FRI. JUNE 18, 2002

The corner of Sixth and Lamar has become something of a nexus of contemporary Chronicle culture. Some of the shaggy haunts of the early days are now in the midst of a slightly dressier, more refined middle age, much like their patrons. Waterloo Records made the move up the hill some time ago and has since been joined by heavyweights Whole Foods and Book People across the street. Each manages to attract a steady stream of Central Austinites and suburban interlopers in search not only of provisions, but a sense of cultural identity as well. On any given night, the corner is likely to host an in-store music performance, a cooking class, or a book signing. Such is the case Tuesday at Bookpeople, when journalist-turned-author Kyle Spencer blows into town to promote SHE’S GONE COUNTRY: Dispatches from a Lost Soul in the Heart of Dixie (Vintage, $13). The book is a memoir of sorts about Kyle’s move from the Big Apple to work at a newspaper in the relative Southern backwater of Raleigh-Durham. Once there, she encounters all manner of interesting freaks and customs that a quick trip to a Tarheels football game would have easily evinced, but Kyle, a writer to the core, discovers them the hard way: by dating. Tuesday night at 7pm she’ll host Girls Night Out: Heartbreak Southern Style where she’ll be reading some choice comedic passages and swapping worst breakup stories with the locals. Make sure and bring a pen because the best story will earn a “Heartbreak Recovery Package” containing bubble bath, chocolate, some tissues, and maybe even one of Kyle’s books.