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July 30, 2003
Turn Your Radio On
I’ve been to Marfa and I liked it pretty much. I like West Texas in general. Marfa was fun; it had an old movie theater with stars all over the outside, a cool old hotel called the Paisano where a lot of the cast of “Giant” stayed while they were making the movie, a big bell that some convict had shot to pieces with a gun because, according to him, liberty was dead in Marfa, and a fantastic art museum. But the best thing it had was the Marfa Lights, and I saw them. There are all sorts of explanations for what they might be, from electrostatic discharge to ghosts, from radioactive bursts to ball lightning, to navigational lights for space aliens. Some even claim that they’re the spirits of conquistadors, looking for gold. Me, I think they’re nothing more than swamp gas, which, incidentally, is the name of a not-terrible song by the inimitable Screamin’ Jay Hawkins.
Anyway, now Marfa has something new and wonderful, something maybe even better than the Marfa Lights, something that might enable you to hear some Screamin’ Jay, and that’s Radio Free Marfa.
Posted by pogo at July 30, 2003 12:33 PM
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Comments
well, shit. i guess they have updated and the marfa story isn’t archived yet or something, because i can’t find it anywhere. shit, shit.
Posted by: tam on July 30, 2003 2:14 PM
Must be swamp gas. That link was working an hour ago.
Posted by: jacob on July 30, 2003 2:32 PM
I want to go to Marfa more than is reasonable.
Posted by: Sarah on July 30, 2003 2:52 PM
it’s a reeeeeaaaallllly long drive, but i think it’s totally cool and worth it. west texas is the most bizarre place i’ve ever been. it’s a total alien landscape, especially to me, accustomed as i am to trees and green lushness and humidity. it’s just plain weird. and desolate. and beautiful.
i think the closest airport is in el paso. there might be one in odessa, and that would be a reasonable drive.
i want to go to big bend. and i want to go back to marfa, too. i just want to goooooo.
Posted by: tam on July 30, 2003 2:58 PM
Maaybe we should go for the Marfa Lights Festival.
Posted by: tam on July 30, 2003 3:00 PM
i also have been dying to go to sky city in new mexico. they have a huge festival on september 2nd. and apparently the marfa lights festival is probabley the weekend before. how cool would that be???
Posted by: sarah on July 30, 2003 4:12 PM
also, there are about 500 miles (a 9 hour drive) between marfa and sky city so its totally possible…. marfa for the festival saturday and sunday and drive monday for the sky city tuesday festival.
Posted by: sarah on July 30, 2003 4:17 PM
besides all the west texas fun, there is all kinds of cool stuff in new mexico to see. carlsbad caverns, the very large array, white sands, and texas democrats holed up in a hotel.
Posted by: chris on July 30, 2003 4:39 PM