Confidential to Mr. Smearcase

[cathyj]

Dear Mr. S, I know. I've read some old Austin media, and one thing that interested me was finding out how prevalent and consistent the "Austin is nothing like it used to be" feeling has been ever since the early eighties. But, all that aside, it's still Austin, and I still miss it. Very much

Comments

[mistersmearcase]

Yeah, I talk to people who lived there as recently as we did (let's both freak out about the figure, but freak out together: 10 years ago is when we both worked at Basically Benevolent Chain Bookstore) and they say oh god it's just not the same. Well, I've visited every couple of years and the basic Austin-ness is still there, even if a few evil corporate chains have stomped out some stuff we loved.

You may be right that the hardest part to deal with would be the sea of red. One gets spoiled up here in Blue York and Blueston.

[cathyj]

I almost never leave Blueston. When I go to the nearby suburbs, I get scared.