God Save Texas
God Save Texas – Lawrence Wright
Paraphrased from the early chapters, Texas is where everything ends. The South dead ends in East Texas, the Plains states give way to hills, the mythic West and the Western Mountains end in West Texas. Even the Texas Gulf Coast is called the Devil’s Elbow. Geographically, with all the endings here, in Texas, that explains it?
I started the book, bought it at the warehouse store off the sale rack, but I wanted to read the digital copy. The library’s crashed after the first few pages. Which was weird, but that means, I was back to a book-book. Harder to pull quotes, can’t copy and paste. Digital reads quicker, easier for me, most days, now. Still, this is my material. Although I was raised in Texas, until a few years back I was sorely lacking in the Texas History area. Knew the Alamo, but not much else. The history of the lands and what it was, to what it is, all fascinating.
“The central fact about boom societies is that they inevitably go bust.” Page 48.
Cautiously yet perceptively observed, dressed with dry wit. Wryly observed. An uncle recommended the book, and he does know books.
More like a collections of essays, about Texas, my Texas, as we crossed paths, I suspect, in Austin, in the day. About the Bush presidency?
“Like it or not, we would be onstage, we would be reviewed, some of us would become famous beyond our circle, and others would be indicted.” Page 130
Sums it up, aptly.
Hard to believe we all crossed paths in old Austin. And Lubbock, then Marfa. Wink. That’s “Wink, Texas” — home of Roy Orbison.
Good set of memories, brilliantly executed, unabashedly Texan, and what it takes to be Texan.
Several times I wanted to pull quotes out, the funny bit from the late, great Gov. Richards, the stories about excess, politicians with hot tubs filled with hookers. Yeah, normal stuff.
Firmly lodged between a memoir and collection of longer-form prose, I’m unsure what it is. Well written sure, with a musical cadence I can only admire.
Cautiously hypothesized, as goes Texas, so goes the country, and now? As the title implies?
God Save Texas
Hat tip to the uncle for this one.
