I’ve been thinking about different kinds of texts lately, different modes of discourse–new ones, old standards.  I read an article in The Wall Street Journal about networked books (which hopefully I’ll blog about soon, when time allows) and one about novels sent in text message installments (twice a day) over cell phones.  And today I was reminded of an old, but persistent text, a way many people communicate with their fellow man every day: the bumper sticker. I saw one today that made me smile:

I’d rather be reading Flannery O’Conner.

That’s a nice sentiment.  And it sure would beat Atlanta traffic.  BUT, then I saw one on the back of a black Lexus LX something or other SUV.  It was the only sticker, centered right on the back of the car:

Don’t let the car fool you. My treasure is in heaven.

I found a picture of the same sticker on flickr, in case you just can’t believe me. Okey-dokey. So, you’re bragging about your slick (obnoxiously huge) ride, and the fact that you’re so super special you’re guaranteed a place in heaven? Peachy! It doesn’t make that much sense in the first place. If the person who chose this sticker is to be given any credit at all, I can only hope that they do maintain some ironic distance from the reality of the situation.  But, deep down, after much consideration, I can still only assume that the driver of this car is a self-aggrandizing twit.  I hope your heaven is big enough for your ego.

My husband took my son, Keegan, to the Decatur Book Festival early Saturday.  They missed the Cat in the Hat parade, but they did catch a reading by Chris Raschka of Charlie Parker Played Be Bop, which is a book meant to give children a sense of Jazz.  My son (20 months old) now struts around the house saying Be Bop!  Be. Bop!  BeBop.  Raschka won the Caldecott Medal in 2006 for The Hello, Goodbye Window (written by Norton Juster).  Raschka’s book Yo! Yes? was a 1994 Caldecott Medal Honor Book.  I’m a big fan of Yo! Yes? It’s a story about friendship in only 34 words.

All three of us went back to the festival that evening.  We stopped by the Five Points booth and wandered around the book market.  Unfortunately, we were there between music performances.  We hung out at Little Shop of Stories, which is a welcoming kids’ bookstore and a Jake’s Ice Cream store in one.  We had to pry Keegan away from a large Elmo doll.  He’s never seen Sesame Street, but he has played Elmo rhyming and alphabet games on the computer.  And that was enough.  He knew who Elmo was, wanted Elmo terribly.  So the Elmo phenomenon begins.  I thought we’d avoid it somehow because we don’t have cable.  We also shared some $5 vegeterian corn dogs. $5!  I didn’t plan ahead to attend any panels or readings, and we were sort of just relaxing this weekend, so I didn’t take full advantage of what Decatur had to offer…But, I do plan on planning ahead and being more involved in the 2007 AWP conference, which is to be here in the great Hotlanta.

ETA: I also picked up a copy of Verb: two and a half hours of original ficiton, poetry, and music on 2 cds.

For the locals: The Decatur Book Festival is next weekend (Sept. 1-3).  You should go, of course.