Publishers Weekly
09/27/2021
Contributors to Texas Monthly consider “what it means to be Texan” in this lighthearted collection. Mimi Swartz’s essay “Strong Texas Women” discusses Gov. Ann Richards and journalist Molly Ivins, as well as 21st-century role models Beyoncé, Simone Biles, and Lizzo. Sterry Butcher notes that less than 2% of the state’s territory is federal land (“Texas, in other words, is held by Texans”); David Courtney provides an amusing round-up of “weirdly named towns” (among them, Ding Dong, Wink, and Fink), and Wes Ferguson identifies Texas’s “most dangerous creatures,” including black widow spiders, scorpions, and fire ants. Elsewhere, John Spong discusses how the John Sayles film Lone Star redefined the Texas western by depicting “the way everyday Brown, Black, and white Texans were dealing with the state’s cruel racial history,” and Skip Hollandsworth incisively analyzes how novelist Larry McMurtry “elevated and eviscerated with the kind of marrow-piercing observations only ever allowed native sons.” Readers will also find recipes for cheese enchiladas, Viet-Cajun crawfish, and a cactus juice cocktail to wash them down. This entertaining compendium captures the allure of the Lone Star state. (Nov.)
From the Publisher
Texas contains multitudes, and so must a book that hopes to explain the Lone Star State. Being Texan is as full of itself as any Texan must be, but what other state could pull off such a glorious self-examination?” — Lawrence Wright, author of God Save Texas
“Blending traditions, memories, reflections, and discoveries, Being Texan is an expansive and inclusive love letter to an ever-changing, infinitely surprising state. There’s an entire world inside of each of these narratives, provoking and celebrating Texas’s overflowing culture; this book magnifies and challenges the question of who a Texan can be, while paying homage to the many different ways that we come to belong.” — Bryan Washington, author of Lot and Memorial
“From the awe of a star-filled west Texas sky to the romance of a long road trip to the coziness of a backyard barbecue, Being Texan invites readers on a journey through the good ol’ state with some of its greatest storytellers. A collection as diverse as the state itself.” — Aaron Franklin, owner of Franklin Barbecue
“Texas is part of who I am, and every word of Being Texan brings to life what is so special about this place. We are a land of dreamers and go-getters with a rich history and an exciting future. I will treasure this collection for many years to come.” — Kendra Scott, founder of Kendra Scott Jewelry
“Texas is the most interesting state in the country, and Being Texan is one of the most compelling books I’ve read about being Texan. There are sentences in it that I’m certain you won’t agree with, and also there are sentences in it that feel like they were written specifically for you. That’s also a good way to think about Texas itself.” — Shea Serrano, author of The Rap Year Book and Basketball (and Other Things)
“I’ve been in Texas for decades but still find my chosen state a mystery and a marvel. This collection of writing by Texas’s very best is cause for celebration. What a hopeful, fascinating, beautiful book.” — Amanda Eyre Ward, author of The Jetsetters and The Lifeguards
"This entertaining compendium captures the allure of the Lone Star state." — Publishers Weekly
Amanda Eyre Ward
I’ve been in Texas for decades but still find my chosen state a mystery and a marvel. This collection of writing by Texas’s very best is cause for celebration. What a hopeful, fascinating, beautiful book.
Bryan Washington
Blending traditions, memories, reflections, and discoveries, Being Texan is an expansive and inclusive love letter to an ever-changing, infinitely surprising state. There’s an entire world inside of each of these narratives, provoking and celebrating Texas’s overflowing culture; this book magnifies and challenges the question of who a Texan can be, while paying homage to the many different ways that we come to belong.
Aaron Franklin
From the awe of a star-filled west Texas sky to the romance of a long road trip to the coziness of a backyard barbecue, Being Texan invites readers on a journey through the good ol’ state with some of its greatest storytellers. A collection as diverse as the state itself.
Kendra Scott
Texas is part of who I am, and every word of Being Texan brings to life what is so special about this place. We are a land of dreamers and go-getters with a rich history and an exciting future. I will treasure this collection for many years to come.
Lawrence Wright
Texas contains multitudes, and so must a book that hopes to explain the Lone Star State. Being Texan is as full of itself as any Texan must be, but what other state could pull off such a glorious self-examination?”
Shea Serrano
Texas is the most interesting state in the country, and Being Texan is one of the most compelling books I’ve read about being Texan. There are sentences in it that I’m certain you won’t agree with, and also there are sentences in it that feel like they were written specifically for you. That’s also a good way to think about Texas itself.
