Some books you might find interesting

 

In West Fort Worth, we have two iconic shopping malls—Hulen and Ridgmar. Because it is closer and a bit smaller, with stores I liked, Hulen was my mall of choice. Doesn’t that sound funny now? I have lots of memories of trailing kids through the department stores and up those twisting stairs. Perhaps the worst was the time Jordan, maybe five or six, decided to climb through the railing on the second level—and there she was, hanging outside in space. People rushed to her in alarm, but I had the sense to say, “Please leave her alone.” Then I spoke softly to her, and she, not at all flustered, climbed over the railing to land safely on the floor at my feet. I’m not sure today I could be that sanguine.

When they were teens, three of my four wanted to “hang out” at the mall (I can’t remember that Colin ever did), an event that I let happen but not without strict instructions and a lot of trepidation on my part. I’m not sure what I thought would happen, but probably I was convinced food courts were dens of iniquity with pedophiles lurking in every corner. And there was the time Jamie, just old enough to ride his moped around town (remember mopeds? How could I forget?), rode his to Hulen Mall (quite likely against my rules) and while he was inside, doing that dreadful hanging out, it was stolen. At something like one o’clock the next morning, we got a call from the police that the moped had been found abandoned at a gas station on the South Freeway. It was a bitterly cold, icy night, but we went out there—I imagine I took all the kids because there is safety in numbers, even if they are young. But we finally decided Jamie could not ride it home in those conditions. We secured it at the gas station and went back the next day.

So no, my memories of Hulen Mall are not good, and I haven’t been there in years—I’m pretty much an online shopper these days, and I understand the good shops have deserted the mall and it is sort of a ghost town. Same for Ridgmar Mall of which I have fewer memories, except for Neiman Marcus where I loved to eat lunch and a strange little restaurant—I forget the name—run by a friend. Nope, I am not a mall person.

Still I was interested today to read a review of Meet Me at the Fountain: An Inside History of the Mall. Author Andrea Lange considers the history of the mall, from the 1950s, when it was the nirvana of suburban shoppers, up to today when it is considered dead. But her text questions the predictions of demise, pointing out that malls continually reinvent themselves. She deals of course with nationally known ones—the Mall of America in Minnesota and North Park in Dallas (I was never as crazy about it as my kids). If you’ve lived through the mall era, you might find the book of interest.

Another book Fort Worthians might particularly like but one with a universal message is Carry-Out, Carry-On: A Year in the Life of a Texas Chef, by locally renowned chef and farm-to-table advocate Jon Bonnell. During the heigh of pandemic, Bonnell’s restaurant, bearing his name, flourished by providing family to-go meals for which customers lined up as early as three o’clock in the afternoon. Bonnell’s is strategically located on a bypass highway and with a good flow to its parking lot, both of which Bonnell says enabled his success. His downtown restaurant, Waters, did not fare so well, which he attributes to difficult access and traffic patterns and a reluctance of folks to go downtown. Bonnell’s book is essentially a story of perseverance despite hardships, disappointments, unbelievable difficulties. It speaks not just to restauranteurs but to all of us who survived pandemic—and might well have to do so again in the future. Jon Bonnell was determined to come out of pandemic on a positive note—and he did. Go eat his food, read his book. He’s a special kind of chef and person.

In spite of the subjects of deserted malls and pandemic-stressed restaurants, these books made me think once again what a great place to live Fort Worth is. But even if you’re not from my city, you’ll find some nuggets on them.