Stories from Texas:Some of Them Are True

by W.F. Strong, Wyman Meinzer (Photographer)

Overview

You might call W.F. Strong a student of all things Texas. In 2010, he began sharing his 'Stories From Texas' vignettes on public radio stations, most recently on the Texas Standard news show's 30 stations. For this book celebrating his home state, Strong has collected 75 of his broadcasts. You'll hear his inimitably Texan voice in your mind's ear as he weaves stories on subjects ranging from how to ''talk Texan'' to Texas bards and troubadours; from tall Texas tales to Lone Star icons like Charles Goodnight, Tom Landry and Blue Bell ice cream; from legends and unsung heroes of the past to some heartfelt memories of his own. Strong agrees with John Steinbeck that ''Texas is a state of mind . . . a mystique closely approximating a religion,'' and every one of his stories embraces the Texas state of mind.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940162123118
Publisher:	Berkeley Place Books (Great Texas Line imprint)
Publication date:	05/10/2018
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Sales rank:	975,482
File size:	6 MB

About the Author

W. F. Strong, PhD, is a Fulbright scholar and Professor of Communication at the University of Texas - Rio Grande Valley. He grew up in Texas and holds degrees in communication and literature from Abilene Christian University and the University of North Texas, as well as a doctorate in Communication and Rhetoric from the University of Arizona. His storytelling influences range from Mark Twain, on whom he wrote his doctoral dissertation, to former public-radio host Garrison Keillor.
Strong has pursued a lifelong fascination with Texas literature, history and culture, having immersed himself in the classic books of the great Texas novelists and historians, from Walter Prescott Webb's Indians of Texas to Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove series to Philipp Meyer's The Son.
He grew up working on farms and ranches in South Texas and so has had a long connection with the Texas soil, as did his ancestors, who farmed and ranched in North Texas for more than a century. Two of his distant relatives signed the Texas Declaration of Independence from Mexico. This familial history has nurtured his love for the vibrancy of Texas culture, both historical and modern.
All these influences came together in the development of a series of brief, often humorous, sometimes dramatic radio vignettes called "Stories From Texas." They are intended to teach and amuse and inspire. In them he seeks to celebrate the Texas character in all its toughness; to showcase poignant passages from the vast literature this land has produced; and to provide a narrative for Texas pride, entrepreneurial success and Texas mythology. Celebrating Texas' charismatic culture and revealing the diverse forces that forged it, Stories From Texas airs biweekly on Texas Standard Radio, a daily news program produced in Austin that is carried on 30 NPR stations across Texas.

What People are Saying About This

News anchor for WFAA Television, Dallas - John McCaa

'Here within these pages you get a sense of the Texas that is and the Texas that once was . . . the accomplishments achieved and dreams sometimes forgotten . . . all of it woven by one of the state s premiere chroniclers of Texas lore.'

Former KERA (Dallas NPR) reporter; now Gimlet Media senior producer - Lauren Silverman

'No time to travel through every town in Texas? You're in luck, ain't no better guide than W.F. Strong. His prose is as refreshing as floating down the Brazos River on a summer afternoon: clear, stirring and full of discovery. 'Stories from Texas' will make Texans gush with pride and us foreigners wish we were from the Lone Star State. 'Nuff said.'

Editorial Reviews

"Ever' Texan oughta read this book!"

Abilene Reporter-News - Glenn Dromgoole

"'Stories from Texas' is stocked with enough information that even seasoned Texana enthusiasts might learn a thing or two. "

Houston Chronicle - Chris Gray

''You might recognize W.F. Strong's booming, theatrical voice from his 'Stories from Texas' segment on the public radio show Texas Standard. And as evidenced in his new book, 'Stories from Texas: Some of Them Are True,' his signature storytelling style translates very well on paper."

Texas Highways website - null null

''Here within these pages you get a sense of the Texas that is and the Texas that once was . . . the accomplishments achieved and dreams sometimes forgotten . . . all of it woven by one of the state s premier chroniclers of Texas lore."

WFAA-TV/Dallas - John McCaa

''No time to travel through every town in Texas? You're in luck, ain't no better guide than W.F. Strong. His prose is as refreshing as floating down the Brazos River on a summer afternoon: clear, stirring and full of discovery. 'Stories from Texas' will make Texans gush with pride and us foreigners wish we were from the Lone Star State. 'Nuff said.''

ex-KERA (Dallas NPR) reporter; now Gimlet Media senior producer - Lauren Silverman

'Stories from Texas'is stocked with enough information that even seasoned Texana enthuiasts might learn a thing or two.

Houston Chronicle