Larry McMurtry used to drop by the Blockbuster where I worked because it was near the Dallas branch of his beloved Booked Up empire. Apparently he liked to collect obscure B-movie videos almost as much as he loved old books, because he never rented, only placed special orders with us.
One day, as he walked up to the checkout desk, my co-worker said, "Who's that guy? Why do people always get excited when he comes into the store?" He hit the desk in time to hear me say with a wink in his direction, "Oh, he has a great bookstore around the corner." Never seen a smile as wide and proud as his that some video store clerk "got" him. Whenever he came to the store after that, he always greeted me with a little wink. (And I did reveal the bestselling-author part of the story to the co-worker later.)
(Thanks to my Love, Lust and Other Facts of Life buddy Frank Crim for inspiring me with his memory of "Mr. Jazz," the actor George Segal who was a musician at heart. RIP to you both, Msrs. McMurtry and Segal, and here's to everyone with passion projects beyond their best-known occupation.)
27 March 2021
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