Books in Bloom

Books are blooming a little early here in town -- along with everything else. No less than three book signings coming up, and, according to my black dog Jake, each tome is well worthy of shelf or coffee table. ... Despite having her laptop stolen by some skulking cur, June Westphal, along with co-author Kate Cooper, managed to get her latest book on the history of Eureka Springs (City of Healing Waters) into print. ... Drop on by the Historical Museum on April 29 at 4 p.m. to snag a few copies so you can impress your out-of-town friends at Christmas and get them to finally visit you. ... And next week, artist Carol Dickie will be signing copies of her Persimmon Seed Notebook -- Paintings of the Ozarks all the way out there where, I suppose, persimmon trees grow -- the Century 21 office on Mundell Road, next to the former Horizon Restaurant. Carol's new works exhibit, The Animate Landscape, can be viewed there Friday through Sunday. ... The Notebook reception and signing is on Saturday, April 21, at 4 p.m. ... Meanwhile, our own Chip Ford isn't pansying around with any two or three hour book signing. He'll be on hand April 21 at Eureka Thyme all the way from noon until 6 p.m. signing copies of his photographic journey through Eureka Springs, Arkansas and the Surrounding Countryside. ... He's been practicing his signature all week, so make sure you tell him he has nice handwriting. The pictures aren't bad, either.

So what does all that have to do with my black dog Jake? To tell the truth, every time someone local gets published he starts bugging me about setting up a book signing for his life's work, The Long Pee, a compendium of famous dog parks, in hopes of raising funds to shame the city into at least having a designated fire hydrant here in his own town. Unfortunately, we just can't agree on the cover art.

But you can agree or not about anything else via email to oliverdeplace@hotmail.com.