Kalispell MT: Some of my favorite English authors met regularly in an Oxford pub. It seems that the western equivalent of such a meeting would take place in an old saloon. And instead of asking for a pint, you should order a pitcher of beer and the barkeep would slide it across the bar full enough that a bit sloshes out.
In my western recreation of literary community, the mugs should be so cold that a little of the foam around the edge of your first glass turns to ice.
Since it is a saloon, it should be dark. Any picture would turn out grainy and washed out, and ideally there would be sawdust on the floor and years of names carved into your table in the corner.
The author in question this past weekend was Leif Peterson rather than Lewis or Tolkien or Williams, and you’ll find both his short stories (Normal Like Us) and his first published novel (Catherine Wheels) compelling and full of memorable characters that will stick with you long after you’ve met them on the page. Leif writes the kind of people who you want to meet and talk with, people who would invariably have something worthwhile to say. Not all of them would make great friends, but almost every one would be a good bet for conversation at a party and a few are guaranteed to make the night unforgettable.
The beer, by the way, was Beltian White from Harvest Moon in Belt MT. And the bar? Any of you who know Montana can probably guess.
