There’s something about the Pulpwood Queens’ Girlfriend Weekend that draws me to Jefferson, Texas every winter. It’s not the costume-party Hair Ball, though that’s a swell deal indeed. But San Francisco offers more than enough opportunities to dress up without having to figure out how to fit my queen of hearts costume—including its wide hoop skirt—into a suitcase. It’s not the food, although you can’t get better pie than the coconut cream at the Hamburger Store, and Valerie at the Azalea Inn B&B provides enough breakfast to fill you up for the day. It’s not even the brilliant, soulful lunchtime speech by Pat Conroy or hearing Fannie Flag nose-whistle or the day-long back-to-back author panels or the really nice bookstore people who tell you they sold every copy of your book except for that little pile over there on that table.

That’s all great, but the reason I go is about the spirit of the event, not to mention the wardrobe. The Pulpwood Queens dress in hot pink, fake leopard fur, and rhinestone tiaras. They have big hair and they all look fabulous. The difference is that in addition to looking fabulous, they want their guests to look fabulous, too. So when you finally throw up your hands and give up on stuffing that hoop skirt into your carry-on, a Pulpwood Queen will come up with a bigger hoop skirt she’d be delighted to let you borrow. And hey, these women (along with a few brave men) love books.

By now you might be wondering, “What exactly is a Pulpwood Queen, anyway?” The Pulpwood Queens’ book club was started eleven years ago by a force of nature named Kathy Patrick, a former beautician who became a publisher’s sales rep. Somewhere along the line she decided to open a combination beauty salon and bookstore. With Beauty and Book as her home base, she started the Pulpwood Queens book club, which grew to include chapters all over Texas, Louisiana, and beyond—there’s even a chapter in San Jose. Kathy enforced a dress code (tiaras are mandatory at Pulpwood Queen meetings), and as Head Queen she now chooses a book for thousands of tiara-sportin’ readers every month.

Girlfriend Weekend is her annual gathering of the tribes. PQs come from all over to enjoy the festivities, which include skits, author panels, costume parades, hairdo contests, elaborate table décor, and all manner of friendly showing off. The spirit is a little like Woodstock and Burning Man, only with well-mirrored powder rooms.

We went this year to promote Write That Book Already! Or at least, that’s what we told our publisher. But really we went to see Kathy, to admire the especially gorgeous ladies from Northwest Houston; to hit the local bar with Jamie Ford, River Jordan, and Mark Childress, dressed as characters from Alice in Wonderland. Sam went so he could jump onstage in his Mad Hatter costume to play harmonica with Marshall Chapman and me. I went so I could sing a song I am proud to have written with Marshall, inspired by a line we heard uttered by Amanda Cauley from the ever-entertaining Northwest Houston contingent.

Hello, my name is Holly, East Texas is my home
I have a lot of girlfriends I talk to on the phone
Tonight we’re gonna dress up and go out on the town
I need my hair and makeup done, so I won’t let them down

Kathy get your hairspray and do me up just right
I want my hair considered at the Pulpwood Ball tonight

My shoes are pink and pointy, my dress is pink and black
I bought them at a closeout sale so I can’t take them back
I’ve got my feather boa, rhinestone earrings, leopard hose
But the total look I’m going for requires more than my clothes

So Kathy get your hairspray and do me up just right
I want my hair considered at the Pulpwood Ball tonight

Now step back all you girlfriends, and make some room for me
I’ve got the biggest beehive the world has ever seen
I may not win the prize tonight, but I don’t really care
‘Cause everyone’s a winner when you’ve got outrageous hair

Cause Kathy got her hairspray, and did us up just right
Our hair will be considered at the Pulpwood Ball tonight

And that’s all I’m gonna say. What happens at Girlfriend Weekend stays at Girlfriend Weekend. All except for the pie, which somehow made it home attached to my butt.