A neighborhood bar is a peculiar thing. The people who frequent it develop a rapport, a kind of familiarity that makes them feel ownership.

But time rolls on, and no place is untouched by the changes it brings — not the bar nor the people in it.

Texas native Callie Collins knows a thing or two about bars. That’s why she set her newest novel, “Walk Softly on This Heart of Mine,” in an Austin saloon, circa 1970s Texas. The story unfolds from three different viewpoints: the lead guitarist of the new house band; the bar owner trying to help the establishment and herself find a future; and a kid from East Texas desperate for direction and kinship.

Collins talks bars, the blues and belonging with host Kerri Miller on this week’s Big Books and Bold Ideas.

Guest:

• Callie Collins is a writer and editor from Texas. “Walk Softly on This Heart of Mine” is her first novel.

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