Burkablog »
And now a discussion that really matters (Fri Nov 20 at 5:02 PM)
In the Pink »
The Wrecking Coup (Fri Nov 20 at 1:33 PM)
Page Break »
Supreme Court to Rehear Exxon Case. Yes, That Exxon Case. (Sat Nov 21 at 1:45 PM)
Eat My Words »
Talking Tamales (Thu Nov 12 at 11:12 AM)
Alan says: I am in favor of limiting the governor to two consecutive terms. But blacklisting someone after eight years altogether, regardless of how good or bad they did their job, can needlessly force an effective public official out of public service. Many state governors throughout history have served well over eight years without their constituents regretting it. I would point out that such a system is wholly unworkable in twenty-first century America: we live in the era of the permanent campaign and the 24-hour news cycle. A governor facing re-election every other year would essentially do nothing but fundraise (which is close to what most do anyway even with four-year terms). (November 19th, 2009 at 11:09pm)
Stories on Books
Joan Schenkar »
[December 2009]
Newspaper Days »
Once upon a time, Molly Ivins was just a kid from River Oaks with an internship at the Houston Chronicle. Her time there set her on the path to becoming the most famous firebrand in Texas.
by Bill Minutaglio and W. Michael Smith [November 2009]
Apocalypse Now »
Hey, movie people, leave Cormac McCarthy alone!
by Christopher Kelly [November 2009]
Neil Sheehan »
[October 2009]
Kris Kristofferson »
At 73, the Brownsville native has had a recording renaissance.
[September 2009]
Shelley Calton »
The photographer talks about her new book and life on skates.
Interview by Mike Shea [September 2009]
High Society »
Colum McCann’s new novel revolves around Philippe Petit’s high-wire walk between the Twin Towers in 1974.
by Hal Hlavinka [September 2009]
Robb Walsh »
by [January 2009]
Jeff Guinn »
by Mike Shea [December 2008]
Ben Fountain »
49, fiction writer, Dallas
[February 2008]
Vineyard Cuisine: Meals & Memories from Messina Hof »
Reviewed by Hannah Bloch-Wehba [December 2007]
The Old Man and the River »
Fifty years after the mythical trip on the Brazos that was the basis for John Graves’s classic book, I followed in his wake. Literally.
by S. C. Gwynne [November 2007]
“This Isn’t Hell, You Bloody Yobs. This Is Only Texas.” »
Exclusive: The first three chapters of Custer’s Brother’s Horse, the new novel by Edwin “Bud” Shrake.
by Bud Shrake [November 2007]
Grazing Across Texas: Rod, Gun & Ranch Cooking »
Reviewed by Kyle Adams [November 2007]
Books That Cook »
Mexican Light: Healthy Cuisine for Today’s Cook/Cocina Mexicana Ligera: Para el Cocinero Actual
by [October 2007]
Great Bar Food at Home »
Reviewed by Ashleigh Whaley [September 2007]
The Woman On Top »
So what if Sandra Brown’s novels have wildly implausible plot twists, banal endings, over-the- top characters, and other literary no-no’s. She’s published nearly 70 of them since 1981, and 55 have gone on to be best-sellers. We’re sure the sex scenes have nothing to do with it.
by Skip Hollandsworth [August 2007]
Southern Cocktails: Dixie Drinks, Party Potions and Classic Libations »
Reviewed by Emily McCullar [August 2007]
Body of Work »
For twenty years, the Southwestern Writers Collection, on the campus of Texas State University, in San Marcos, has gathered up manuscripts, personal papers, photos, and other mementos from various icons and at least one outlaw. Want to have a look-see?
by Michael Hall [July 2006]
Liftoff! »
In this exclusive excerpt from Stephen Harrigan’s new novel, Challenger Park, a female astronaut confronts mommy-track issues on the way to outer space.
by Stephen Harrigan [April 2006]
Good Knight? Good Luck! »
When Texas Tech University hired Bob Knight to coach the Red Raiders basketball team, in 2001, he was, er, a known quantity. And in every possible sense, he’s lived up to his billing.
by Steve Delsohn and Mark Heisler [February 2006]
Knight Time »
Mark Heisler and Steve Delsohn, who wrote Bob Knight: The Unauthorized Biography, talk about their book, Bob Knight, and basketball.
Interview by Katie O'Reilly [February 2006]
Fame Game »
Writer-at-large Don Graham on why Cormac McCarthy wouldn’t win a popularity contest against John Grisham or Tom Clancy—and why that’s a good thing.
Interview by Ryan Vogt [August 2005]
Killing Me Softly »
Professional suicide times two.
by Kinky Friedman [March 2005]
L. on Wheels »
Eight days in a rental car with Larry L. King, the crotchety West Texan who has written some of the greatest magazine stories of all time, would be enough to drive anyone crazy. Except his biggest fan.
by John Spong [January 2005]
“Just Hit It” »
Contributing editor Turk Pipkin on his new book, The Old Man and the Tee.
Interview by Kimberly Jeffries [December 2004]
Accentuate The Negative »
To read a Patricia Highsmith novel is to suspend one’s moral judgments. She irresistibly persuades us to side with killers and other amoral characters.
by Don Graham [November 2004]
Expatriate Act »
While some Texas-born writers had to leave home to do their best work, for John Graves the reverse was true.
by Don Graham [May 2004]
Nation State »
Does anyone outside of Texas care about Texas history? H. W. Brands hopes so, and he's not the only one.
by Don Graham [March 2004]
Bum Books »
These titles are sure to get a laugh—or at least a smile—from even the most somber bookworms.
by [January 2004]
Eye On America »
The co-authors of a new book about the assassination of JFK talk about how that tragic event changed the way the media cover news.
Interview by Casey Wilson [November 2003]
Not-So-Great Plains »
Suzan-Lori Parks gets the culture and cadence of West Texas right, sort of; Annie Proulx doesn't.
by Don Graham [October 2003]
King's Ransom »
At UT's Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, extraordinary cultural treasures are available for your inspection—if you know the magic word.
by John Spong [October 2003]
Killing Time »
Stephen Graham Jones's All the Beautiful Sinners is a wild-eyed thriller; Amanda Eyre Ward's Sleep Toward Heaven is a tale of grief, forgiveness, and the death penalty.
by Mike Shea [August 2003]
Not Moving On »
Fifteen years after Larry McMurtry announced he was through writing novels, he shows no sign of letting up. For this we should be thankful.
by Don Graham [May 2003]
Amarillo Slim's Top Ten Keys to Poker Success »
Read an excerpt from Amarillo Slim's Top Ten Keys to Poker Success.
[May 2003]
Master Class »
No one took the literature of Texas or the Southwest seriously until J. Frank Dobie put it, and us, on the map.
by Don Graham [January 2003]
Angela Shelf Medearis »
An Austin children's book author stands up for herself (and African American girls everywhere).
Interview by Nora Varty [December 2002]
Ranch Undressing »
Writer-at-large Don Graham discusses this month's cover story "The Secret History," and his forthcoming book on the King Ranch, King of Texas.
[December 2002]
Interview with Mario Vargas Llosa »
by Katharyn Rodemann [November 2002]
Entrevista con Mario Vargas Llosa »
by Katharyn Rodemann [November 2002]
July, July »
Novels about college classmates reconnecting and rekindling at reunion time are nothing new, but Tim O'Brien's July, July succeeds with honors.
by Mike Shea [October 2002]
The Buzz »
Kathy Hepinstall is one of four underappreciated Texas writers you should be reading this summer.
by Mike Shea [August 2002]
Bitter Rivals »
W. K. Stratton's new book, Backyard Brawl, dissects the football feud between the state's two largest universities.
[August 2002]
Get Your Groove Back »
A new book on dance halls explains why Texans are itching to go boot-scootin'.
by Joe Nick Patoski [August 2002]
Giant »
Master of the Senate, Robert Caro's third volume on the life of Lyndon Johnson, is an exhaustive study of power, persuasion, and private parts.
by Don Graham [May 2002]
Hook Man Speaks »
When Matt Clark succumbed to cancer in 1998, the young writer left behind an inventive unpublished novel called Hook Man Speaks. Then his friends stepped in-and brought the book back from the dead.
by Mike Shea [March 2002]
Horseman, Pass By »
Forty years after its publication, Horseman, Pass By is still one of Larry McMurtry's finest novels—and as groundbreaking as J. D. Salinger's masterpiece.
by Don Graham [December 2001]
Texas Ranges »
In an excerpt from their forthcoming book, Texas Mountains, senior editor Joe Nick Patoski and freelance photographer Laurence Parent celebrate the wild beauty of the state's sierras.
by Joe Nick Patoski [November 2001]
The Plot Sickens »
Sandra Brown's latest novel-and her umpteenth best-seller-is called Envy. Funny, that's the last feeling I get when I read her work.
by Mike Shea [November 2001]
