“… who lounged hungry and lonesome through Houston seeking  jazz or sex or soup,” (from Howl by Allen Ginsberg)

Before I left Houston, someone asked me what my favorite memory of Houston was. I said I would have to think about it. After all, I had been living in the Bayou City off and on for more than a quarter of a century, well over half of my life. Besides, I hate having to pick a favorite anything.

Certainly, if I did pick a favorite memory, I would have to include Zine Fest Houston in my top three, but which Zine Fest Houston? Again, there is the challenge of choosing a favorite. My three favorite Zine Fests were probably 2006, 2008 and 2012.

I guess the 2012 Zine Fest Houston holds the most special place in my heart. One reason I enjoyed that one so much was because it was my first year not being involved on the organizing end, which meant that I was able to sit back and enjoy it more. But another thing that made it special was seeing how much the festival had grown under Lindsey Simard’s tenure as main organizer, which made me really happy to know that Zine Fest Houston will be around for a long time to come.

What could be cooler than knowing that an event you started will continue even when you are gone?

I suppose kissing Allen Ginsberg would be cooler.

That’s a good answer to give when someone asks what my favorite memory of Houston is. “The time I kissed Allen Ginsberg. Oh, and we also pissed together.” Hell, that’s a good way to answer to any question. That’s a better answer than 42.

Yes, even if I had never done anything else with my life, it would seem that bringing Allen Ginsberg to Houston back in 1992, kissing him and also pissing with him would be enough of a resume to qualify me for induction into the ranks of those who were cool once.

But was that moment – the kissing and/or the pissing with Allen Ginsberg my single most awesome memory of my time in Houston? Was that even the best moment I had during the time I spent with Ginsberg?

I think I can top that. The coolest part of Allen Ginsberg’s visit to Houston in 1992 (which I organized – Did I mention that?)was when Katherine Moore and I were in the car with Ginsberg and we asked him about the line from Howl, “lounged hungry and lonesome through Houston seeking jazz or sex or soup,”

He told us about the time he visited William Burroughs’ pot farm in New Waverly, Texas and about the Greyhound trip to get supplies in Houston and how there was not a bus coming back until the following morning. (And also, about how Houston was famous for its jazz and blues clubs back then.)

His story left out some of the juicy details I would one day go back and read about later, but he confirmed what we wanted to hear – that the reference in the poem was to Houston, Texas and not New York’s Houston (pronounced house-ton) Ave.

Ginsberg’s story and the success of his reading, signing and workshop (which we put together with only three weeks to raise all the money and generate publicity)helped solidify my faith in Houston.

Since then so much has happened. I have met so many talented people in Houston and been to so many cool events. Seen so much and done much. Moved away and been drawn back.

I am still not sure what my one favorite memory of Houston is, but I do know that Houston is awesome. And the longer I stay in Arkansas, the more intensely I believe this.

“… who passed through universities with radiant cool eyes hallucinating Arkansas and Blake-light tragedy among the scholars of war,” (ibid)

This is a piece I wrote for  Zine Fest Houston’s 2013 compilation. I will probably expand on this topic more in the future. In the meantime, be sure to pick  up your own copy of the compilation this Saturday from the Zine Fest Houston table at the Houston Indie Book Fest. In addition to my own work, the compilation features the talents of Anstacia Kirages, Chris Engelsma, Chris Tebow Smith,  FUNWUNCE, Gabriel Dieter, Jarrod Perez, Jason Poland, John Forse, Lee Steiner, Lindsey Simard, Mari-Elisa Heg, Monte Hayward, and more. Proceeds from sale of the compilation benefit Zine Fest Houston.