Friends of Humanities Texas will be familiar with our annual Holiday Book Fair, a time-honored tradition that brings together authors and readers in a festively decorated Byrne-Reed House to converse, enjoy baked goods, and raise money for a good cause. We eagerly look forward to when we can host this beloved event in person again.
This year, in the spirit of the Holiday Book Fair, we asked Texas authors and editors to say a bit about their most recent publications. Their thoughtful responses are reflections on their writing processes, their inspirations, and what readers may take away from their work.
We hope that you find a book or two to add to your reading list or to give to someone special. And, from all of us at Humanities Texas, best wishes for this holiday season. We look forward to what the new year brings!
H. W. Brands. Our First Civil War: Patriots and Loyalists in the American Revolution. (Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2021).
Edward Carey. The Swallowed Man: A Novel. (Penguin Random House, 2021).
Amy Gentry. Bad Habits: A Novel of Suspense. (Mariner, 2021).
Xelena González. Where Wonder Grows. (Cinco Puntos Press, 2021). Illustrated by Adriana M. Garcia.
Diana Finlay Hendricks. Delbert McClinton: One of the Fortunate Few. (Texas A&M University Press, 2021).
Brandy Herr. The Ghostly Tales of Granbury. (Arcadia Publishing, 2021).
Heather Catto Kohout. Martin Dowell Kohout, ed. The Shimmering Is All There Is: On Nature, God, Science, and More. (Texas A&M University Press, 2021).
Max Krochmal and J. Todd Moye, eds. Civil Rights in Black and Brown: Histories of Resistance and Struggle in Texas. (University of Texas Press, 2021).
Mark Atwood Lawrence. The End of Ambition: The United States and the Third World in the Vietnam Era. (Princeton University Press, 2021).
Cynthia Leal Massey. What Lies Beneath: Texas Pioneer Cemeteries and Graveyards. (TwoDot, 2021).
Elizabeth McCracken. The Souvenir Museum: Stories. (Ecco, 2021).
Bill Minutaglio. A Single Star and Bloody Knuckles: A History of Politics and Race in Texas. (University of Texas Press, 2021).
Naomi Shihab Nye. Everything Comes Next: Collected and New Poems. (Greenwillow, 2020).
Ingrid Friese Petty. The Kronkosky Foundation Story: Creating Profound Good through Community Philanthropy. (Maverick Books, 2021).
Harriett D. Romo and William A. Dupont, eds. Bridging Cultures: Reflections on the Heritage Identity of the Texas-Mexico Borderlands. (Texas A&M University Press, 2021).
Scott Sosebee. Henry C. "Hank" Smith and the Cross B Ranch: The First Stock Operation on the South Plains. (Texas A&M University Press, 2021).
Scott Sosebee. What Is It About Texas? (Stephen F. Austin University Press, 2021).
Samantha Specks. Dovetails in Tall Grass: A Novel. (SparkPress, 2021).
Stacey Swann. Olympus, Texas: A Novel. (Doubleday, 2021).
Don Tate. Pigskins to Paintbrushes: The Story of Football-Playing Artist Ernie Barnes. (Abrams, 2021).
Editors of Texas Monthly. Being Texan: Essays, Recipes, and Advice for the Lone Star Way of Life. (Harper Wave, 2021).
Sergio Troncoso, ed. Nepantla Familias: An Anthology of Mexican American Literature on Families in Between Worlds. (Texas A&M University Press and The Wittliff Literary Series, 2021).
S. Kirk Walsh. The Elephant of Belfast: A Novel. (Counterpoint, 2021).
Bill Wright. A Bridge From Darkness to Light: Thirteen Young Photographers Explore Their Afghanistan. (Texas Christian University Press, 2021).
Lawrence Wright. The Plague Year: America in the Time of Covid. (Alfred A. Knopf, 2021).