LaToya Watkins Explores the Sweat, Love, and Lies of Texas in “Holler, Child: Stories”

A masterful and deeply heartful look into the lives of a diverse set of emotionally complicated characters in this short story collection set in Texas.

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“Bet” on Red Clay Suzie, a Novel Rooted in Truth

In this debut, Lofton’s irresistible protagonist is both endearingly naive and surprisingly sophisticated.

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Robert Maynor on Everyday Stories, Owls, and “The Big Game Is Every Night”

An interview with Robert Maynor on his debut novel, “The Big Game Is Every Night.”

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Racism and Deadly Reparations in Stephen Kearse’s “Liquid Snakes”

“Reparations was not murder, Kenny told his dying friend. And Kenny was crazed, not crazy. Aggrieved, not grieving. There was a compelling argument that he was fucking stupid, but what he felt was fucking determined. ‘Important distinctions,’ Kenny said.”

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“Down Here We Come Up”: A Tale of Growth, Reconnection and Late-Blooming Coming-of-Age

Author Sara Johnson Allen shines a spotlight on the racial, political and social power dynamics along the U.S.-Mexico Border, and throughout the U.S., in this story of motherhood and strained familial love impacted by systems imposed upon them.

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