I know the weekend is almost upon us, but I'm already looking forward to Wednesday night at 7 p.m. when Becky Murphy will be in town to celebrate the publication of her book "I'd Rather be Short" with a signing party at The Dancing Bear Pub.
A lot of people who follow WacoFork are also friends with Becky and we've been planning to have a fantastic night celebrating her book for as long as we new there was going to be a book published by the fancy New York publisher Penguin/Plume.
But this isn't an exclusive shindig. This is for everyone, because there are a ton of reasons to want to join in the fun.
This party is for anyone who believes it's great to be small, or anyone who has a shorty on their Christmas list and wants to get her the perfect gift. It's also for anyone who thinks our town can foster the accomplishment of dreams and wants to celebrate that.
This is all of those things and that's why you should come by too. Barnes & Noble will be there with copies of "I'd Rather be Short" ($14, cash only, please) and I'll make you this deal: if you buy a book at The Bear, you can put a pint on my tab.
A little more on our favorite author/illustrator: Becky, who moved to Waco from Iowa in 2010 to work down the street from The Bear at Hole in the Roof, developed the concept of "I'd Rather be Short" while in our town, and oftentimes while hanging out with friends at the pub. Once the book was snatched up by Penguin/Plume, Becky got to work, sometimes even hammering out the drawings and details while sitting at a table at The Bear. That's why it's so appropriate that we celebrate there.
Though Becky moved to Austin as proprietor of her own business in February, Waco remains close to her heart. Becky is the kind of friend who will hop back up to Waco for a friend's art gallery opening or birthday party without batting an eye. That's what she was doing Sunday night when I overheard her call Waco her Texas hometown. For someone who hated to see her go, that made my heart smile.
A little more about the book: Leggy supermodels and pro basketball players be warned: being tall doesn't mean you're always a step up in life.
Sure, sometimes being diminutive gets you the short end of the stick, but there are also plenty of unique advantages to being under 5'4" and Becky has compiled the 100 best reasons in the delightfully whimsical "I'd Rather Be Short." Illustrated in a charming, quirky style. "I'd Rather Be Short" is a celebration of self-acceptance and an instant ego boost to pint-sized ladies everywhere.
One more bite: In case anyone wants to come to the party but has never been to The Dancing Bear, there's a couple of things to know. It's a chilled-out and well-appointed beer and wine pub. If you want to have dinner while at the party, you can do that too as they serve tasty pizzas, sandwiches and, my personal favorite, chicken nachos.
