The Texas Ocelot in a World ‘Propelled Toward Algorithms and Bottom Lines’
Karen Olsson’s latest novel, about a biologist and the rare cats, marks the third installment in a trilogy of blighted idealism.
Books
Why Texans Live and Die by the Gun
At the firearms training center, fear becomes the foundation of the state's violent obsession.
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.
Excerpt: How to Close a Camp
Detention was sold as both a law-and-order necessity and an economic opportunity, welding together the racist politics of the drug war with the rise of private prisons.
Inside the Dark World of Romance Scammers
An Austin author’s new novel delves deep into the scammer networks that exploit the vulnerable and the lovelorn.
A Jailhouse Snitch and the System that Made Him
Pamela Colloff’s debut book is a propulsive study of a fatally flawed tactic beloved by prosecutors in Texas and beyond.
One State Under Whose God?
Despite the grip of conservative Christianity on Texas politics, religion here has always contained multitudes, a new work of history shows.
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Inside Houston’s 1970 School Strike
Texas poet's new book gives Houston's "huelga" school movement iconic verses, images, and voices.
A Queer Texan Retraces Steinbeck’s 10,000-mile trip
Austin author and essayist Lauren Hough serves up a monster of a tale about traveling with a dog named Woody Guthrie on a road trip across America.
Let Them Play
Three recent books make the case that welcoming trans athletes can help improve sports culture for all.