Contributors
Sam Gwynne, David Strohl and Karen Olsson.
S. C. Gwynne
Sam Gwynne
Special correspondent S. C. Gwynne is a man of many talents. This spring, Scribner will publish his latest book, Empire of the Summer Moon, a history of the Comanche. While he was finishing that project, Gwynne—an expert on college football—made several trips to Lubbock to interview another man of many talents, Texas Tech football coach Mike Leach (“Mike Leach Is Thinking . . .”). “He’s a dabbler for sure,” says Gwynne, who lives in Austin. “He reads so much about so many subjects, and he wanted to know about my book. We ended up talking about Indians for more than half an hour.”
David Strohl
David Strohl
Photograph by David Strohl
For David Strohl, photographing the personal spaces of various Texans—from a politician’s bookcase to a fashion designer’s handbag—has been challenging (Object Lesson). “We go in blind each month,” says the Dallas native. “It can be stressful to know what’s best to shoot without scouting.” A dedicated sports fan, Strohl was thrilled to do Texas Rangers slugger Josh Hamilton’s locker, in July. But if he had his pick, whom would Strohl choose for his next assignment? “Kim Jong Il, the leader of North Korea.” Hmmm, something tells us that he wouldn’t return our calls. Maybe a visit from President Clinton would help.
Karen Olsson
Karen Olsson
Photograph by Wyatt Mcspadden
Over the past three years, senior editor Karen Olsson has tackled stories ranging from immigration and dark energy to horse slaughter and dating. This month, after attending a snack food conference in College Station, she searched for the perfect tortilla chip (“Why Are Tortilla Chips So Damn Good?”). “I’ve always been curious about A&M’s food science program,” says the Austin-based writer. “Whenever I do a story, there’s a part of me that wants to switch to that career.” Unfortunately for us, Olsson is making a change: She is leaving the magazine to work on her second novel. We hope to have her back in our pages as soon as possible.
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