Admit it: moving heavy bags and exhausted bodies through airport hallways, jostled by crowds of other harried, vacant-eyed travelers, is not fun. And these days, even budget travel is expensive and questionable. So why go? The essays in... Read More

Born in 1859 into wealth and political power—his father was a Supreme Court justice; he served in Congress—George Shiras III’s long life spanned the Gilded Age, the Progressive Era, and the New Deal. James H. McCommons’s engaging... Read More

Set at the dawn of the 1980s, Norma Elia Cantú’s lovely novel "Cabañuelas" occupies a culturally liminal space. Nena is from a family in Laredo, Texas, that keeps its Mexican culture alive, even while sending its sons to fight for... Read More

While politicians and civil rights groups have their day regarding the border between the US and Mexico, it’s worth remembering the ordinary human beings who escape the news cycle’s notice. "Cutting the Wire", a timely compilation of... Read More

This food study forwards a fascinating human history of a region like no other. Gregory McNamee’s fascinating Tortillas, Tiswin & T-Bones: A Food History of the Southwest is a wonderfully absorbing foodie saga that drills down to... Read More