Radio, Film, & Books, Books, Books!

Our adventure in Oklahoma City continues! After our wonderful morning with the Freedom School OKC, we drove on over to KOSU, where Paul had an interview about his newest documentary film (rock & roll-love story-comedy- documentary) “The Front Man.” Here’s Paul giving his interview:KOSU

After Paul’s interview it was time for Full Circle Bookstore!

We’ve been hearing about Full Circle for a while – founded in 1970, it’s a landmark not only in OKC, but in the surrounding areas as well. Full Circle Bookstore was originally founded by Mark McGee at NW 25th and Military in Oklahoma City. in August 1978, a cook at a neighboring restaurant let a small grease fire get out of control, gutting both the restaurant and Full Circle. Much of the stock was destroyed, except for about 10,000 volumes. Those were salvaged and sold in a two-day fire sale that fall.

The store re-opened two years later, and expanded in 1985 and again in 1992. Today, Full Circle Books is located at 50 Penn Place, and houses more than 60,000 books! 

LOUISA AND PAUL
Here is Paul and Louisa McCune, our Kirkpatrick Foundation host for our OKC visit

FULL CIRCLE EX

Dana Meister, the Events Coordinator at Full Circle, met us when we arrived and immediately offered us lunch at their café, which forms a part of the bookstore.

IMG_9350

SIGNAfter lunch, she gave me a tour. And what a tour! I officially declare Full Circle Books to be the comfiest bookstore on the tour – 13-foot oak bookcases line the store, with rolling wooden ladders to tempt readers to the top shelves. The store seems created for comfort, with couches and chairs arranged in groups, urns of coffee and cups placed in strategic areas, and best of all, THREE working fireplaces! Full Circle Books has a cafe, which we are seeing more and more with Indie bookstores. The cafe not only serves full (and delicious) meals, but at night they serve beer and wine and host live music on Friday and Saturday nights.

PURPLE CHAIRS INTERIOR

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After the tour, I did a book signing and then treated myself to to Olin Steinhauer’s newest spy novel, “The Cairo Affair.”

SIGNING 2

Full Circle Books is the kind of bookstore that makes you want to our yourself a mug of coffee, pull up a chair and open a good book, all of which we were tempted to do – but we had to keep moving, off to the Oklahoma Museum of Art for the screening of “The Front Man.” The film screened to a great crowd, followed by a lively Q & A with the filmmaker (Paul).

E AND P PAUL SPEAKING

We spent the next day touring around OKC, eating great food, seeing great art and listening to great music. Then it was off to Arkansas, where we stayed in a little house on a mountaintop on our way to Square Books in Mississippi. Thanks, OKC, for a wonderful trip, and thank you to everyone who worked together to make it happen: The Kirkpatrick Foundation, The Ambassador Hotel, The Oklahoma Museum of Art, The Freedom School OKC, and of course, Full Circle Books!

DSC_8462 DSC_8438 DSC_8409

BUFOLO

Leave a reply