Chris Yambar is a friend of ours who has visited the hotel many times!
He's the creator of the non-stop coffee-drinking character "Mr. Beat".
| Blair—
I just wanted to take the time to personally and formally thank you for an absolutely wonderful weekend during Kerouac ’04. My work and travel agenda gets so hectic that I sometimes forget to kick back and absorb all the good stuff that I need to fuel my creative machine. Thanks to you (and Jack) I was able to get back to my roots for awhile and enjoy an atmosphere that red and energized my inner man. Kerouac ’04 allowed me to meet some of life’s most interesting children, drink of the bean and grape freely, and consume the most excellent vibes that Jack and Co. left behind as energy for the creative spark. It was a real treat being able to weave in and out of the many enthusiastic conversations within the ranks. Very Earthy. Very refreshing. And, at times, very spiritual and introspective. Listening to Baird Bryant talk of Paris during ‘Beat Ground Zero’ was a treasure. (Watching him eat and chat non-stop was marathon. A vision of true down-to-Earth mentorship). Having conversation with David Amram and having him play behind me as I stumbled through my Friday evening mish mash of spoken word humor (term used loosely) was an interstellar and unexpected delight—as well as an historical and humbling one. Meeting the folks from the Beat Mobile looks like it could lead to more promising things up the road for us both. Very nice people. Thanks for allowing me to supply you with a Mr. Beat image for this years mug. I can’t think of a more fitting way to bring his 10th Anniversary to a wrap. What an honor! Too cool indeed! As far as the hotel being haunted—I slept like a baby. No critters were on hand to pester me in any way. The only noises I heard were people milling around about in festive fashion a floor below me and a tree branch outside that kept letting me know it was there as it window tapped throughout the eve. Other than that, the only spirits I could detect were in cans and bottles. HA! Your hospitality was over-the-top in every respect. My sneaking out early on Sunday morning has nothing to do with you or yours, I assure you! I always like to beat the sun when it comes to road time. I also wanted to get back to my sweetheart so we could scare up some brunch time together. May
God Bless you and keep you, my friend. May you always be greatly encouraged
in all you do and may you walk in the strength of God’s original
design and purpose with every step of every day. The sun rises and sets
on what he has ordained as good. Enjoy the warmth. |