May | June 2015 Good Reads

By Alcalde Staff in 40 Acres, Good Reads, May | June 2015 on April 27, 2015 at 11:12 am | 1 Comment

New books of interest to the Longhorn Universe

Homegrown: Austin Music Posters From 1967 to 1982

Edited by Alan Schaefer, with
Joe Nick Patoski, ’75, and Nels Jacobson

If you sigh with longing at the memory of the Armadillo World Headquarters and the Vulcan Gas Company, then this book is for you. From Willie Nelson to Stevie Ray Vaughan, Asleep at the Wheel to Iggy Pop, dozens of future stars got their start on small stages in what was then the sleepy, far-out college town of Austin. This stylish new book from UT Press reproduces original concert posters in vibrant color, drawing on Texas State University’s Wittliff Collections.
 
 
See How Small

By Scott Blackwood, BA ’88

Three teenage girls have been brutally murdered while working in an ice cream parlor, and the killer has escaped without a trace. In this novel based on the 1991 Austin yogurt shop murders, Scott Blackwood invokes the voices of family, friends, and even the girls themselves as they grapple with the aftermath of this mysterious local tragedy. At once harrowing and poetic, See How Small examines the thin threads that tie together relationships, families, and entire communities. Blackwood weaves a supernatural story that will linger long after you finish reading.
 
 
The Upshaws of County Line:
An American Family

By Richard Orton, MMus ’75

During the Reconstruction and Jim Crow eras, some black Texans created autonomous communities to have a safe place to live. Photographer Richard Orton discovered one such community in East Texas and dedicated more than 20 years to developing an intimate relationship with the Upshaw family, founders of the County Line community. Orton’s photos and stories walk the viewer through the richness of history and culture still present in the rural town.

 

The Courthouses of Central Texas

By Brantley Hightower, BA ’00, BAr ’00

If Dairy Queen is the Texas stop sign, then the small-town county courthouse must be the Texas stoplight. Usually situated in the middle of the town square, courthouses are the literal and figurative center of activity in communities across the state. Architect Brantley Hightower examines 50 such buildings—from Atascosa to Zavala counties—in this new book from UT Press. Black-and-white photos, drawings, and site plans complete each portrait. Chuck this one in the trunk for your next Texas road trip!

Tags: books, good reads, Homegrown, May | June 2015, See How Small, The Courthouses of Central Texas, The Upshaws of County Line, UT Press