at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens!! Woohoo!

“It was epic.”

Cloris Leachman, in her autobiography, about her one-night stand with actor Gene Hackman.

Finished chapter 13 today. 14 tomorrow and 15 on Friday. Then a week of typing chapters 4 through 15 and another week of rewriting chapters 4 through 15 then on to 16 and everything after that.

Favorite thing I wrote today:

“Etta sat in a claw-foot tub full of water that wasn’t warm anymore.”

Again, has nothing to do with the post but I would like a puppy suit for my birthday, just gettin’ that info out there early.

Favorite thing I wrote yesterday:

“I guess what I’m saying is…can I have a rain-check? Can I even do that? Are there rain-checks on dates?”

-Etta Daring, DFS

“I’ve been as bad an influence on American literature

as anyone I can think of.”

“I told you to keep away from that radio. If that battery is dead it’ll have company.”

-Cody Jarrett, as played by James Cagney, as interpreted here by the angry puppy.

“Drawing on my fine command of the language, I said nothing.”

Favorite thing I wrote, uh, yesterday:

“He was right where she had wanted him to be but like the dog that finally caught the mail truck she was scooped up into the wheel, pulverized and left in a puddle on the road.”

Yeah...this doesn't have anything to do with the quote. It's just amazing.

I went to a cobbler
To fix a hole in my shoe.
He took one look at my face
And said, “I can fix that hole in you.”

I beg your pardon,
I’m not looking for a cure.
I’ve seen enough of my friends
In the depths of the godsick blues.

-Acid Tongue

Now that Jenny Lewis writes some damn fine country music.  This song was on the end of last night’s episode of Without A Trace,  it reminded me that I had it and I’ve been listening to it on CD through my record player’s weird and wonderful little speakers.  I love the way everything sounds coming out of those things.

Favorite thing I wrote today:

“It was this second moment,  inside the new realm of possibility,  that Larry imagined it was possible that he was in a garage with two monsters that could (and wanted to) tear his limbs from his body while miraculously keeping his head alive to watch as they drank his liquefied organs in some morbid cocktail party for two.”