Starting next week, this blog is going to (finally) be active again. Due to (insert excuses), I have been very slack about blogging. But that’s all about to change.

Lots of good things have happened in the last month, and I will be updating you on all of that and more next week.

The plan is to begin blogging every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Once that’s underway (i.e. next week) I’d be incredibly appreciative of your help in raising awareness about the blog.

So, thanks, and stay tuned!

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Today I was having lunch at a local Burger King, a new one that has a flat screen TV. CNN was on, and it was showing the country’s split reactions regarding the healtcare bill having just passed.

At the table beside me were four young men arguing about the legislation. Two were clearly in favor of the bill, two clearly against. I couldn’t help overhearing their arguments, and what struck me most, was how superior each person felt about his position.

Minutes later, a young couple and their four-year-old son walked up to a neighboring table. The boy was trying to get his parents attention, but they were busy maneuvering their trays and getting the young boy’s place situated. Finally, the mother asked the boy what he wanted.

“It’s so sad,” he said.

“Huh?” his mother asked.

“It’s just so sad,” he repeated.

“What’s sad, sweetheart?” his mother said.

The boy pointed back across the room in the direction of the soft drink fountain. “They don’t have any Coke Zero.”

And as he said this, though we clearly weren’t intended to be part of this exchange, I laughed out loud, as did the four men who’d been arguing politics. And I was instantly reminded of the Bible passage that says unless we become like small children, we will never inherit the kingdom of heaven.

Here, amid all the complexities of life, a major tragedy was a drink fountain not having Coke Zero.

Oh, that we could be like kids again.

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Every now and again, we are reminded of wonderful moments in our lives.

Above is a picture of me and a young boy named Jona playing guitar together on an island in Indonesia. I was the speaker for his school’s spring retreat. He was a 14-year-old kid who liked Jesus and liked to laugh and liked to play guitar.

A beautiful moment, and a beautiful picture.

And I’m touched that, three years later, this boy— now, young man— felt compelled to put this picture on his facebook page… and then tag me in it.

Grateful,
Austin

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Tomorrow (Thursday) and Friday, I will be lecturing at Azusa Pacific University, and then Saturday I will be doing a reading/signing at Book Soup in West Hollywood.

Then it’s on to Saddleback church, where I will be speaking to the youth services, alongside my friend Doug Fields, on Saturday evening and Sunday.

As always, the weather out here is beautiful, and I’m enjoying the escape from the cold that dominated my southeast leg of the tour.

More to come soon…

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Our next stop was in Oxford, MS, where I spoke at Ole Miss and read at Square Books. I still can’t believe that we were able to get these gigs on my schedule. Ole Miss is one of the most prestigious English writing and literature institutes in the country, and it was an absolute honor to get to lecture there. Meanwhile, Square Books is one of the most renowned independent bookstores in the world. Such a thrill seeing my books in the store’s window when we arrived!

Without question the best part of being in Oxford— and Oxford, by the way, has undoubtedly been the best stop on the whole tour— was getting to visit Papa Faulkner’s grave. Being a huge fan of Southern Lit, I’d been wanting to visit Faulkner’s grave for quite some time. Faulkner being a notorious Bourbon drinker, this is how his grave is memorialized:

In Tupelo we arrived just in time for my signing at Reed’s Gumtree Books— undoubtedly the coolest name of any bookstore in the country. And living up to its cool name, they have one of the coolest booksellers in the country handling their events. Her name is Emily Gatlin and trust me, homegirl is fu-nny. After our event, we ended up at Emily’s house, where I signed the store’s stock at her kitchen table.

Among the many highlights of my time in Tupelo was getting to meet my literary agent, Mary Beth’s, family, as Mary Beth is a Tupelo native. In Tupelo, I was able to speak to both the youth and the adult service at Calvary Baptist Church. Wonderful people and wonderful times. Many thanks to Greg Morgan for organizing the event for me.

After Tupelo, it was on to Jackson.

Jackson was a great stop because it allowed me to stay with my buddy Collin, one of my best friends in the world. I lectured at Mississippi College on Monday and spoke at their chapel service on Tuesday.

After Mississippi College, we quickly shot down to Fairhope, AL where I got to sign at another one of the most prestigious independent bookstores in the country: The Page and Palette. We were only able to stay in Fairhope for two hours, because we had to get on the road for Montgomery, where we stayed with another of my buddies: Survivor heartthrob Bobby Jon Drinkard. I was on both the CBS and NBC affiliates in Montgomery the next morning…

… and then spoke that evening at Troy State University. Bobby Jon introduced me at the event, which was a real treat for me.

This morning we leave for Snellville, GA, where I will read and sign at the Borders at 7PM. Then, it’s finally back to NC, where I will roll into Charlotte and read and sign at the Huntersville Barnes and Noble at 7PM on Friday. I’m looking very forward to seeing old friends from Lake Norman and very excited about meeting some new ones.

The California leg of my tour begins on Wednesday the 10th.

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We had a wonderful time in Nashville. Hung out with some old friends and met some new ones while reading at the Books-a-Million. After the event, we went and had dinner with NASCAR legend and certifiably hilarious story-teller, Kyle Petty, his wife Pattie, and daughter Montgomery Lee. Wonderful time hanging out with these old family friends.

From dinner it was on to Memphis for the next morning’s CBS-TV interview. The producers and co-hosts of the show were all wonderfully welcoming and gracious, one of the best interview experiences I’ve ever had.

That night we did a signing at Davis-Kidd booksellers: one of the most prestigious independent bookstores in the country. Had a fantastic evening, met some neat people, sold and signed some books, and spent the evening trying to stop marveling at how cool this banner was:

Later that night we went down and spent a little time on Beale street. We hit a couple spots and listened to some great music. The highlight was when the bouncer at one of the spots came onstage to sing “Change is Gonna Come” and straight blew it out of the BOX. I’m telling you, my man had some pipes.

So, all this to say, Memphis was treating us very well…. until we woke up the next morning to find our car had been robbed. A couple clowns jacked Ryan’s navigational system and dvd player, ripping the whole dash out in the process.

We were planning to stay one more night in Memphis, however, after getting a bad taste in our mouths, we kicked it on down to Oxford, where we watched Crazy Heart and I remembered all over again why Jeff Bridges has always been one of my favorite actors.

Today I lecture at Ole Miss and then sign at Off Square Books.

Thus far Oxford has been amazing… quite possibly the coolest college town I’ve ever been to.

Okay, enough for now… More to come soon…

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Yesterday I began the heart of my book tour, a trip that sees me through the entire southeast over the next two weeks. The first stop was at Livingstone College (as seen above), where I lectured and read to a wonderful group of coeds.

It was then on to Nashville, where we spent the night last night with my good friend and soon-to-be country music star Randy Montana (look out for his first single which hits country radio 3/22) and his lovely wife, Montgomery Lee.

I have an event here in Nashville tonight at the Books-a-Million and we will leave straight from the event to head on for Memphis, where I am on the CBS morning news (Memphis affiliate) tomorrow morning to promote a reading/signing event at Davis-Kidd booksellers tomorrow night.

Having two of my good friends, Ryan and Jeff, along for the trip, has made this a blast thus far. (Ryan has a dvd player embedded in his dash and I finally saw Wall Street for the first time last night. No idea how I made it this long without seeing it…).

Anyway, that’s the scoop thus far. I’d love to see you at one of the upcoming events. For a list of places we’re coming, click here.

Hope to see you soon!

Austin

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It never snows in central North Carolina. In the rare event when it does, it never snows more than 2 inches.

I grew up here.

I’ve spent nearly thirty years here.

Believe me when I say, it never snows here.

That said, last weekend we got 8 inches.

And it was last weekend I was slated to have my big release party for my new book.

I’d put two months into planning the event. Spent money I didn’t have.

I was expecting upwards of 400 people. Was hoping for at least 400 book sales.

But the blizzard had other ideas.

And while a nice crowd of around 75 people braved the conditions to come out and support me— and while I am profoundly grateful for their support— it was not the epic release party I’d been hoping for.

Truth be told, I was bummed about it. Real bummed.

But then, Monday morning, I remembered there was a much bigger event happening in central North Carolina, one that makes my little book seem puny in comparison:

Monday was the grand opening of the International Civil Rights Museum in Greensboro, NC.

You see, Greensboro is the home of the Woolworth’s store where the now famous Greensboro Four staged their revolutionary sit in. These four heroic young men— men who believed in honesty and integrity and equality, men who decided they would no longer accept the racist staus quo— walked into Woolworth’s and sat down at a segregated lunch counter… in a restaurant where only whites were allowed to sit.

Though they were not served that day, these four NC A&T students were allowed to remain sitting. And then the next day, 27 more students showed up to do the same. Within 4 days, 300 black students were participating in this peaceful protest.

This now famous moment helped catalyze the Civil Rights Movement, and this week, despite the epic blizzard that hit central NC, the International Civil Rights Museum opened its doors.

My heart often swells with pride at how far our nation has come, but then I grow sad at the thought that I am a member of a race that spent so many years holding its brothers and sisters back.

There is no excuse for the way we whites have treated blacks throughout the history of the United States. And to say that racism doesn’t still exist is both short sighted and wishful thinking.

But we have come a long way. There’s no denying that.

When the Greensboro News & Record ran a piece two weekends ago on the Greensboro Four and their heroic protest, I was reminded at how, though our history is certainly spotted, there is an undeniable capacity for love and empathy and understanding in our human spirits.

You see, the article ended by quoting Franklin McCain, one of the famous four, speaking of an elderly white woman who happened to be in Woolworth’s on that fateful first day of the sit-ins.

“I don’t know of anyone who made a bigger impression on me… perhaps in my lifetime,” McCain says of the woman, “She told me she was proud of me— and then asked what took so long.”

McCain then went on to finish: “That little old lady taught me a lesson for life— don’t you ever feel prejudice toward somebody because of race, station in life, or where they come from… I can see that little old lady right now. She won’t go away.”

Might that serve as a lesson for all of us.

The Bible say that God’s love makes our sins as white as snow.

Perhaps this is why He sent that epic blizzard to central North Carolina this weekend: His love was purifying the monument that now stands in tribute of a courageous people who rallied to overcome the most sinful stain in our nation’s history.

I, for one, welcome this purification.

Even if it did cost me some book sales.

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Upon seeing the post below of the cute babies holding copies of High Points and Lows, my literary agent, Mary Beth, asked, “Can it get more shameless than this?”

Yes it can, Mary Beth… yes it can.

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Babies are crazy for High Points and Lows!!

(oh, come on, who can resist this? Doesn’t it make you wanna run out to the local bookstore and join the craze??)

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