Lara Zielin

When I decided to go see Paul Reubens — a.k.a. Pee-wee Herman — at South by Southwest (sxsw), I figured it would be a mildly entertaining session with an eccentric actor. I reasoned he’d be largely aloof and would likely gloss over the fact that he was arrested in 1991, which almost sank his career permanently. I figured sxsw was just a big promotional gig for him, and he’d peddle his something and move on.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Paul was warm, genuine, and completely humble . Right away he addressed the elephant in the room — i.e. his arrest. It was one of many moments during which he a.) brought it super real and b.) confessed to struggling as an actor. Another moment he discussed was when he heard his great friend Phil Hartman (now, sadly, deceased) tell him that Pee-wee wasn’t a character he could build his career on — that Paul needed to broaden his comedic repertoire if he was going to be successful.

Phil had already made it in a way that Paul hadn’t — he was on Saturday Night Live and was enjoying success voicing characters on the Simpsons. Paul could have listened to his knowledgeable friend, placed Pee-wee on the back-burner, and moved onto other things. But he didn’t.

Paul felt with everything in him that Pee-wee was it. That Pee-wee was the character to focus on. He knew — right down to his white patent-leather shoes — that if he found success in this business, it would be through Pee-wee.

Paul was right.

Later in the session. he choked up a bit as he talked about Cherry, the chair from his television and Broadway show, and his Pee-wee suit going to the Smithsonian. Who would have guessed that such a quirky character would wind up being so deeply ingrained in our hearts and imaginations? I am in awe that Paul listened to his gut, that he pursued Pee-wee when others were telling him not to.

I hope I’m brave enough, like Paul, to listen to my heart when I hear advice that doesn’t resonate with my creative vision. I hope I stick by my characters when they need me to. I never expected to be inspired and enlightened by Paul — and Pee-wee — but I’m so glad I stuck around and wound up leaving that session with not just my mind full, but my heart, too.

Thank you, Paul.

Bar-B-Que Heaven might not look like much, but it is aptly named. Their food really IS heaven.

As many of you know, being from Wisconsin makes a strong love for cheese — and a good steak — all but run in my blood.

But I also love good barbecue.

Being down in Austin for the South by Southwest Interactive conference, I thought I’d take advantage of the embarrassing meat riches all around me. Let me tell you about this one place.

It’s called Bar-B-Que Heaven and it was just this little shack on the corner of the street, next to a service-station-looking place. There is no place to sit. But their smoker and grills are visible right out back, so you know this is the real deal. And, let me tell you, eating their brisket sandwich is like tasting rainbows. And not in a Skittles way. In a magical, am-I-dreaming-this, holy-crap-this-is-amazing kind of way.

As we were waiting for our food, I also spotted a sticker taped to a nearby post. Parental advisory: I have not tested the website this sticker promotes. I’m scared to. Enter the URL at your own risk.

But, I mean, it’s super cute, and I do think women are a little like donuts — or at least I am — since I’m kinda pink and sparkly (on the inside) like the one in the picture here:

Anyway, I’m super sorry for the vegetarians reading this post. And for the women I’ve possibly offended with the donut link, which I’m too scared to click myself. I hope you still like me when it’s all over.

In the meantime, I’ll be over here, eating more barbecue.