Books
Heartland is an Honest, Poetic Meditation on Class in America
The Laugh Ceiling: A New Book on Women Comics Misses the Show
Hysterical! builds a big tent for women in American comedy, but stops short of looking forward at some of the most innovative work.
My reward, earlier this year, for convincing myself it would be worthwhile to find some stage time at a stand-up comedy open mic in San Francisco, was a beer th...Read More
‘Last Sheriff in Texas’ Tells True Story of State’s Deadliest Lawman
James P. McCollom’s "The Last Sheriff in Texas" paints the South Texas town of Beeville as a microcosm of Texas politics and policing — past, present and future.
James P. McCollom’s The Last Sheriff in Texas paints the South Texas town of Beeville as a microcosm of Texas politics and policing — past, present and futu...Read More
A New Book on Jellyfish is Filled with Wonder and Climate Change Woes
Berwald pops between scientific conferences and labs, fishes for giant jellyfish off the coast of Japan and dives with a swarm in Israel.
Jellyfish drift. It’s practically their defining feature. Many creatures have hard parts of one kind or another; jellies are 95 percent water, and look it. Th...Read More
An Observer Staff Guide to the 2017 Texas Book Festival
Seven author events our reporters and editors are excited to see....Read More
Bill McKibben’s ‘Radio Free Vermont’ Is an Activist’s Lark
Not so much plotted as rendered as a Hardy Boys caper, “Radio Free Vermont” is a fond fantasy of liberal values.
Not so much plotted as rendered as a Hardy Boys caper, “Radio Free Vermont” is a fond fantasy of liberal values....Read More
In ‘The Second Coming of the KKK,’ a Timely Lesson in the History of American Hate
Historian Linda Gordon isn’t shy about connecting the dots between the Ku Klux Klan of the 1920s and the resurgence of hate groups today.
Historian Linda Gordon isn’t shy about connecting the dots between the Ku Klux Klan of the 1920s and the resurgence of hate groups today....Read More
‘American Wolf’ Explores How People and Predators Should Coexist
Blakeslee takes readers deep into a genuinely human tale told with the energy and verve of a best-selling thriller.
Blakeslee takes readers deep into a genuinely human tale told with the energy and verve of a best-selling thriller....Read More
‘Thursday Night Lights’ Pays Tribute to Black Football History in Texas
Michael Hurd's new book shows how the stories we tell ourselves about Texas football history are woefully incomplete.
In 'Thursday Night Lights,' Michael Hurd shows how the stories we tell ourselves about Texas football history are woefully incomplete....Read More
Charlie Sykes’ New Book Shows ‘How the Right Lost Its Mind’
The book is a comprehensive dismantling of a party that has seemingly lost not only its moral compass, but even its ability to decipher fact from fantasy.
The book is a comprehensive dismantling of a party that has seemingly lost not only its moral compass, but even its ability to decipher fact from fantasy. ...Read More