Emily DePrang

Emily DePrang is a staff writer at The Texas Observer, where she covers public health and criminal justice. Her reporting has appeared in The Atlantic, Black Book, Bitch, Nerve, FHM, and others. A former nonfiction editor of the Sonora Review, DePrang has an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from the University of Arizona and a B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin. In 2013, DePrang won the Sigma Delta Chi award from the Society of Professional Journalists for public interest magazine journalism and was nominated for a Pushcart Prize for an essay published in Fourth Genre.

Shudde Fath, Tyrant’s Foe: A Lifetime of EnergyNov 12, 2012
When I call Shudde Fath, 95, to talk about her lifetime of Austin activism, she gives me her closing line first. “Recently,” she says, [...] Full Story
Who’s Suppressing What Now? Harris County (whew!) VotesNov 09, 2012
On Fox yesterday, GOP strategist Karl Rove claimed that Obama won re-election by “suppressing the vote” His evidence? Obama captured a smaller percentage of [...] Full Story
Election Night RecapNov 06, 2012
During this exciting election night, the Observer has you covered. We will be live-blogging and tweeting the election results starting around 4 p.m. today (November 6th). You can find our up-to-the-minute posts at this very URL. Full Story
Is Poll-Watching Voter Suppression? Greg Abbott Says, ‘No—Wait, Yes!’Oct 26, 2012
Dateline Houston is confused. Texas Republicans are passionately concerned about so-called voter integrity. Ensuring this integrity has spurred legislation, court battles, and private citizens’ [...] Full Story
The Ballad of Lloyd Oliver: It’s Not Funny AnymoreOct 23, 2012
Dateline Houston cannot adequately communicate how vivid and disturbing the Houston Press’s new cover story profiling Lloyd Oliver is. You’ll just have to read [...] Full Story

Direct Quote: Taking No BullApr 08, 2013
Kevin Woodson, 56, never saw a black cowboy when he was growing up, but he was determined to become one himself. Full Story
Direct Quote: Fishing For a Living On the Texas CoastMar 04, 2013
Mauricio Blanco has made a life on the Texas coast as an oysterman, though drought and pollution make it harder to earn a living every year. Full Story
Death at Dawson: Why Is Texas’ Worst State Jail Still Open?Feb 26, 2013
Horrific stories of medical neglect continue to emerge from Dallas's privately run Dawson State Jail. As damning reports are released one after another, a bipartisan coalition is asking how Dawson isn't closed yet. Full Story
Direct Quote: Never Forget a FaceFeb 11, 2013
Ken Pridgeon, 77, is on a mission to memorialize every Texas serviceperson lost in Iraq and Afghanistan with a 3’-by-4’ portrait, Full Story
If It Were Up To Us…Jan 06, 2013
We detail a dozen items that deal with the biggest problems in the state. Some of them are liberal fantasies (ahem, income tax) but others are sound public policy ideas that Texans of all ideologies support because they would improve the lives of millions of people. Full Story