Photo by Dara Craul<\/p><\/div>\n

She partied with Mel Brooks, joined the Black Panther Party and gave the Maharishi a glass of water<\/span><\/h5>\n

Words by\u00a0Avery Gregurich<\/em><\/p>\n

We are sitting at the kitchen table in her house, and the Queen of Fairfield is holding my hand. Sunlight filters in through the window behind her, spotlighting a string of ancient Christmas lights hanging from the wall and a series of paintings: framed fallen leaves, various birds and landscape scenes. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Queen, Lillian Darr, is 94 years old. <\/span>Her book<\/span><\/a>, \u201cMemoirs of a 90-Year-Old Hippie,\u201d sits between us. <\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s the mayor who\u2019s given her the title of Queen of Fairfield, Iowa. At various points in the day, she holds other titles: cook, tour guide, historian, jester. I ask her how old she feels inside. She says, \u201cDepends on the day. Maybe in my 80s. Today, I feel good because you\u2019re here.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

She\u2019s just told me about her weekly poker games, held Friday nights at this very table for the last several years. She tells me it\u2019s \u201cserious poker\u201d with a $5 buy-in, and she\u2019s the only woman playing.<\/span><\/p>\n