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This last weekend was loaded with events. The Fire Department fish fry, the town cleanup, the visit of Kinky Friedman… What a weekend! However, many missed out on a visit by an internationally-famous author, a man considered a living legend to many.

Peter Soyer Beagle is a soft-voiced fellow with a gift for speaking to a crowd and making everyone in the audience feel like he is talking only to them. Winner of both the Hugo and Nebula awards for his short work”, “Two Hearts”, he has written many books and stories that are considered modern classics, most notably The Last Unicorn, which is beloved by millions.

This weekend, Beagle took time out of his schedule to come to a small Central Texas town called Blanco to take in some sights and visit with some of the locals. On Thursday night he paid a visit to the Poetry Society, hosted by the Blanco Uptown Art Center, which met in the courtyard behind the west side of the square. People got to hear him speak, ask questions, and he read “Gordon the Self-Made Cat,” a story from his collection The Line Between. Afterwards everyone, adults and children alike, had the opportunity to speak with him one on one and get their books and DVDs autographed. One nice lady, a Beagle fan for some time, serenaded him with a lullaby based on The Last Unicorn that she had sung to her children. Though there was a chill in the air, no one seemed to care.

On Saturday, the Bulverde/Spring Branch Library showed the animated movie version of The Last Unicorn, which Beagle scripted based on his book, and later hosted the author himself with a luncheon, reading, and very funny Q&A session. Many stories were traded, and we will all fondly remember the little girl with the wonderful hat.

Later that evening, it was back to Blanco where the Uptown Café showed the movie again and offered tea and appetizers to those who attended. The staff at the Uptown Café was simply wonderful, the food was excellent, and a great time was had by all. The evening was wrapped up with everyone getting their pictures taken with Beagle and his staff, Connor Cochran and Terri Kempton, who helped make this visit run very smoothly.

Mr. Beagle's tour will continue this week with an appearance at Blanco High School on Tuesday; a viewing of The Last Unicorn at the Lake Creek Alamo Drafthouse on Wednesday; a visit to the Pflugerville Public Library on Thursday; and a signing at the Arboretum Barnes and Noble on Friday. It will conclude with a weekend at the Scarborough Renaissance Festival near Dallas.

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A special thanks to the nice people at the Blanco Uptown Art Center, The Uptown Blanco Café, and the Bulverde/Spring Branch Library.