San Marcos-based author and comedian Kelly Stone loved San Marcos from the day she visited Texas State University for cheerleader camp in the 90s.
“I came to San Marcos for the first time in 1994 for cheerleader camp and fell in love,” she said. “And then I moved here in ’96 to attend, at the time, Southwest Texas State University.”
Kelly Stone and her kids.
Stone was inspired to write her new book, “Goodnight San Marcos,” after visiting New Orleans and buying a “Goodnight Nola” children’s book for her kids as a souvenir. When she came back to San Marcos, she realized there were no children’s books to commemorate life in the aquatic city, so she decided to change that.
“It took 12 years for this book to finally come to life,” she said. “And this is something now that people can take home to their children or get for their children if they have any connection to San Marcos.”
Stone wanted to highlight the “flavors” and “feelings” of the city she calls home, like the San Marcos river and its aquatic life, the city’s notorious mermaids, school mascots and Texas State University.
“It also has a lot of reverence for the river culture, the community, the diversity. You can’t really have one without the other,” she said. “We are a very integrated and complicated community because we have the university and we have a river that has sustained life in the U.S. for more than 10,000 to 12,000 years.”
Stone says her favorite thing about San Marcos is the river, so much so that she has it tattooed on her arm. She hopes her book will not only encourage readers to learn more about endangered species in San Marcos but also the history of the city.
“Hopefully it even encourages young readers, old readers, Texas State readers, tubing readers to look further into those things if they become interested,” she said. “What is a river rat? How did they get here? They’re invasive. What does that mean? And so I also am really proud that it is educational for all ages.”
Stone says there’s something very magical about San Marcos and all who live there.
“It’s not only celebrating the love of San Marcos, but I think the love of, you know, thinking globally, acting locally,” she said.
“Goodnight San Marcos” is available on Amazon. Stone said it may also be in some San Marcos stores soon.
