Culture
A New Book on the Sutherland Springs Shooting Explores Resilience, Forgiveness, and Grace
Loon Star: ‘Let’s Get Back to Work’
To see more political cartoons from Ben Sargent, visit our Loon Star State section, or find Observer political reporting here. Read more from the Observer:...Read More
‘Trust Me’ Tackles Politics, Power, and Perception
Austin author Richard Z. Santos’ debut thriller takes readers behind the scenes of corruption and scandal.
Never become the story. This is the cardinal rule for political campaign staffers, at least according to Charles O’Connell, the protagonist in Richard Z. Sant...Read More
In a New West Texas Novel, Women Kick Ass and Take Names
Set in the 1970s Odessa oil boom, Elizabeth Wetmore’s debut novel, Valentine, is a revelation not for what it explores but for how.
Even though Friday Night Lights has been off the air for years, I’m still needled by one particular scene in an otherwise enjoyable show. In it, ice cream spr...Read More
Loneliness in the Age of Coronavirus
As a single parent, I was already struggling with loneliness. Then the coronavirus hit.
Before the coronavirus, America already had an epidemic: According to a 2018 survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation, one in five Americans say they often feel l...Read More
Rapper TTBBY on How Growing Up in East Texas Shaped His Music
Tobias Traylor has overcome poverty, hurricanes, displacement, and mental health challenges, experiences reflected in his music.
Hailing from the north side of Beaumont—known to locals as Big Money Texas—26-year-old Tobias Traylor wants to make sure the world knows him as someone “r...Read More
13 Small Texas Presses to Read Right Now
These 13 Texas-based independent presses and publishers have offered diverse, boundary-pushing literature for years, even decades.
There’s no better time for reading than when you’re curled up in your home. Books offer a retreat from the chaos of the world—something we could all use a...Read More
A Houston Art Exhibit Redefines ‘Chopped and Screwed’ Music
DJ Screw’s life and work act as a springboard for 15 mixed-media artists, reflecting ideas of identity and agency outside the mainstream.
The late, great DJ Screw, born Robert Earl Davis Jr., sold mixtapes in high school for lunch money. He went on to open his own record store—the legendary Scre...Read More
Seven Austin Workers on How They’re Scrambling After the SXSW Cancellation
Gig workers reported more than $2 million in lost wages after the festival was called off.
Thousands of Austinites depend on South by Southwest for income, and many are still reeling after the event was officially canceled last week due to coronavirus...Read More
How Christian Nationalism Moved from the Fringe to the White House
Katherine Stewart’s The Power Worshippers exposes the Christian right’s attempts to revise history and create an American theocracy.
After Hurricane Harvey devastated the Texas coast in 2017, three affected churches sued FEMA, claiming the agency’s policy against providing relief funds ...Read More
