Fat Tony's

Okay, he's a little fluffy, but I wouldn't go so far as to say he's fat. The man from Russellville says he used to be a lot bigger. He IS 6 feet tall and weighs upward of 270 - he's just a big Arkansas boy in my book.

Tony is an awesome listener say his customers at Fat Tony's Barber Shop on Arkansas Avenue, also know as Highway 7, just down the road from Arkansas Tech University. Only 23 years old, he's been cutting hair for several years already.

Really interesting thing, on first glance, is the little graveyard of unmarked tombstones which sit outside his front door and underneath his barber pole and an American flag. This way, he says, he can advertise for both his businesses.

Fat Tony is an accomplished tombstone carver. He takes great care in his craft and I follow him to the local cemetery to see his handiwork for myself.

I look at the pads and thick fingers making up Fat Tony's hands and wonder how he can produce such fine writing and intricate designs.

It's just a gift, he says the way a country boy would hang his head and mutter, "Aw, shucks."

Art comes in all forms, and I suppose the hands of an artist who uses his creativity to cut and design hair wouldn't have all that much trouble holding a delicate tool and chiseling sentiments on marble.