My 2008 DIKs
(from debut - June 2005 *)
My January column
My February column
My March column
My April column
My May column
My June column
* Co-authored Oct column
 What was begun as an online journal of the books I read evolved...or maybe it devolved...to also feature behind the scenes goings-on at All About Romance from my perspective (mostly based on my personal feelings - okay, it's a personal pity party); topics I've gone over ad nauseum in commentary at AAR, including the nature of reviews and online behavior; and my non-cyber life (including family and items in pop culture that capture my interest, which is just about everything). Please do not violate my trust. I restricted certain AAR-related and personal entries for a reason...to keep them as private as possible. Now that my blog is read-only, to access restricted entries you must already have a password; if you do, hold onto it so that you can continue to read restricted entries. This blog is not part of All About Romance. I ask that you keep comments or questions regarding restricted blog content off of AAR. |
Why, oh, why...? (updated)
 | Why, oh, why, is it that whenever Dallas is featured in the news or on TV, it's horribly embarrassing? Tonight was the perfect case in point. My husband had itchy skin tonight, so I gave him some Benedryl and sent him to bed. |
But because it was too early for me to go to sleep, I grabbed the remote and ran up and down channels until I saw an image of Campisi's "Egyptian" Pizza, a local Dallas hang-out, and sat down to watch perhaps the most horrifying half hour of television it has ever been my misfortune to watch...Wildest Party Parents, on E! Entertainment.
According to popular culture, Dallas is a loud city filled with over the top men and women, big hair, rhinestones, cowboy boots, and a total lack of sophistication. People think "Dallas" and think of JFK's assassination, the TV show Dallas, cowboys and ranches, poor white trash...and poor white trash with money. I can't tell you how thrilled I was to learn recently that two county officials are gay and that Dallas is also becoming known as a gay mecca. This can only improve our reputation because white trash and gay just don't mix.
Dallas has its share of problems, most of which are a hold-over from its Jim Crow past. But in addition to being one of the largest cities in the U.S., two DISD schools are consistently at the top of top high schools in America lists. The city is also home to Neiman Marcus, a world class art museum, and several buildings designed by major architects (City Hall, where I worked, and the downtown library, for instance, were designed by I.M. Pei in his heyday). The Tony and Emmy award-winning set designer Eugene Lee spent several years at the Dallas Theatre Center even while doing Saturday Night Live. And while SMU isn't exactly Berkley, neither is it Liberty University. In fact, there's a spirited debate at SMU these days over the prospect of the George W. Bush library being housed there...students don't want it, and neither does faculty.
Anyone watching this half hour of awful television...what you saw does not represent the Dallas I know. I have never walked into an expensive store in Highland Park Village and seen exorbitantly high priced-items so Bedazzled even Dolly Parton wouldn't wear them. And I've never known a woman photographed in the Society page who previously appeared as a Playboy Playmate.
It was interesting to watch how the camera cut to mansions on Turtle Creek, then moved quickly to the house Corky Campesi lives in with his 23-year-old daughter. Obviously the Campesi's have made good money from their pizza joints, but their house is no Highland Park mansion. Yes, they can tool around in a limo while they drink and party the night away, but having an old guy who apparently takes too much Enzyte, who lives with one daughter and has another who posed naked nude in Playboy, and a third who beats up on gold-diggers in pool halls, "represent" Dallas pissed me off...as did the bold statement from his daughter that "everybody" would be coming to their holiday party (from what I saw, it was other trailer trash). |  |
To all of you out there who think Dallas is like Dallas...it isn't. Like most cities of a million people, it's fairly sophisticated. Yes, Dallas is more conservative than I'd like, although the city seems to be growing more open; it's now the exurbs that are John Birch-esque. Yes, we have our share of big hair, but the cosmetic counter at the Northpark Neiman's sells more high-end make-up and skin care products (read: lots of money and time to achieve a look that's anything but Tammy Faye Bakker) than anywhere else in the world. As for cowboys and ranches, well, my husband's best friend, a lawyer as well, does own a ranch, but it's an hour outside of Dallas, and he dates actresses and socialites (gosh...I wish I could tell you who his ex-wife married!), and he doesn't run around in "cowboy duds" any more than I do.
And, guess what? I've never even been to Campisi's. Late at night you'd be more likely to find me at Cafe Brazil or, like many of you, down the street at the neighborhood Starbucks, without nary a Playboy bunny or gold-digger in sight.
TTFN, Laurie Likes Books
At the last RWA National in Dallas (and my first RWA National ever!) I was
lucky enough to meet and befriend a woman from Dallas. She was kind enough
to drive me and our other Dallas lunch buddie, a girl from Britain, around
Dallas and show us the city. I loved, loved, loved the turn-of-the-century
quarter with all these small houses and lots of trees in the streets. I
also had my first Krispy Kreme doghnut in Dallas. And when I went to the
aquarium on Sunday (from the hotel in downtown Dallas), people greeted me.
I mean. BIG city. And people greet strangers in the streets! How lovely is
that?
I understand exactly how you feel. I live in Las Vegas Nevada and while a
lot of our reputation is deserved, not all of it is, I worked at the
public library here and many people are astounded to learn we have
libraries. A lot of people think we all work on the casino floor and live
in barricks or something out behind the parking lot. There are lots of
good people here who go to church, movies, high school football games,
ect., as well as all the others things that go on in every city. TV and
the media only seem interest in the less than steller things they can find.
It is really hard to get rid of those impressions once they are out there,
especially when athey concern Las Vegas!
I saw that episode, and thought it hit the dallas party scene quite fairly.
They went to "ritzyish" places like the W Hotel Bar, not necessarily just
holes in the walls. Campisi's is actually pretty good, and is an
interesting place to lunch. And finally, only a fool (which SMU is quite
full of, I know, I went there) would turn down the opportunity to accept a
Presidential library, just because the President was bad. "No, history
should only cover things we feel are positive -- brush everything we don't
like under a rug." Is this really your opinion? Why would you not want a
library right down the street where you can study bad ideas, and see the
inner workings? I'll take brash Dallas, some of which might be white trash,
over mousey placators like you.
I lived in Dallas for several years, and still have family there. It's
always been a contradictory city. I worked in "The Bubble" and played in
Deep Ellum, back when Deep Ellum was pretty much just Theatre Gallery and
the Prophet Bar. And I lived right behind the Mansion, in the heart of Oak
Lawn. Plenty of diversity there, lol.
Sandra -
I lived in the DFW area for almost 13 years. I've lived in Tucson for the
past 5. I miss DFW like crazy and am moving back at the beginning of 2008.
The people there are so much nicer and it costs much less to live there.
All my friends are there and it's time I went home to stay.
I would like you to know that Campisi's is a very good restaurant. One that
has been around for years!! I thought Dallas was portrayed well in the
reality show & many of my co-workers agree as well. I am terribly sorry you
feel the way you do. Get over it!
Samantha -