...because the name sounded "bright, happy, and hopeful" quoth our witty tour guide. But in Memphis yesterday, there was no sun. When we crossed the Mississippi into the city, there was actually a freakish amount of snow pouring from the clouds and coating the South... 
...a meteorological fact that meant that our audience at Burke's... 
...was small, but intrepid: 
Thanks to Corey and Cheryl for having us, to Chloe for talking to me about Prince and David Bowie, and to everyone else for bundling up and making it out. Extra special thanks to Karen Golightly for hosting Kyle and me, and walking us through the Winter Wonderland.
Fortunately, the conditions of the five-hour drive up from Fayetteville, though gray, were not so treacherous as the snowstorm in Tennesssee, so Kyle and I were able to clearly see and enjoy such roadside sights as massive American flags...
...vehicles with shiny, overcompensatory, metallic testicles... 
...and ghostly white crosses on desolate hillsides: 
At the moment, we are drinking coffee and eating chocolate chip pancakes in Karen's kitchen, but soon, we will hit the road for Edwardsville, Illinois, where we are reading on the SIU campus tonight at 7:30. If you are anywhere in the greater St. Louis area, we hope to see you there! The weather's supposed to suck way less than it did last night!
