Monday, June 05, 2006

Tequila Mockingbird

One of the most mispronounced titles I’ve ever encountered is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Some just run “To Kill A” together so fast that it sounds like tequila, and others just honest-to-God ask for Tequila Mockingbird leaving me with that pressed lips face you make when you are trying desperately not to laugh. Granted there are books out there bearing that title, but I’ve never had anyone ask for them.

Sad, really.

Still it would make a great name for a drink (and maybe it has already been turned into one), and, thanks to the nice people from Coca Cola handing out free soda pops this whole weekend, we now have the ingredients.

(Someday I hope to create a whole bar book full of “literate” drinks.)

The Tequila Mockingbird

One part Tequila (not Cuervo, something better. Save your gut)

One to Two parts Coca Cola Blak

Slice of lime

Serve over ice when you need the caffeination of coke and coffee mixed with the smooth burn of something alcoholic. Great for an after work drink, a pre-funk before a long night of dancing, or just something to sip while fighting off the humid weather many of us seem to be experiencing. If you are doing the last (and doing it in front of a computer) you should check out the following links:

  • Sara Holbrook performs her poem “Chicks Up Front,” which I love. For some reason it always seems to remind me of Christine Fletcher’s character Ruth in Tallulah Falls, although I don’t know why. Probably the been there, done that, got to live with it now persona.

  • Y’all are going to kill me with this list, you know that right? I put it up three hours ago and already ten of you have responded. As I was pulling my blanket up to take a nap, I thought to myself, “Maybe I should have added that I usually ask people what they liked about their favorites…nah, not that many people will respond.” Ten points for readers, zero for the bookseller. This will teach me to never assume that y’all will react with the predictability of my customer base.

  • The Written Nerd has put up her response to her question on the future of bookselling. Excellent as always.

  • The NY Times posts a blog round up of “Reactions to the Best Fiction Survey.” If you have absolutely nothing planned for this evening and want to do a lot of blog hopping, then you should check it out.

  • According to Fuse#8 Authorgeddon is nigh! Run! Ruuuuuuun! Just as soon as you find out what Authorgeddon is, of course.

  • Meg Cabot is writing a Guidebook to surviving your book tour. Check out the first two entries at her blog.

  • And finally, there is an interesting article over at Slate called, “Book Clubbed: Why writers never reveal how many books their buddies have sold.” I’ve never thought to use Book Scan this way, mostly because it doesn’t include Wal*Mart (from what I understand), and despite being the evil empire, Wal*Mart sells a lot of books.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

there's a great music/sound studio in austin, texas with that very name. check out www.tequilamockingbird.com; tell wally and danny i sent you. (you'll love 'em. maybe they'll do a bookseller chick theme song?)

Anonymous said...

You are a font of endless good stuff. Keep it coming.

Paul said...

"Tequila Mockingbird" was also the title of perhaps the most celebrated Get Smart! episode, a parody of the Maltese Falcon.

And here you probably didn't even know that Get Smart episodes were celebrated.

Anonymous said...

Someday I hope to create a whole bar book full of “literate” drinks.

OMG, I was ROLLING! That's such an awesome idea. You should definitely pioneer the bookstore-with-a-liquor-license model. It would sure beat the sleepy chairs with everyone reading quietly. How boring.

rkcooke said...

Paul,

I loved that episode of Get Smart! For some reason I seem to remember a "Good, Bad, Ugly" whistly song in the background, too....

Great stuff.

Christine Fletcher said...

BSC, Sarah Holbrook ROCKS! Thanks for posting that link--what a poem, what a performance!

Love that it reminds you of Ruth (a character I adore).

Anonymous said...

The bookstore-with-a-liquor-licence model has already been pioneered by Oktana bar, Nicosia, Cyprus. Basically it's a bar, but the terms of their original licence are for a bookshop which can also sell drinks, so they are obliged to sell a minimum number of books to remain legal.