People

El Paso Young-adult Author Benjamin Alire Sáenz Explores the Outliers

Don’t be surprised if you fall in love with the characters in Benjamin Alire Sáenz’s fiction. Be it with two high school friends taking on the world in his celebrated young-adult novels, or with people stumbling through loss in his short stories, or with the shining voice of his poetry, the El Paso-based writer expands your perspective and opens your heart. Read More »

Bill Wittliff, Lauded Texas Writer and Founder of Cultural Archives at Texas State, Has Died

In memory of Bill Wittliff, who died Sunday, we revisit our July 2018 profile of Wittliff and the cultural archives he founded and developed at Texas State University, the Wittliff Collections. Read More »

Irish Storybook Creator Oliver Jeffers Talks Children’s Books in Abilene

The 40-year-old Jeffers was the featured artist at this year’s Children’s Art and Literacy Festival, Abilene’s ... Read More »

W.F. Strong Tells Unbelievable Tales of Texas’ Past in His New Book

You might recognize W.F. Strong’s booming, theatrical voice from his Stories from Texas segment on 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. Read More »

Why Mattress Mack Means so Much to Houston

Jim McIngvale moved to Houston in 1981 with $5,000 and a dream to build a furniture empire. Within a few years, the founder of Gallery Furniture had become a local household name as “Mattress Mack,” the pitchman featured in the retailer’s zany low-budget commercials. Read More »

Author Joe Lansdale Explains Why East Texas Will Always Be Home

Nobody writes like Joe Lansdale, because Lansdale writes like everybody he knows is dead. Tempering ... Read More »

Crafting for Recovery at Farley Boat Works

Hurricane Harvey’s Category 4 winds, along with a 6-foot storm surge, met their match in the backyard of Farley Boat Works. While countless boats across the island were strewn far from their moorings by the hurricane or sunk in waterways, a 60-foot schooner named Lydia Ann moved less than a foot in its construction cradle, its hull, deck and “doghouse” cabin largely intact. Read More »

As They Open a New B&B, the Junk Gypsy Sisters Talk Round Top and Their Passion for Junk

As preteens in East Texas, they plucked the relic from a pile of discarded furniture and repurposed it in their tree house. Now the duo, popularly known as the Junk Gypsies, have made a very successful pursuit out of turning other people’s trash into treasure, or “junking.” The sisters’ brand includes the Junk Gypsy Company retail store in Round Top, a self-titled book, merchandise ranging from fringed cowgirl boots to ruffled bedding, and a TV show. Read More »

Senior Editor Lori Moffatt Shares Her Favorite Places in Texas After 27 Years at Texas Highways

This issue marks the 44th anniversary of the travel magazine of Texas. It’s also the last issue for Senior Editor Lori Moffatt, who is retiring after an esteemed 27 years with the publication. As a staff, we’re going to miss her irreplaceable knowledge of Texas’ history and culture, insightful edits and sharp eye for details, but even more so the passion and vitality she’s brought to these pages and the office over the years. Before her departure, I asked her to share some of her insights with the readers she’s served so well for more than 300 issues. Read More »