Styling themselves after the A Team, the "Square Books Jr Team" hosted a Back-To-School Bash at Off Square Books last night, from 7 - 10 p.m. Sixty to seventy "adults, kids, and teens," according to one observer, grooved to the "progressive rock" sound of The Tape Ghosts -- Jas Sandlin, Brayden Berry, and, on drums, Jr. bookseller Marterrious McClain.
The event was the brainchild of longtime Jr. staffer Paul Fyke and his cohort Sami Thomason, both of whom are officers of the Yoknapatawpha Youth Literacy Council, which co-sponsored the evening with coordination from Jr's Ramona Wanlass, a director on the "big" Literacy Council. Ramona said that the greatest enjoyment came from "dancing to the band, and also making paper airplanes. The planes," she added, "were based on Flying Lessons by Gilbert Ford, who visited Jr this past April.
Jas and Brayden both work at Willie Price Nursery School, and one of their four-year-old students introduced the band. Everyone danced to "the Hokie Pokie and Pete the Cat -- I mean kids were on people's shoulders!" according to Marterrious, who allowed that, as the evening went on and the crowd was mostly teens, "played covers from the Black Keys, and some original songs." Refreshments came from Proud Larrys' in the form of their Oxford's-best pizza, with punch and brownies from Cathy Neff and Caroline McIntosh.
Jr. boss Jill Moore was on hand, of course, to make sure that things went well and that everyone had a good time. The biggest fun of the night was at the end of the party, when the hosts realized that their efforts resulted in a lot of good fun -- and the collection of three big boxes of donated books which will go to the Oxford Boys & Girls Club.
Head over to the Junior page to read more.