Author and poet Bud Kenny will read excerpts from his book "Footloose in America, Dixie to New England" at 6 p.m. Saturday during the Lattes and Lit event at Kollective Coffee+Tea, 110 Central Ave., followed by a book signing. Admission is free and open to all ages.
Bud and Patricia Kenny left Hot Springs on foot with their mule, Della, and headed for the coast of Maine in 2001. "Footloose In America, Dixie to New England" is the story of their two-and-a-half year trek. Copies of the book will be available at the event.
Della pulled a pack cart that generated electricity from the rotation of its wheels and a solar panel on the top. The back of the cart opened as a stage, and, in the spirit of the old traveling medicine shows, they made their living by entertaining folks along the way, a news release said. But, instead of pushing pills and potions, they peddled poems. Using a computer and printer on the cart, which was powered by the electricity it generated, they published Bud Kenny's poetry books, which they sold as they traveled. "Footloose In America" is not a poetry book; it's the story of this middle-aged couple's trek with an 1,800-pound mule along America's byways in the 21st century, the release said.
The 356-page book chronicles their experiences with the people they met, weather they endured and circumstances they encountered during their 2,400-mile odyssey. One of the hardest parts of their journey was finding a place to bed down for the night, the release said. "It's one thing to find a campsite for a couple of people on foot. But add an 1,800-pound mule into the mix and it's a whole different ballgame," Kenny said. "Especially in a place like downtown Buffalo, New York. We wandered the streets of Buffalo in the dark for more than two hours before we found a place."
"Footloose In America" is also a frank look at how such a journey can effect the relationship of the people making it. Although the Kennys were in their early 50s when they hit the road, they were newlyweds. The epigraph is a quote from the dancer Ginger Rogers who said, "People in love don't look at each other. They look in the same direction."
The memoir also deals with such timely issues as racism, the environment and immigration. They were on the road during the 9/11 attacks, and they spent their second winter living on a New York apple farm in a house with eight Mexican migrant workers. "Only two of them spoke any English, and there was only one bathroom in the house," Kenny said. "When we got there, the harvest was in full swing. Out of the 30 pickers in the orchard, I was the oldest and the only American. They called me 'Loco Gringo.'"
The couple and Della returned home to Hot Springs in 2008. From 2009-15, the Kennys worked for the Hot Springs Carriage Co. giving tours of the downtown area. "I was the one with the top hat, and Della was the one with long ears," Kenny said. He owned and operated the Mule Line Trolley for seven years in the 1980s and in 1997 opened a coffee house/performance venue known as The Poet's Loft in the historic arts district of the Spa City. He also started Wednesday Night Poetry in 1989, and is the current host.
Released last summer, "Footloose In America, Dixie To New England" currently has a 4.7 rating out of a possible 5 stars as a result of 16 reviews on Amazon, the release said. The book is available in paperback or on Kindle at http://www.amazon.com, and signed copies are available at http://www.budkennybooks.com.
"If you want a signed copy, your best bet is to come to Lattes and Lit Saturday evening," Kenny said. "I'm going to knock 10 bucks off the price that night." He will also sign copies at no charge for those who purchased the book elsewhere.
Entertainment on 06/29/2016