Welcome to the new site! – Interview with John Sharp
Welcome to the new blog format. Do you like it? I’ll be happy as long as the comment section works, so give it a try and let’s test it! Also take a minute to poke around and click on a few things here and there to help proof read everything. A new blog while I’m launching a new book and cooking Thanksgiving dinner for 16 people at my brother’s house . . . what could be better?
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. I’m truly thankful for each and every one of my readers.
Here’s a wonderful news article written by Al.com journalist John Sharp about my new book. It appeared on the AL.com website which covers Mobile, Birmingham and Huntsville. – thank you John!
‘We Don’t Push in Fairhope’: 6 questions with Leslie Anne Tarabella before tree lighting celebration
By John Sharp | js****@al.com | Updated: Nov. 21, 2024, 6:12 a.m.
Fairhope author Leslie Anne Tarabella’s encounter with a pushy attendee at the 2015 “Lighting of the Trees” celebration sparked a blog post, media attention including articles in AL.com at the time, and a slogan that continues to resonate and inspire nine years later.
“People of all age, all over town, were calling out to me, ‘We don’t push in Fairhope!’” Tarabella writes in her new book, released on Oct. 8 and which can be found at numerous booksellers in the area and at leslieannetarabella.com.
“It was a slogan for defending our way of life and was whispered to me in church, yelled across parking lots and tossed out as I entered restaurants,” she wrote. “It became a cheer of unity and a battle cry for small-town preservation. A few months later, a Mardi Gras float passed by, and as the masked man tossed me beads, he laughed and shouted, ‘We don’t push in Fairhope!”
The book, itself, is not solely focused on the Lighting of the Trees celebration or about the fast growth in Baldwin County. Tarabella said it’s more of a story about small towns that resonates outside of coastal Alabama.
“I’ve already had notes from readers in Colorado, Texas, and South Carolina who’ve said they’ve enjoyed the book and found it be relaxing,” Tarabella said, describing the book “clean” and “non-political.” It currently is Amazon’s best seller in Southeast travel books.
But the book does recognize the changes in Fairhope in a short period of time, including the popularity of the “Lighting of the Trees.” The annual early holiday event has taken place in downtown Fairhope for over 30 years and will occur Thursday with music at 5:30 p.m. followed by a countdown for the lighting of aorund 130 trees at 6pm.
Tarabella, who spent seven years writing lifestyle columns for AL.com, talks about the book, Fairhope and the Lighting of the Trees in this Q&A.
“This book reads like a love letter for modern Fairhope.”
JOHN SHARP, AL.com
The title of your book, “We Don’t Push in Fairhope” was based on an incident that occurred nine years ago at the “Lighting of the Trees.” As you noted, since then, the event has grown in considerable size from 6,000 to 12,000 people to 30,000 and 40,000 attendees. It is one of the more popular pre-holiday celebrations in coastal Alabama and will take place on Thursday. What does this event mean to you?
One line from my book says, “It’s sad when things change, yet it’s also sad when they don’t.” Watching this event evolve over the years brings a satisfaction that our city has come so far, yet, oh my goodness, what a change! I have to remind myself that some cities are dying out, and their events are stale and tired. Which would we prefer? And don’t say “somewhere in the middle” because that’s where the possum always gets squished.
The Lighting of the Trees in downtown Fairhope is a popular pre-Thanksgiving holiday tradition that draw large crowds. The trees throughout downtown Fairhope are lighted up at once and will remain lit through the holiday season and into the month of March.file photo
How does “Lighting of the Trees” compare to other events that make Fairhope stand out as a community, such as the Fairhope Arts and Crafts Festival?
Lighting of the Trees is unique because there’s a lot of joy and entertainment packed into a small amount of time. If you blink, it’s over. When everyone counts down in unison and the faux snow swirls to the ground, we feel like we’ve kicked the holiday ball through the goalpost and it’s time to celebrate.
The title of your book became, as you pointed out, a “cheer of unity and a battle cry for small-town preservation.” Those same issues of growth and preservation exist today in Fairhope and around fast-growing Baldwin County. Growth management is the No. 1 public policy concern for local government officials and probably more so than in 2015. What, in your opinion, has changed on this issue in the nine years since you wrote the blog post?
We’ve all held our breath as apartment complexes, housing developments, and offices have sprung up, and our city has scrambled to make the best of it. I think we’ve stopped resisting change and are now trying to manage it. We’ve become good at welcoming newcomers, who, like us, often say they don’t want any more growth. We roll our eyes and smile, then invite them to join us for afternoon drinks. This growth has put our Southern manners to the test.
Your book also includes an ode to Southern manners, and the book title underscores that. What do you hope the reader learns about not pushing and being polite amid an influx of new residents, subdivisions, cultures, businesses and more?
My regular readers know my stories are tongue-in-cheek, but they certainly contain an element of truth. A teenage friend said that while working downtown this summer, a new resident instructed, “Don’t say yes, ma’am, to me. Where I come from, that’s an insult.” Good grief. Did she see the sign at the state line that said, “Welcome to Alabama?” Where does she think she lives? You can honk your horn all you want — even though we’ll discuss you, but don’t try to raise our children for us. My plan for population control in the book is, “For every lovely new person who moves to town, one other resident can be voted out.”
Your book reads like a love letter for modern Fairhope with tales about food, style, roundabouts, alligators, and J.D. Crowe. It is already a popular travel book. What kind of message would you like to convey about the community, and are there any unfair misconceptions about Fairhope or its residents?
There’s something good to be found in all cities, you just have to identify and grow it. The connections between people and organizations are essential for a thriving, happy home. As for unfair misconceptions, are you hinting at the rumor that we’re snobs? Well, yes, every community has a few like that, but we just tell them they’re cute and love them the way they are, then bless their hearts and move on. Like all small towns, it’s good to have a balance of all types. My wish is that everyone could love their home as I do.
You must choose one: Is it Fairhopers or Fairhopians?
If someone says they are a Fairhopian, they aren’t a true Fairhoper.
Great interview, LA. I love this book. You stuck the landing with the last line of the interview!
Thanks so much – Come back and visit again sometime!
Your new site design looks great Leslie Anne! I so enjoyed reading your interview with John Sharp, and I have experienced much enjoyment and many smiles while reading this book. Congratulations on your success, I am so proud to know you as a friend! I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving, cooking for 16, wow!
Thank you Jenna! I know you’ve hung in with me and helped with technical issues in the past, so I hope this solves some frustration for you as well. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your wonderful family!
Leslie Anne, your new site looks fabulous! I enjoyed reading the John Sharp interview. I am behind on reading your latest book and must get it before Christmas. You are a talented and creative writer. I have enjoyed your blog for many years! Happy Thanksgiving!
Thank you so much Pam. I appreciate the encouragement and support you’ve always shown. Happy Thanksgiving to you as well.