South by Southwest

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These Texas stories showcase the artistic excellence and narrative mastery of mid-twentieth-century writers, offering a vital glimpse into the Southwest. The collection reflects the evolution of Texas writing from a Southern orientation in the 1940s, with contributions from authors like William Goyen and William Humphrey, to the Southwestern flavor of Larry McMurtry and A. C. Greene, and finally to the urban or Sunbelt Texas depicted in the edgy prose of Doug Crowell, William Harrison, and Peter LaSalle. Celebrated authors such as Paul Horgan and William A. Owens are featured alongside previously unpublished works by Harryette Mullen, Naomi Shihab Nye, Pat Ellis Taylor, and Thomas Zigal. Notable stories include Larry McMurtry's "There Will Be Peace in Korea" and Amado Muro's "Cecilia Rosas," along with classics like Vassar Miller's autobiographical "Pact," Hughes Rudd's humorous take on grade school field trips, R. E. Smith's gripping nature encounter, and Dave Hickey's astonishing tale of a cowboy's imprisonment in a bathtub. With contributions from Bill Brett, James Crumley, Linda West Eckhardt, Robert Flynn, Mary Gray Hughes, and Carolyn Osborn, this collection challenges stereotypes and expands perceptions of Texas beyond oil wells and big hair.