Eastland Telegram

A movie called Mask is based on a true story of a I6-year-old boy named Rocky Dennis. He has a rare disease that causes his skull and the bones in his face to grow larger than they should. As a result, Rocky’s face is terribly misshapen and disfigured. His monstrous appearance causes some people to shy away from him, and others to snicker and laugh at him. Through it all, Rocky never pities himself. Nor does he give way to anger. He feels bad about his appearance, but he accepts it as a part of life. One day Rocky and some-of-his friends visit an amusement park. They go into a “house of mirrors” and begin to laugh at how distorted their bodies and faces look. Suddenly Rocky sees something that astonishes him. One mirror distorts his misshapen face in such a way that it appears normal even strikingly handsome. For the first time, Rocky’s friends see him in a whole new way. They see from the outside what he is on the inside: a truly beautiful person.

Texas readers and writers have a friend in Lone Star Literary Life. There’s a website (https://www.lonestarliterary.com/). You can also subscribe to their free newsletter that comes out several times a month. There’s a wealth of information available in both. They list bookstores. Book clubs. Writer’s groups, including this one. Literary magazines. Texas publishers. Lone Star Literary Life’s “Go” tab lets you know about events going on around the state, with both a weekly and a monthly list. They even map out the “Top Texas Bookish Destinations.” Abilene comes in at #5, described with a nod to the 1963 George Hamilton IV hit “Abilene” as, “Prettiest town we’ve ever seen for storybook characters and other Texas types.” There are reviews and previews and interviews and videos. It features summer reading for kids lists and holiday gift lists, with links to local shops that carry those items. The “News” tab covers stories in the press of Texas writers’ and publishers’ recognitions. Be sure to scroll through the Humor section. A host of valuable, free information is collected here, but some have a price. Blog tours range in cost and scope, as does the “Proof and Polish” service. Check it out. It provides a fascinating look at the bustling Texas literary scene.

Dr. Ben Edwards: Truth in Medicine