Books on the Texas Perimeter

I typically hike with a book and catch a few pages both on the road and curled up in my bag at the end of the day. Below are a few of the books that I bothered to lug with me, books that broke my back but helped remind me of the wonder of it all. Enjoy.

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Thalia, Texas is the fictional setting for The Last Picture Show by Larry McMurtry. It's a one-stop-light town where old habits die hard and time seems like it will stretch for an eternity. The focal point of the novel centers around the lives of its high school kids, for in their hands rests the power to break the cycle of small town existence. As the book unravels, you find out the sad and uneventful reality about its adults... that they have been trying to break the same cycle for their entire lives. A well-written and enjoyable book.
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The cover doesn't say a whole heck of a lot, but within the pages of Tales of Old-Time Texas, J.Frank Dobie (of Dobie Center fame in Austin) spins dozens of yarns he heard over the years about the Lone Star state. The stories are mostly from the 19th century and highlight the people, the animals, the weather, and tales of lost Texas treasure. My favorite chapters cover the outlaw Sam Bass, honeybees in Texas, and the Woman of the Navidad. The tales are decidedly lighthearted, but they capture the essence of an era all but lost to the passing of time. A delightful and compelling read.
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Author and sports fan H.G. Bissinger wanted in the late 80s to visit an American football stronghold, some place where the community came together and lived for the thrill of the sport. He found such a place in Odessa, TX, where each week would pull in 15,000 to 20,000 fans on Friday night. During th 1988 season, Bissinger lived in Odessa, conducted hundreds of interviews, went to every game, followed the players on the field, at school, and at home, and ultimately produced Friday Night Lights, a work of such profound journalistic depth that I had trouble not rereading the entire thing a second time. Many issues come into play, such as the intensity of the game, the sincerity of the major players and coaches, the fanaticism of the town. However, the story becomes much more compelling when issues of racism, grade tampering, and community harassment are woven into the story, glaring and as bright as those Friday night lights. A fantastic piece of non-fiction and a must-read.
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Until we meet again...