Oh, such memorable lines: “One June, Richmond woke up with its brakes on and kept them on all summer. That was okay, it was the Eisenhower Years, and nobody was going anywhere.”  Not even its heroine, the large-thumbed Sissy Hankshaw, played by Uma Thurman in the film. “That is to say, she wasn’t going far. Up and down Monument Avenue, perhaps, hitching up and down that broad boulevard so dotted with enshrined cannons and heroic statues that it is known throughout the geography of the dead as a banana belt for stuffed generals.”

But you won’t find that scene in the movie, a film that somewhat baffled Roger Ebert and didn’t impress New York Times critic Caryn James, who didn’t think much of the ‘70s motif.

(The notion of a woman hitching alone cross country seems a bit romantic/outlandish these days, though I’ve known several who did just that, inspired by Sissy. And though he's not a woman, journalist Mark Holmberg has on occasion put out his thumb, as did director John Waters recently.)

But don’t listen to the critics — because you'll have the man himself there to talk to you about it.

Robbins will introduce the event with an onstage appearance. Come out to celebrate his contribution to American literature and enjoy an evening at this historic theater. The event is free, but donations will be accepted in support of the ongoing operations and preservation of the Byrd Theatre.

And by the way, with the CGI and animation available now, and with its still relevant political and art undercurrents, it seems like the perfect time for a movie adaptation of Skinny Legs And All, complete with Can O' Beans and Sock.