Gay Yellen, a local author, was immediately captivated after visiting a spooky light show at the Buffalo Bayou Cistern. The 87,500-square-foot former water reservoir hosts tours, art installations, and performances. After her visit, Yellen was inspired to put the Cistern in her latest crime thriller novel, “The Body In The News,” which debuts later this summer.
What was it about The Buffalo Bayou Cistern that drew you in?
“It was spooky and it was interesting the way the lights played in the area. The only experience I can liken it to is visiting Carlsbad Caverns. There’s an echo in there. They want you to be very quiet so you can hear the tour guide. Then, at one moment they let everybody let loose and it just echoes constantly. It just goes around and around and around. That particular light show was just stunning. You wear these white smocks. The artist wanted you to see the light play, not only in the space, but also off the people. You had all these patterns of lights going everywhere.“
Can you give us a hint on the role Buffalo Bayou Cistern plays in the book?
“The scene there is one of the pivotal scenes. The book is about a young woman, who’s in Houston, trying to make a life for herself. She was orphaned her freshman year in college, so she’s kind of been all alone, but had a good deal of success in corporate life. This is the third book [in the series] and by now she’s got a new job at a television station. One of the things she’s trying to do is promote locations around Houston. So, she finally convinces the station director that it’s going to be worth their time. Several people from the station go to [the Cistern] to check it out. While they’re there, something untoward happens.”
What’s your favorite restaurant in the city?
“If you read my books, there are a bunch of restaurants in them. In this third book, there’s Barnaby’s. I love Barnaby’s. It’s just comfortable. You can always find something good to eat there. We love Fadi’s. For fancy, Eunice is one of my favorites.”
To order Gay Yellen’s books, check out her author page.
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