An Ode to Austin’s Unsung Proletariat
A new novel about workers at an organic grocery store asks us to consider questions of labor and dignity in the Texas capital.
Books
‘Forever Chemicals,’ Religion, and Family Tragedy in Texas
PFAS do not break down but rather persist indefinitely. It is possible that Dad drank carcinogenic water for most of his life.
Saving Lone Star Literary Life
A literary website that has connected bookish Texans since 2015 nearly closed this year. Then one of its readers saved it.
A Roadmap to Rebuilding Communities
Texas highways have destroyed and dominated our built environment. Megan Kimble's book "City Limits" offers a new vision.
The Booksellers’ Revolt
The READER Act would have required vendors to rate books on "explicitness" before selling to schools—and blacklisted those that didn't comply.
Texas Mother-Daughter Books Are More a Shot of Whiskey than a Sip of Tea
Undoubtedly, mother-daughter relationships are as varied in the Lone Star State as anywhere else on the planet, but in my experience, Texas moms are tough.
The Cancer Factory
Too many U.S. workers still suffer and die from exposure to well-known toxic substances, a Texas investigative reporter’s new book says.
San Fernando: The Last Stop
A disturbing new book reveals how organized criminals routinely targeted and killed travelers bound for the Texas border with almost total impunity.
Border Angels and Magic Moments
A professor and a journalist report from the communities along the U.S.-Mexico border in a new book.
What Does the United States Owe Central America?
A new work of nonfiction revives a history that some would sooner see forgotten.