26 Best Authors From Texas
In the world of literature, there are many authors that have gained fame due to their creativity and writing skills. Some of these authors have not only conquered the literary world but have also made a significant impact in different fields.
In this blog post, we will be discussing successful authors from Texas that have made a name for themselves in their respective fields. We will be summarizing their works and achievements to give you a glimpse of their amazing contributions.
1. Gloria Feldt
Gloria Feldt is an American feminist author, speaker, and activist. She is known for her book "No Excuses: 9 Ways Women Can Change How We Think About Power." In this book, she discusses ways that women can overcome their barriers to power and how they can become successful leaders.
Feldt is also the co-founder of "Take The Lead Women," a nonprofit organization that aims to train women to be successful leaders. She has been featured on various media outlets, including the New York Times, Forbes, and CNN.
2. Brian T. Atkinson
Brian T. Atkinson is a writer, editor, and journalist who has contributed to various music publications. He is best known for his book, "Kent Finlay, Dreamer: The Musical Legacy Behind Cheatham Street Warehouse."
This book explores the life and legacy of Kent Finlay, a renowned music entrepreneur that founded the Cheatham Street Warehouse in San Marcos, Texas. The book celebrates the impact of the independent music scene in Texas and the country's musical heritage.
Brian T. Atkinson on LoneStarPlate
3. Michael Silverstein
Michael Silverstein is a renowned business strategist, author, and speaker. He is the author of several best-selling books, including "Trading Up: Why Consumers Want New Luxury Goods," which explores the idea that consumers' desire for new luxury goods has a positive impact on the market.
Silverstein is also a senior partner at The Boston Consulting Group and a professor at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management.
Michael Silverstein on LoneStarPlate
4. Amanda Marcotte
Amanda Marcotte is a freelance writer and political commentator. She is the author of "It's a Jungle Out There: The Feminist Survival Guide to Politically Inhospitable Environments."
In this book, she discusses how to navigate situations where sexism, racism, and other forms of oppression are present. She has written for various publications, including Salon, Slate, and The Daily Beast, and is a regular contributor to The New York Times.
Amanda Marcotte on LoneStarPlate
5. Stacey Swann
Stacey Swann is an American author who has made a name for herself in the literary world. Her acclaimed debut novel "Olympus, Texas" has received critical acclaim and was named one of the Best Books of May 2021 by Amazon.
This novel explores the lives of three generations of a family in a small Texas town and how their pasts and secrets collide. Stacey's work has been featured in various publications, including The Paris Review, The Southern Review, and Kenyon Review.
6. May Cobb
Born in Texas and raised in Wyoming, May Cobb is an award-winning author and essayist who has been featured in publications such as The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and The Paris Review. Currently based in Austin, Texas, her debut novel, Big Woods, has been hailed as a thrilling and suspenseful read that will keep you on edge until the very end.
7. Tim O’Brien
Born in Austin, Texas and having served in Vietnam, Tim O'Brien is an American novelist best known for his book The Things They Carried. A powerful exploration of war and its effects on soldiers, The Things They Carried was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize and is widely considered one of the best books on the subject.
8. Max Lucado
Max Lucado is a well-known Christian author who was born in San Angelo, Texas. He has written dozens of books including You Are Special, Just Like Jesus, and When God Whispers Your Name. His approachable and relatable writing style has earned him a massive following, and his books have been published in multiple languages and sold millions of copies worldwide.
9. June Arnold
June Arnold is a lesser-known Texan author whose work deserves a lot more attention. Born in 1926 in Houston, Arnold is best known for her wide-ranging and groundbreaking novel The Cook and the Carpenter, which was published in 1973. The book was one of the first openly lesbian-themed novels in the United States.
10. Estela Portillo Trambley
Estela Portillo Trambley was a Mexican American author who was born in El Paso, Texas in 1926. Her work focused on the lives of Chicana women and the struggles they faced in society. Her most famous book, Rain of Gold, traces her own family's journey from Mexico to the United States and was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award.
Estela Portillo Trambley on Wikipedia
11. Dorothy Scarborough
Dorothy Scarborough, a Texas born author, was born in 1878 and went on to produce literary works of excellent quality. Her most notable work was published in 1925, titled "God's Country and the Woman," a novel that explored the plight of the Southern woman in rural society.
Scarborough's literary works were well known for their use of haunting themes and rural settings. Her writings inspired other writers to explore the southern cultural landscape, an inspiration that is still felt to this day.
Dorothy Scarborough on Wikipedia
12. Pat Carr
Pat Carr was born in Houston, Texas, in 1942, and her work focused on the portrayal of life in Houston. Carr is known for her strong storytelling abilities, with some of her most notable works including “One Page at a Time,” and “The Women in the Mirror”. In 2003, Carr was honored with the Texas Institute of Letters Award for Best Fiction.
13. Ruth Cross
Ruth Cross was one of Texas’s most prominent writers of her time, she was born in 1887 and published her first novel “the Golden Cocoon” in 1924, a fictional work that explored the lives of women who had been denied access to education.
Her literary works were known for their focus on the rural southern environment, as well as the struggles that were common in those times, including social, economic and racial. Her critical acclaim is undeniable, and her writings remain essential reading in literary circles.
Ruth Cross on Texas State Historical Association
14. Amy Gentry
Amy Gentry is a highly regarded writer, whose work evokes a strong sense of place and culture. Born in Houston, Texas, her works are centered mostly around that area. Her most popular work, Good as Gone, which was published in 2016, is a psychological thriller that has been highly praised for its suspenseful plot, and character development.
15. Attica Locke
Attica Locke hails from Houston, Texas and has won several awards and accolades for her works, including Black Water Rising, which was nominated for an Edgar Award.
She is a master of crime fiction and has a talent for crafting intricate plots with raw and piercing prose. Her most recent novel, Heaven, My Home, takes readers deep into the world of East Texas and tackles issues on race, class, and social justice.
16. Lara Prescott
Lara Prescott is a former Michener Center fellow at the University of Texas and has made waves in the literary scene for her debut novel, The Secrets We Kept.
This historical fiction novel takes readers on a thrilling ride through the Cold War and weaves in the incredible true story of the CIA’s mission to smuggle Boris Pasternak’s Doctor Zhivago out of the Soviet Union. Prescott’s writing is exquisite, and she has a rare gift for transporting readers to different times and places.
17. Bryan Washington
Bryan Washington grew up in Houston and is a rising star in the literary world. He is the author of the critically acclaimed collection of short stories, Lot, which explores the lives of people of color and queer communities in Houston.
His writing is honest, gut-punching, and immensely readable. Washington’s works tackle issues of identity, family, and belonging in a way that is both heartbreaking and hopeful.
18. Stephen Harrigan
Stephen Harrigan is a native of the Texas Hill Country and has published several historical and contemporary novels set in Texas. His works are widely acclaimed and have received numerous awards, including the TCU Texas Book Award.
Perhaps his most popular work, The Gates of the Alamo, is a historical fiction masterpiece that captures the spirit and soul of Texas history. Harrigan is a master storyteller and has an unmatched talent for capturing the essence of the Texan experience in his classic old western book series.
19. Larry McMurtry
Larry McMurtry is a true legend of Texas literature, and it’s hard to imagine a list of the state’s best authors without him. He is the author of over thirty novels and countless other works and has won almost every major award in literature.
His most famous novel, Lonesome Dove, is a Western epic that has been adapted into a TV miniseries and has become a cultural icon. One of the top current Western authors, McMurtry’s writing is marked by his deep love and understanding of Texas and its people.
20. Paulette Jiles
Paulette Jiles is a novelist and poet from San Antonio, Texas. She has published several novels, including Enemy Women, which was a finalist for the National Book Award.
Her most recent work, News Of The World, follows the journey of an itinerant news reader and a young girl in post-Civil War Texas. Jiles' writing is marked by a lyrical quality and her ability to seamlessly blend together historical fiction and literary prose.
21. Rick Riordan
Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Rick Riordan is a New York Times bestselling author known for his young adult and middle-grade book series.
His most popular series, Percy Jackson & the Olympians, puts a modern spin on Greek mythology and has sold millions of copies worldwide. In addition to his work as a writer, Riordan is a former teacher and has created a foundation to promote literacy for young readers.
22. Cormac McCarthy
Cormac McCarthy, born in Rhode Island, spent most of his formative years in Tennessee and eventually settled in El Paso, Texas.
He is regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century, with his novels such as Blood Meridian and The Road winning numerous literary awards. McCarthy is known for his minimalist prose style, often exploring themes of violence, redemption, and the human condition.
23. Tillie Walden
Dallas-born Tillie Walden is a graphic novelist and illustrator focusing on queer narratives, coming-of-age stories, and surrealism.
In 2018, she became the youngest person ever to win an Eisner Award for her graphic novel Spinning, which chronicles her experiences as a competitive figure skater. Walden's artwork is characterized by its dreamlike quality, often blending soft pastel colors with striking images that confront the reader.
24. Monica Munoz Martinez
Monica Munoz Martinez is a historian, author, and professor at the University of Texas at Austin. Her book The Injustice Never Leaves You: Anti-Mexican Violence in Texas explores the forgotten history of state-sponsored violence against Mexicans and Mexican Americans in Texas during the 20th century.
Martinez's work sheds light on a painful chapter of American history and advocates for a more accurate and inclusive understanding of the past.
Monica Munoz Martinez on Wikipedia
25. Shaun Hamill
Houston-based writer Shaun Hamill is a rising star in the horror genre, known for his debut novel A Cosmology of Monsters. This book tells the story of a family haunted by monsters, exploring themes of grief, love, and fear. Hamill's writing has been compared to that of Stephen King, and he has received critical acclaim for his ability to blend the supernatural with the emotional.
26. Katherine Anne Porter
Katherine Anne Porter, born in Indian Creek, Texas, was a renowned author and journalist whose work explored the complexities of human relationships.
She is best known for her short stories, which often featured strong female characters grappling with issues of sexuality and power. Porter received numerous literary honors during her lifetime, and her work continues to be studied and celebrated today.
Katherine Anne Porter on Wikipedia
Conclusion
In summary, these great book authors have made significant contributions to their respective fields. From feminist literature to business strategy, music, and politics, they have left their mark and impacted different facets of society. Their works have inspired many, and their legacies will undoubtedly endure for generations to come. If you haven't already, we highly recommend you check out their works and learn more about their amazing contributions. One last addition is the Elmer Kelton books. He lived and worked in Texas on Western stories.
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