December 7, 2022 557 PM
MARFA –– The Hotel Paisano will host a book signing with Jason Stone, author of The Beauty of Days Gone By, on Friday, December 9, at 6:30 p.m. in conjunction with live music in Jett’s beginning at 7 p.m.
Based on historical events that occurred in Comancheria, the region of West Texas and New Mexico controlled by the Comanche in the 18th and 19th centuries, The Beauty of Days Gone By is a historical survival story, interweaving the reminisces of aging plainsman Charles Goodnight in the late 1920s against the backdrop of Reconstruction Texas and the events set in motion when a Kiowa raiding party kills the wife and abducts the sons of his friend R.L. Terry.
It is 1866, and the Civil War is over, the frontier of Texas is in chaos, and Sam and Charlie Terry are hauled away into captivity. As their father searches for them, Sam is traded to a band of Comanches under the leadership of Quanah Parker. Sam slowly becomes assimilated, growing up and thriving as a warrior in the nomadic Quahada horse Indian culture, fighting desperately to defend their homelands in the Indian Wars of the 1860s and ‘70s. After being defeated by Ranald Mackenzie and his vaunted Southern Column, the Comanches and Kiowas submit to reservation life. Sam’s identity is discovered, and he is forced to return home, where he never fully adjusts to life in white society. And at the center of this tragedy lies an elderly plainsman, Charles Goodnight, who is facing his mortality and dealing with the memories of his life, the passing of the times, and the pain of certain choices he made and his role in the heartbreaking saga of the Terry family.
Saudade Press, a division of Story Farm, published Jason Stone’s The Beauty of Day Gone By in October.
“We’ve been looking to expand our portfolio with high-quality fiction for years,” says Bob Morris, publisher of Story Farm.
Morris, an accomplished author of five works of fiction says, “I’m stunned not only by Jason Stone’s meticulous research and attention to detail, but also how he’s so masterfully woven such a beautiful, complex narrative into the calamitous clash of cultures that defined the settlement of the American West, while also exploring themes such as the passage of time, the choices we make, and the role of fate in our lives. He truly brings the authenticity of Charles Goodnight to life … and absorbs readers into the experiences of Indian captivity and transports them into life on the Texas frontier. We’re very fortunate to launch Saudade Press with this remarkable work.”
Jason Stone grew up in West Texas and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin. He lives in the Texas Hill Country.
Also Friday night, Jett’s will also host Tom Griffith to provide live music for bar and dining patrons.
Griffith has performed since the mid-’70s. In 1994, Griffith began developing his own material. Approximately 50% of his performance repertoire is original music. The remaining is a blend of covers from various artists such as: The Beatles, Townes Van Zandt, Steve Earl, Tom Russell, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Van Morrison and traditional folk-blues.
“As a songwriter I believe my best works are those that build a relationship with the characters, events and music. I try to gauge the lyrical aspect of my songwriting to artists like Leonard Cohen, Tom Russell, Townes Van Zandt, Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan. The musical arrangements are my personal synthesis of traditional and contemporary folk, roots and blues. I often find inspiration for songs in novels, newspaper articles, and personal stories from friends and acquaintances,” Griffith said.
There will be no cover charge and everyone is invited to enjoy the music and meet Griffith and Stone.
