All Hail the Popcorn King

“Joe Lansdale is a great writer who can kill you not only with words, but with his hands.” So begins this feisty documentary, All Hail the Popcorn King, which celebrates the virtuoso writer from Nacogdoches Texas — a man whose vision is so original he even developed his own brand of martial arts. Although I’m …

Continue reading "All Hail the Popcorn King"

The Wittliff Acquires Papers of John Rechy, Pioneer of American, LGBT, and Chicano Literature

The Wittliff Collections at Texas State University have acquired the complete archive of internationally acclaimed author John Rechy, praised as “one of the few original American writers of the last century,” by Gore Vidal, and as “one of Mexican‑American literature’s founding authors” by critic Héctor Calderón. Rechy’s first novel, City of Night, was published in …

Continue reading "The Wittliff Acquires Papers of John Rechy, Pioneer of American, LGBT, and Chicano Literature"

In Luck with the Red Headed Stranger

The Wittliff joined Willie Nelson and hundreds of his fans for a screening of a newly restored copy of the 1986 film “Red Headed Stranger” at his Luck ranch outside of Austin. The ranch buildings were constructed for the film, and many of the old-west style buldings are still standing today. The Wittliff helped add …

Continue reading "In Luck with the Red Headed Stranger"