The Pulpwood Queen featured in TULSA WORLD!

Booknotes: ‘Pulpwood Queen’ shares eternal truths about books, beauty salons

By JUDY RANDLE World Scene Writer
12/30/2007

When licensed cosmetologist turned-publisher’s rep Kathy Patrick lost her job to industry cutbacks, she wasn’t deterred. One year later in Jefferson, Texas, she opened Beauty and the Book, which is probably the world’s only combination beauty salon and bookstore.

Soon after, she founded the Pulpwood Queens of East Texas — a reading group that dared to ask the question, “Does a book club have to be snobby to be serious?” The idea spread, and there are about 70 chapters nationwide.

The overriding rule — aside from wearing the club’s official tiara, hot pink colors and leopard print outfits — is that the groups must have fun.

From 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Patrick will be in Tulsa to sign copies of her book, “The Pulpwood Queens’ Tiara- Wearing, Book-Sharing Guide to Life” (Grand Central Publishing, $13.99) at Steve’s Sundry, Books and Magazines, 2612 S. Harvard Ave.

Her book celebrates female friendship, sisterhood and the transformative power of reading. It includes life principles and motivational anecdotes, hilarious and heart-warming stories of friendships among the Queens, and stories from Patrick about the books that have inspired her throughout her life, complete with personalized

suggested book lists.