Christmas Cataloga publication of TCU Press

To order books: visit www.prs.tcu.edu, visit the Press at 3ooo Sandage, or call 1.8oo.826.8911

TCU Presspublishing since 1947.TCU Press has traditionally published the history and literature of Texas and the American West. As the press has grown steadily in stature and in its ability to bring credit to its parent university over the last sixty years, it has been praised for publishing regional fiction and for discovering and preserving local history. TCU Press is a member of the Texas Book Consortium, a collection of university presses from around the state. Book sales and distribution are handled by Texas A&M University Press, the founder of the Consortium.

AWARDSTexas Book Festival Featured Authors: Nick Kotz (author of The Harness Maker’s Dream) and Thomas Zigal (author of Many Rivers to Cross)

Writers League of Texas Book Award Poetry Finalist: Jan Seale: New and Selected Poems

West Texas Historical Association’s Rupert Richardson Award for Best Book on West Texas History: Devils River by Patrick Dearen

Texas Institute of Letters H-E-B Award for Best Children’s Book: Log Cabin Kitty by Donna Rubin and illustrated by Susan Halbower

2012 Book of the Year Award in Architecture Finalist: Fair Park Deco: Art and Architecture of the Texas Centennial Exposition by Jim Parsons and David Bush

Will Rogers Medallion Award for Western Fiction Finalist: To Hell or the Pecos, a novel by Patrick Dearen

Will Rogers Medallion Award for Western Nonfiction: The Texas Legation Papers, 1836-1845, by TCU Professor of History Kenneth Stevens

San Antonio Conservation Society’s Publication Awards: Grace and Gumption: The Women of El Paso edited by Marcia Daudistel and Patrick Dearen’s Devils River

TIL Jesse H. Jones Award for Best Work of Fiction: Comanche Sundown by Jan Reid

Books about

TCU

Riff, Ram, Bah, Zoo! Football Comes to TCUEzra Hood

EZRA HOOD graduated from TCU in 2005 with a degree in music composition. He received his JD from George Mason University School of Law in 2009 and currently works as an attorney adviser in Fort Worth. As a student, he wrote for the TCU Daily Skiff and remains an enthusiastic fan of TCU athletics.

978-0-87565-566-6 paper978-0-87565-592-5 eBook $20.006x9. 128 pp.

Ezra Hood’s Riff, Ram, Bah, Zoo! Football Comes to TCU traces the origins of Texas Christian University, a tiny liberal arts college in Waco, Texas, to its induction into the Southwest Conference in 1922 as an up-and-coming collegiate football power. Drawing from numerous newspaper sources—most notably from the Skiff—Hood’s book provides an in-depth, game-by-game history of a football program that struggled to find its place among established Texas football programs in the early twentieth century.

Praise for Riff, Ram, Bah, Zoo!“All TCU fans will enjoy this interesting account of our football team’s earliest years. Thanks to Ezra Hood and TCU Press, the stories and photos offer fascinating insight into how the game of football came to TCU.”

—Victor Boschini, Chancellor, TCU

“TCU has a proud football tradition, and we’re excited that TCU Press is capturing its early years with this very special publication. It’s a must read for any Horned Frogs football fan.”

—Chris Del Conte, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, TCU

“Ezra Hood has cast a bright light on the early years of TCU football, when games were played on East Campus. No TV, no bowls, not even Davey O’Brien . . . it’s an inside look at the cornerstone days of a program that continues to honor its pigskin pioneers. Riff Ram!”

—John Denton, Color Analyst, TCU Sports Network

with a foreword by Coach Gary Patterson

A Century of Partnership Fort Worth and TCU

Mary L. Volcansek, editor

MARY L. VOLCANSEK is executive director of the Center for Texas Studies at TCU and a professor of political science. A native Texan, she returned to TCU in 2000 to assume the deanship of AddRan College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Previously, she was professor of political science at Florida International University.

978-0-87565-417-1 cloth $37.9510x10. 114 pp.

On the 100th anniversary of TCU’s move to Fort Worth, the Center for Texas Studies at TCU and the TCU Press have joined together to produce an in-depth look at the historical relationship between town and gown, between the city and the university that are inextricably linked.

Taking advantage of newly digitized photographic archives, the book explores the history of the university, how its academic programs enhanced city life, how the university’s myriad arts offerings created a reciprocal relationship with Fort Worth’s art community, how campus life was transformed and influenced by city life, how the physical makeup of the campus affected the look of the city, and how the athletic program inculcated die-hard fans with love of all things purple.

Contributors:• Mike Moncrief, Former Mayor• Mary Volcansek, Executive Director of the Center for Texas Studies• Ron Tyler, Director of the Amon Carter Museum• Bob Frye, Emeritus Professor of English• Gene Smith, Director of the Center for Texas Studies and History

Curator at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and Historyand many more!

Major MomentsRix Quinn & O. Homer Erekson, editors

Major Moments captures the success stories of seventy-five years at TCU’s Neeley School of Business. Compiled in honor of this important anniversary, Major Moments brings together the innovations and discoveries of a carefully selected all-star business team of more than eighty individuals from all industries and backgrounds. This volume celebrates the combined wisdom and experience of remarkable people. These business executives—alumni or key partners of the Neeley School—discuss the ideas, innovations, and discoveries that led to career advancement and success. The Neeley School of Business is ranked as one of the top business schools in the nation and has a reputation for producing top business executives and entrepreneurs in the global community. Unlock and enjoy reading about their wealth of knowledge, creativity, and vision.

Contributors:• J. Luther King Jr., President of Luther King Capital Management• Robert J. McCann, CEO of UBS Wealth Management Americas• Spencer Hays, Former Executive Chairman of The Southwestern

Company• John V. Roach, Former Chairman of the Board of Tandy

Corporation and Justin Industries• Gordon England, President of E6 Partners, LLCand many more!

RIX QUINN, primarily a biographer, has written two national newspapercolumns and five books.

O. HOMER EREKSON is the John V.Roach Dean and Professor of Managerial Economics and Strategy at the Neeley School of Business at TCU.

978-0-87565-488-1 cloth $55.009x12. 240 pp.

Life-Changing Lessons of Business Leaders from the Neeley School of Business at TCU

New Releases

Many Rivers to Cross a novelThomas Zigal

THOMAS ZIGAL is the author of the critically acclaimed Kurt Muller mystery series. A former vice president of the Texas Institute of Letters, he holds an MA degree from the Stanford Writing Program and is a member of the Authors Guild, the Mystery Writers of America, and the Writers League of Texas. Zigal currently lives in Austin, Texas.

978-0-87565-569-7 paper $26.50978-0-87565-585-7 cloth $37.95978-0-87565-586-4 eBook6x9. 320 pp.

Set in post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans, this novel follows Vietnam vet Hodge Grant as he guides his homemade boat through the treacherous waters that have flooded the city. Hodge, aided by his daughter’s reluctant ex-boyfriend, tries desperately to rescue his daughter and her two children, who are trapped by fetid, rapidly rising floodwaters in the midst of a world that has descended into chaos and violence. Many Rivers to Cross has already received acclaim from notable writers like Scott Turow, Richard Ford, Jan Reid, and several others.

Praise for Many Rivers to Cross“Many Rivers to Cross drew me in and never let me go. The narrative brought back, vividly and painfully, the most unforgettable story I’ve ever covered. Zigal uncannily captured the surreality and madness of that week after the storm when the rule of law disintegrated in one of America’s great cities and an epic calamity revealed the very finest and foulest of the human spirit. I was in many of those places where his characters passed through, and I can tell you that Zigal did his homework.”

—John Burnett, NPR Correspondent

“Thomas Zigal is the real deal in every sense – a real storyteller who writes with enormous craft and boundless compassion. Many Rivers to Cross, about the aftereffects of Hurricane Katrina, is suspenseful and deeply compelling – Zigal at his best, which is very, very good indeed.”

—Scott Turow, author

“Thomas Zigal has always been an expert storyteller, and in this compelling new novel his skill and empathy shine brighter than ever. Many Rivers to Cross is a stirring example of the magic that can happen when a story of urgent contemporary relevance is told with timeless narrative mastery.”

—Stephen Harrigan, author

Texas Chili? Oh My!Patricia VermillionKuleigh Smith, illustrator

Texas Chili? Oh My! is a retelling of the beloved fairy tale The Three Little Pigs—Texas style! Meet Bluebonnet, Mockingbird, and Sweet- Olive, three little armadillos, as they leave Mamadillo’s home and build their own dens out of native Texan materials. But watch out for Trickster Coyote, always looking for armadillos to make into Texas chili!

Aided by adorable and colorful illustrations that depict Texas characters, settings, plants, and natural resources, Patricia Vermillion also gets the Texas vernacular just right!

Kids and adults alike will be entertained and educated on Texas symbols in this beautiful book, which is available in both English and Spanish. Texas Chili? Oh My! includes a glossary and learning objectives to aid elementary teachers in making Texas history a fun, engaging experience for students. It also includes the special chili recipe of Chef Chris Ward of Mercury Grill in Dallas.

PATRICIA VERMILLION serves as the librarian at the Lamplighter School in Dallas, Texas. She is a contributor to Mississippi Magazine, School Library Monthly, and Library Sparks Magazine, and is a member of the American Library Association, Association of Independent School Librarians, and Dallas Association of Independent Librarians.

KULEIGH SMITH attended the Art Institute of Dallas and served as the director of Galeria Sin Fronteras.

978-0-87565-568-0 lithocase (Eng.)978-0-87565-584-0 lithocase (Span.)eBook coming soon!$21.9510x7.5. 32 pp.

Tails on the Hill Stories about a Family and Its Dogs

Carol ThorntonVicky Williams Harrison, illustrator

According to the old adage, dog is man’s best friend. However, in small-town West Texas, dog is also a little girl’s best friend. Told through the eyes of an adolescent narrator, Carol Thornton’s Tails on the Hill depicts the happenings of the Hill Gang, an eclectic collection of dogs that wander in and out of the narrator’s life. A refuge for all abandoned dogs, the narrator’s home shelters all type of personalities. Told in brief tales, each dog’s character seems more human and lovable than the next.

There’s Pobre, the peace-loving pound dog and Posse, the stubborn husky. Then there’s May-ree, the abandoned hunting dog and Wookie, the German Shepherd who always has a new litter of puppies. And who could forget Tootie and Katy, the schnauzers who cause such trouble in the pet parlor? With each tale, the reader is transported into the some-times rowdy experiences that come with owning and loving dogs.

A narrative for any dog lover, Thornton’s Tails on the Hill explores the complex, devoted relationship between dog and owner and will warm the hearts of all readers with its light, effervescent tales.

CAROL THORNTON was born in Fort Worth and graduated from TCU. Carol taught high school English and speech. After eleven years she began to sculpt. She opened the Carol Thornton Gallery in Santa Fe, and she had the opportunity to sculpt the founders of TCU-Addison and Randolph Clark.

VICKY WILLIAMS HARRISON has had her work displayed in galleries, art shows, and murals.

978-0-87565-573-4 paper 978-0-87565-591-8 eBook$18.956x9. 64 pp.

The Harness Maker’s DreamNick Kotz

Both historical study and ancestral narrative, The Harness Maker’s Dream follows the story of Ukrainian immigrant Nathan Kallison’s journey to the United States in search of a brighter future. At the turn of the twentieth century, over two million Jews emigrated from Czarist Russia and Eastern Europe to escape anti-Semitic law. Seventeen-year-old Kallison and his brothers were among those brave enough to escape persecution and pursue liberty by leaving their homeland in 1890. Faced with the challenges of learning English and earning wages as a harness maker, Kallison moves to San Antonio, Texas, where he finds success by founding one of the largest farm and ranch supply businesses in South Texas and eventually running one of the region’s most innovative ranches.

The son of Nathan Kallison’s daughter Tibe, author Nick Kotz provides a moving account of his ancestors’ search for the American dream. Kotz’s insight into the life of this inspiring individual will prompt readers to consider their own connections to America’s immigrant past and recognize the beauty of our nation’s diverse history.

Praise for The Harness Maker’s Dream“The Harness Maker’s Dream has the breadth, depth, and sweep of first-class history. Set in Texas but with universal appeal, well-told, it unfolds how and why America surged through the first two-thirds of the 20th Century.

—Dan Rather

“Every once in a while there comes along a magnificent work of history and story-telling that demands unbridle praise. The Harness Maker’s Dream is such a book. Nick Kotz recounts the saga and sagacity of his South Texas grandfather with well-researched care and moving, superbly crafted prose. The result is a marvelous history lesson told with the lilt of a novel.

—Jim Lehrer

NICK KOTZ is a renowned author, journalist, and historian whose work has received top honors in his field, including a Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting. He served as a distinguished adjunct professor at the American University School of Communications and completed a semester as the Senior Journalist in Residence at Duke University. He now lives on a cattle farm in Broad Run, Virginia, where he continues to write.

978-0-87565-567-3 cloth $25.956x9. 320 pp.

Nathan Kallison and the Rise of South Texas

descantThe Literary Journal of Fort Worth

For over fifty years, descant, the literary journal of Fort Worth, has been publishing outstanding poetry and fiction, and, over the course of five decades, descant has become one of the oldest continuously published small literary journals, featuring some of the country’s best writers.

Submissionsdescant seeks high-quality work in either innovative or traditional forms. Fiction is usually 5,000 words or fewer, poems sixty lines or fewer, though its editors occasionally accept submissions exceeding these lengths. descant specifies no particular subject matter or style. Please submit only one story and no more than five poems at one time. A self-addressed stamped envelope must be included to guarantee reply, return, or acknowledgement of submissions. Writers must confirm that work accepted by descant has not been previously published and that they will credit descant as the original publisher whenever and wherever else the work may be placed.

Manuscripts are considered from September 1 through April 1.

Subscriptions$15 ($20 outside the United States)

descant is published once a year, each summer, by the AddRan College of Liberal Arts, the TCU English Department, and TCU Press.

To subscribe, please send a check to:

descantTCU Box 298300Fort Worth, TX 76129

A Publication of Texas Christian University

descant

2013 Volume 52

edited by David Kuhne978-0-87565-348-8 cloth$26.506x9. 224pp.

eBooks Now Available!Compatible with any eReader

Hometown, Texas Young Poets and Artists Celebrate Their Roots

karla k. morton

Karla K. Morton’s Hometown, Texas is a collection of beautiful poems and artwork created by students from small towns all over Texas and by morton herself, making the collection truly unique and intriguing. Each poem brings to life another piece of Texas easily overlooked by those who do not quite understand why Texans are so passionate about their state. The 2010 Texas Poet Laureate hit the road in September 2009, traveling to middle and high schools in small towns across the state, showing students the importance of writing and asking them to create something beautiful that accurately represented their town. From Grandma’s mustang jelly and Leddy’s custom boots to forgotten railroads in Haslet, Friday night football, and even Mexican pride, morton and her newly discovered creative writers do not miss a thing about the beloved small towns of Texas. A great coffee table read, Hometown, Texas includes fabulous artwork drawn by talented students, giving a glimpse into the best of their hometowns. In this eclectic selection, the reader will eagerly turn page after page to learn a little something more about Texas from the Texan youth. The poetry is simple and authentic, allowing readers to fall in love with Texas all over again.

KARLA K. MORTON’s work has appeared in such publications as Amarillo Boy, REAL, descant, Langdon Review, New Texas, Illya’s Honey, Borderlands, and Southwestern American Literature. Morton was selected 2010 Texas Poet Laureate by the Texas Legislature and published New and Selected Poems with TCU Press.

978-0-87565-544-4 paper $25.009x9. 160 pp.

Cedar Crossing a novelMark Busby

When young Jeff Adams is given an assignment for a college course in 1964, President Kennedy has just been assassinated, the movement for civil rights is beginning to stir, and developments in Vietnam barely make the back pages of the newspaper. Setting out to record a story from his family’s history, Jeff discovers—sitting in his grandfather’s hideout while Pampaw smokes a forbidden cigar—a story that is as mesmerizing as it is shocking: the tale of a triple lynching in Henderson County in the late spring of 1899. Even as the scene of the crime is slowly submerged by the filling of Cedar Creek Reservoir, Jeff struggles to uncover the truths of what really happened that fateful night in 1899.

The Trans-Cedar lynching is an infamous tale that has been buried deep in the subconscious of rural Texas history—although it made front page headlines in the Dallas Morning News and even national newspapers from May through November of 1899. Mark Busby has not only researched original documents but has utilized family oral histories to probe the mysteries that still shroud a lynching that is as horrifying and baffling now as it was over a hundred years ago.

MARK BUSBY is the author or editor of eleven books and is well known for his writings on the American West. Busby is a professor of English and Southwestern studies as well as the director of the NEH Southwest Regional Humanities Center and the Center for the Study of the Southwest at Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas.

978-0-87565-545-1 paper 978-0-87565-546-8 eBook$24.956x9. 224 pp.

TRIPLE LYNCHING AFTERMATHView Expressed That Mob Went

Further ThanWas Intended

Corsicana, Tex., May 26, 1899

A Scene As Abounding In Pathos

As MoistenedEyes Ever Rested On

FATHER AND SONS LYNCHED

Awakened, Snatched From Wives And

Children

Dallas Morning NewsMay 29, 1899

The Wright StuffJames Riddlesperger Jr., Anthony Champagne, & Dan Williams, editors

Inspired by his parents’ love for the written word, former Speaker ofthe House Jim Wright developed a passion for books and writing ata young age. During his thirty-four years as a US Congressman andtwo years as Speaker of the House, written communication continuedto play an integral role in Wright’s life as he developed an increasedunderstanding of the power of words.

Through a sampling of some of Wright’s finest work, The Wright Stuff follows the major elements in Wright’s political career, ideological development, and philosophical thought. A prolific and accomplished writer, Wright possesses the keen ability to properly contextualize historic events while providing enduring lessons in governance and life. Generously illustrated with photographs, The Wright Stuff allows readers to celebrate the many accomplishments of Speaker Wright, and, through his eyes, to gain a greater understanding of many of the signature events of the twentieth century.

Praise for Jim Wright’s Work“Jim Wright practiced politics when it was an art and our politicians were good at it and actually got things done. Both sides of the aisle could learn much from this book.”

—Bob Schieffer, CBS News

“Jim Wright [speaks] from the heart as well as from the head. . . . He is a writer . . . of considerable power and warmth.”

—Lyndon Baines Johnson, January 14, 1959

“Jim Wright can reach your heart because he speaks from the heart.”—Thomas P. “Tip” O’Neill, March 17, 1986

JAMES RIDDLESPERGER is a professor of political science at TCU, where he teaches American politics.

ANTHONY CHAMPAGNE is a professor of political science at the University of Texas at Dallas, where he has taught since 1979.

DAN WILLIAMS is the Honors Professor of Humanities in the John V. Roach Honors College at TCU and Director of TCU Press.

978-0-87565-506-2 cloth978-0-87565-571-0 paper $32.50/26.956x9. 320 pp.

Reflections on People and Politics by Former House Speaker Jim Wright

A Texas Jubilee Thirteen Stories from the Lone Star State

James Ward Lee

Set primarily during the 1930s, A Texas Jubilee is a collectionof short stories about life in fictional Bodark Springs, Texas. Throughthese stories, author Jim Lee paints a humorous picture of the politics,friendships, and secrets that are part of day-to-day life in thiseccentric little Texas town. Stories like “Rock-ola” and “Pink Petticoat” reveal secrets and raise questions about many of the town’s colorful characters. Will Grady Dell reunite with his lost love, Eva? Is there a connection between Edna Earle Morris’s attempted suicide and her mysterious visit from Jesus? Although the pace of life in this small town is slow, there is never a dull moment in A Texas Jubilee. From the first to last page, readers will be constantly entertained by the exotic and unexpected in this imaginative collection of tales.

Praise for A Texas Jubilee“James Ward Lee is a master folklorist: wry, generous, biting, and always humorous. For those of us who live far flung but still consider ourselves Texans, a new collection from Jim is like a gift from home!”

—Shelby Hearon, author

“A jubilee celebrates, and James Ward Lee provides us a wonderful dream of jubilation, nostalgia, and heartbreak in his collection of short stories.”

—Gerald Duff, author

JAMES WARD LEE is Emeritus Professor of English at the University of North Texas. He is author of many essays, reviews, and stories. He wrote Texas, My Texas; Adventures with a Texas Humanist; and Classics of Texas Fiction. Lee was also elected to the Texas Literary Hall of Fame.

978-0-87565-513-0 paper978-0-85565-575-8 eBook$22.956x9. 192 pp.

The Street A Journey into Homelessness

B. J. Lacasse

B. J. Lacasse, photographer and author of The Street, decided to stop “not noticing” and photograph the homeless of Fort Worth to help the rest of us perceive those we usually try to ignore. In addition to photographing the homeless living in and around the city, she took the time to get to know them as well, keeping a journal of their stories and her observations. The Street is the end product of her journey into the lives of the homeless. These photos are poignant, heartbreaking, and at times difficult to look at, but in them there is also an air of hope. With a foreword by former Fort Worth mayor Mike Moncrief, The Street begins with a message about change that confronts us with the face of homelessness, opening our eyes to the world we’ve blatantly ignored.

Praise for The Street“B. J. Lacasse has done the Fort Worth community a tremendous service. . . . Her incredible photographs succeed in putting a human face on homelessness. They are glimpses into the souls of the homeless living in our own backyard-and they demand not just our empathy, but our action.”

—the Honorable Wendy R. Davis, Texas state senator

B. J . LACASSE is a national award-winning photographer, graphic artist, and volunteer extraordinaire. She has worked with non-profits, small start-up companies, and Fortune 500 companies. Her culinary photography was most recently featured in chef Jon Bonnell’s cookbooks andreceived rave reviews.

978-0-87565-500-0 cloth $29.958.5x11. 120 pp.

Fair Park Deco Art and Architecture of the Texas Centennial Exposition

Jim Parsons & David Bush

Fair Park Deco is a fascinating tour of the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition. Like every American exposition in the 1930s, it began in economic depression. Although its economy had been buoyed by major oil discoveries in the early ’30s, Texas agriculture was hard hit by the Great Depression. By the middle of the decade, state officials had set their sights on a great centennial celebration to help stimulate the economy and attract tourist dollars. This book focuses specifically on the art deco art and architecture of Fair Park—the public spaces, buildings, sculptures, and murals that were designed for the 1936 exposition. Most of the chapters in the book represent different areas of Fair Park, with buildings and artwork effectively arranged in the same order that a visitor to the Texas Centennial Exposition might have seen them. The art and architecture are featured in original photography by Jim Parsons and David Bush as well as in historic photographs. Fair Park is one of the finest collections of deco architecture in the country, but it is so much more: the embodiment of Texan swagger, it is a testament to the Texanic task of creating a dazzling spectacle in the darkest days of the Depression.

JIM PARSONS is the director of special projects and walking tours chair for Preservation Houston. Healso works as a freelance writer, editor, and photographer.

DAVID BUSH developed hislifelong interest in historic architecture while growing up in New Orleans. He has worked professionally in preservation since 1990, primarily at Galveston Historical Foundation and Preservation Houston.

David Bush and Jim Parsons have coauthored three books together.

978-0-87565-501-7 cloth $40.0010x10. 228 pp.

The Chicken Hanger a novelBen Rehder

Ricky Delgado works as a chicken hanger at the poultry plant in Rugoso, Texas, a small border town just thirty miles south of Laredo. His quiet, illegal lifestyle is disrupted when he learns that his brother Tomás has been shot and injured shortly after crossing the border. Together, Ricky and Tomás must make a decision: to risk their illegal status and seek justice, or remain silent and endure the injustices common to all “wetbacks” within the states. Herschel Gandy, a wealthy Rugoso ranch owner and self-appointed defender of the border, has taken to firing warning shots at illegals crossing over on his ranch. But when he finds a bloodied backpack near the place he had been shooting, the repercussions of his cover-up game affect the entire town. Warren Coleman, the best border patrol agent in Rugoso, has been struggling with his conscience since allowing a trio of illegal aliens to cross one morning. One was obviously injured. After stopping a van smuggling drugs over the border, Warren shoots and kills the driver in his partner’s defense. He is immediately thrown into the national spotlight for his heroism-or brutality-depending on the source.

Praise for The Chicken Hanger“This is a fine, strong novel, full of great characters. Ben Rehder takes us behind the headlines and onto the front lines of the immigration wars. The result is this dramatic and compelling book.”

—Steve Davis, author

“In the tradition of Carl Hiaasen, The Chicken Hanger is a . . . highly original look at the contradictions, hypocrisies and hard realities of illegal immigration.”

—Sarah Bird, author

BEN REHDER is a freelance writer, novelist, and outdoors enthusiastwho lives with his wife near Austin, where he was born and raised. Rehder’s love of the outdoors has influenced much of his writing, including his Blanco County comic mysteries. Novels from that six-book series made best-of-the-year lists in Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, and Field & Stream.

978-0-87565-436-2 paper 978-0-87565-495-9 eBook$23.956x9. 232 pp.

The Elmer Kelton Collectionbestselling author of contemporary western fiction

ELMER KELTON is the author of over forty novels, published over more than fifty years. Three of Kelton’s novels have appeared in Reader’s Digest Condensed Books. Four books have won the Western Heritage Award from the National Cowboy Hall of Fame. Seven have won the Spur award from Western Writers of America. Western Writers of America, the Texas Institute of Letters, and the Western Literature Association have honored him for lifetime achievement.

“To read Elmer Kelton is to understand the world itself. He recognized the human dilemma as few of us do and articulated its reality with such clarity that anyone could learn from him. He was one of life’s greatest teachers.”

—The Reverend Ricky Burk