Category: News

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The Wittliff acquires the Archive of Renowned Writer Benjamín Alire Sáenz

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The Wittliff Collections at Texas State University have acquired the complete archive of internationally acclaimed writer Benjamín Alire Sáenz. A major literary voice from the US-Mexico borderlands, Sáenz is the author of nearly 30 books and his works have been published in 25 languages worldwide. Sáenz, who lives and works in El Paso, has said, …

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Wittliff Acquires Large Texana Research Collection

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Longtime Texas writer Mike Cox, author of more than 40 nonfiction books, has donated his extensive Texana research files to the Texas State University’s Wittliff Collections. Amassed over sixty years, the material consists of 1,000-plus file folders that cover numerous aspects of Texas people, places, folklore and history. The files also include notes, correspondence and …

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Al Dressen’s Western Swing Legacy lives on at The Wittliff

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We were saddened to hear of the passing of Al Dressen on July 22, 2023. We remember Al not only for being an accomplished musician, but also for his establishment of the Texas Western Swing Hall of Fame Archive at The Wittliff in 1994.  Al’s commitment to Western Swing and the celebration of the music, …

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New Audiobook Celebrates Famed Texas Author J. Frank Dobie

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The spirit of legendary Texas storyteller J. Frank Dobie comes alive in a brand-new audible version of The Essential J. Frank Dobie, narrated by popular radio personality W.F. Strong, host of “Stories From Texas” on The Texas Standard.   This treasury of Dobie’s best writings recalls a bygone age when a crackling campfire could conjure up …

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New Wittliff exhibit explores life on the edge of death

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Surveying The Wittliff’s rich literary archives, this new exhibition, I Pray You Stay Alive: Writing on the Edge, explores how our best writers have personally confronted life-or-death situations: war and murder, race riots and civil rights, perilous migrant journeys, sexual assault, domestic abuse, hate crimes, cancer, mass shootings and a pandemic. “So many of these …

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Celeste Bedford Walker brings “Sassy Mamas” to The Wittliff

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The Wittliff Collections celebrates the brand-new book in its literary series, Sassy Mamas and Other Plays, with a special exhibition highlighting the acclaimed Houston playwright Celeste Bedford Walker. One of Texas’s major literary figures, Walker has authored more than forty stage plays that include bawdy comedies, searing historical dramas, a murder mystery and more. She …

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Cormac McCarthy Speaks: Newly Revealed Audio Interviews Acquired by The Wittliff Collections

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Considered one of the world’s greatest writers, Cormac McCarthy is notoriously publicity shy. Now an extraordinary series of audio interviews with McCarthy has emerged, totaling nearly four hours of conversation. The recordings are from journalist Richard B. Woodward and have been acquired by The Wittliff Collections at Texas State University, which holds McCarthy’s complete literary …

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Never-before-seen photo of Selena on display

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The young Tejano singer onstage — clad in skintight black head-to-toe, hair dyed black in a short shiny pompadour and wearing big loop earrings — looks like she’s skipping or maybe doing a modern tango. She’s in flight, and the camera went click. In that moment, photographer Al Rendon caught the teenage Selena Quintanilla in …

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Stevie Ray Vaughan comes to The Wittliff

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The recent acquisition of a substantive Steve Ray Vaughan archive is the latest gem preserved at The Wittliff Collections at Texas State University, home of more than 500 historic literary, photographic, film and music collections. The new SRV collection offers intimate insights into the life and career of the legendary guitarist in three distinct arenas: …

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Jerry Jeff Walker memorial was like a deep dive into his archives

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Tales of a pilfered puppy in Nashville, campfire songs in Ohio, sangria wine in Coconut Grove. Jerry Jeff Walker was remembered with affection and honored in song at an outdoor memorial tribute concert for 1,000 fans and friends in Luckenbach on Saturday. The sold-out event vividly brought to life and fleshed out stories which dwell …

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