Walking the line

Some lines should not be crossed, and some demand to be. Sometimes, one line is both.

My upcoming book, Welcome to Eureka Springs: The I-Sh*t-You-Not History of America’s Quirkiest Town, will have a chapter about Virginia Tyler. Her breezy newspaper columns chronicled the town’s daily life from the 1960s to ’80s.

The current draft references some sensational rumors, but I do not include them lightly.

I believe the whole picture is more truthful both to Tyler’s life and to an essential aspect of Eureka Springs. This is a place where lines blur, second chances are given, and inner truth shines through surface appearances. Tyler embodies that.

Her life fits into a recurring archetype in Eurekan history, the woman who sets her own rules. When I look at the names of the others who will be in the book, I am certain that Tyler’s story, all of it, belongs among theirs.

If anyone who knew Tyler personally has concerns, please get in touch. Also, I plan to to get wider feedback by reading the chapter at next Thursday’s Poetluck at the Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow. Everyone is welcome to come hear the chapter, and of course enjoy good food and good times.