Bøker utgitt av Texas A&M University Press

During an inspection dive in 1980 along Israel's Mediterranean coast off of Kibbutz Hahotrim, Shelley Wachsmann, then Inspector of Antiquities for the Israel Department of Antiquities and Museums (now the Israel Antiquities Authority), discovered artifacts on a section of seabed swept clear of sand by a storm. Scattered around two large stone anchors, the finds consisted primarily of small, broken, or damaged pieces of metal artifacts and ingots. Late Bronze-Age Metal Artifacts off Hahotrim, Israel comprises the careful analysis of the materials by Wachsmann and ten collaborators. Examination of the artifacts, along with the context in which they were found, suggests that--rather than being all that remains of an undiscovered ancient wreck--the artifacts may have found their way to the seabed as jetsam dumped overboard by a crew hoping to extricate their vessel from a sand bar or other obstruction. As Wachsmann notes, the discovery and study of this humble group of artifacts provides evidence of a vibrant culture of maritime commerce that existed in the Late Bronze-Age Mediterranean world prior to its collapse. Positing the existence of a "dynamic international period when a system of land and sea trade routes stretched from Sardinia in the west to Iran in the east, spanning roughly a tenth of the earth's circumference," this careful analysis adds important context to our evolving understanding of the interconnectedness of the Mediterranean world at a pivotal moment in history.

The matriarch of one of the most important families in Texas history, Petra Vela Kenedy has remained a shadowy presence in the annals of South Texas. In this biography of Petra Vela Kenedy, the authors not only tell her story but also relate the history of South Texas through a woman's perspective. Utilizing previously unpublished letters, journals, photographs, and other primary materials, the authors reveal the intimate stories of the families who for years dominated governments, land acquisition, commerce, and border politics along the Rio Grande and across the Wild Horse Desert. From Petra's early life in the landed ranchero society of northern Mexico, through her alliance with Luis Vidal--an officer in the Mexican army to whom she bore eight children--until her move to Brownsville after Vidal's death, Petra lived in Mexico. When she moved to Texas, having taken Vidal's name, she represented a link to the landed families of the region. Mifflin Kenedy, a steamboat captain who had first come to Texas during the Mexican War, married into her world, acquiring local respectability and stature when he took Petra as his wife. The story of their life together encompasses war, the taming of a frontier, the blending of cultures, the origin of a ranching empire, and the establishment of a foundation and trust that still endure today, giving millions to Texas through charitable gifts. An attractive woman of business acumen, strong religious convictions, and intense family loyalty, Petra Vela Kenedy's influence through her husband and her children left a legacy whose exploration is long overdue.

Setting out to write an "entertaining collection of tales" about his childhood home in Fannin County, Texas, journalist Mackie Morris has created what one reviewer calls "a nostalgic memoir" in which "Morris has cleared out a field all to himself." Morris connects historical figures such as Davy Crockett, James Fannin, Sam Rayburn, and James Bonham with stories from his childhood involving "a talented but tortured evangelist," a blind cotton inspector, shoplifted prophylactics, "pellet football," and a host of other colorful characters and events. County Lines: An Americana Anthology reveals "how the lines that connect Fannin County folks to their history also connect them to each other." A skilled storyteller, Morris has assembled this collection with affectionate attention to the unique people, circumstances, and facts that create the connections celebrated in this book. "Always and forever it is the people who cause a collection of data points to become a true story," he says. "And the best stories engage our emotions, offer a surprise or two, and teach us something." County Lines delivers on Morris's stated aims. His tales of adventure, humor, heroism, mischief, and determination offer readers a deeper appreciation of their own connections spanning the past and present. For readers of Texana and those who enjoy well-told stories of "small town America," County Lines promises hours of entertainment and enrichment.

"Originally published as L'archâeologie navale by Editions Errance/Actes Sud (Arles, France) in 2005, this new revised and expanded edition is in a condensed and accessible form that highlights many of the principles currently guiding research in nautical archaeology around the world. Well suited for classrooms and providing a handy reference for more advanced scholars and researchers, Pomey and Rieth's Nautical Archaeology offers, most notably, emphasis on theoretical and conceptual aspects of the evolution of shipbuilding that are largely unfamiliar in the English-speaking academy. The authors begin with a chapter on basic definitions and statements of the principal issues involved in the discipline before proceeding with a discussion of available sources of information, from ancient iconography to modern excavation, embracing shipbuilding treatises of the Middle Ages and Renaissance along the way. Next, they document the various methods and procedures available to researchers as they observe, document, and study the remains of vessels. Finally, they draw conclusions about directions for future research, along with perspectives on the field of study"--

"Home gardens, in addition to providing sustenance and satisfaction, embody a sense of self identity. In this groundbreaking work on Vietnamese foodways, Farm-to-Freedom: Vietnamese Americans and Their Food Gardens brings to light how the Vietnamese diasporic population in Texas uses gardens literally and figuratively to set down roots in a new country. These gardens, often hidden in plain sight, establish the seat of Vietnamese immigrant culture, according to author Roy Francis Väu. They can also offer Vietnamese Americans an empowering pathway to forging a new homeland duality by retaining ties to the foods and environs they drew comfort from in Vietnam. Farm-to-Freedom uses the concept of emancipatory foodways as a lens into gardens that serve a semi-palliative purpose by succoring the experienced tragedies of war and exile for Vietnamese immigrants and Vietnamese Americans, which arguably adds another dimension to the importance of the home garden. Väu covers topics including but not limited to culinary citizenship, food democracy, culinary justice, and food sovereignty. Farm-to-Freedom reveals how these gardens not only provide those who tend them a greater sense of security and agency in an unfamiliar land but also give them the means to preserve and expand Vietnamese cuisine for themselves while simultaneously enriching food culture in the United States. With a wealth of original oral histories, community-based recipes and poetry, and photographs of home gardens in suburban and urban settings, Farm-to-Freedom provides a deeper understanding of the Vietnamese diaspora in Texas for scholars, professionals, and general readers alike."--

"A deeply meaningful collection that navigates important nuances of identity."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review 2021 Texas Book Festival Featured Book Bronze Medal for Anthologies, Independent Publisher Book Awards 2023 Nepantla Familias brings together Mexican American narratives that explore and negotiate the many permutations of living in between different worlds--how the authors or their characters create, or fail to create, a cohesive identity amid the contradictions in their lives. Nepantla--or living in the in-between space of the borderland--is the focus of this anthology. The essays, poems, and short stories explore the in-between moments in Mexican American life--the family dynamics of living between traditional and contemporary worlds, between Spanish and English, between cultures with traditional and shifting identities. In times of change, family values are either adapted or discarded in the quest for self-discovery, part of the process of selecting and composing elements of a changing identity. Edited by award-winning writer and scholar Sergio Troncoso, this anthology includes works from familiar and acclaimed voices such as David Dorado Romo, Sandra Cisneros, Alex Espinoza, Reyna Grande, and Francisco Cantú, as well as from important new voices, such as Stephanie Li, David Dominguez, and ire'ne lara silva. These are writers who open and expose the in-between places: through or at borders; among the past, present, and future; from tradition to innovation; between languages; in gender; about the wounds of the past and the victories of the present; of life and death. Nepantla Familias shows the quintessential American experience that revives important foundational values through immigrants and the children of immigrants. Here readers will find a glimpse of contemporary Mexican American experience; here, also, readers will experience complexities of the geographic, linguistic, and cultural borders common to us all. Includes the work of David Dorado Romo Reyna Grande Francisco Cantú Rigoberto González Alex Espinoza Domingo Martinez Oscar Cásares Lorraine M. López David Dominguez Stephanie Li Sheryl Luna José Antonio Rodríguez Deborah Paredez Diana Marie Delgado Diana López Severo Perez Octavio Solis ire'ne lara silva Rubén Degollado Helena María Viramontes Daniel Chacón Matt Mendez

Equal parts memoir, adventure tale, and call to action, Sea Change: A Message of the Oceans has become a classic of environmental literature, at once the gripping adventure story of Earle's three decades of undersea exploration, an insider's introduction to the dynamic field of marine biology, and an urgent plea for the preservation of the world's deteriorating ocean ecosystems. Featuring a gallery of color photographs and a new preface by Earle, this edition of Sea Change arrives at a uniquely pivotal time when its message is needed more than ever before.

"There are a few remaining wild places in Texas, notes author and nature educator Michael A. Smith, and exposure to these locales-from the high deserts and mountains of the Big Bend to the prairies and grasslands across the center of the state and the Piney Woods and Big Thicket of East Texas-can be restorative, both emotionally and physically. In this thoughtful tour of Texas ecoregions, Smith-also a licensed psychological associate-weaves perceptive prose, prompts, and meditations with evocative nature photography by Meghan Cassidy to create a guide for readers that promotes both greater appreciation of Texas nature and greater mindfulness of our place in the natural environment and its holistic importance to our wellbeing. Mindfulness in Texas Nature briefly explores the history of seven Texas ecoregions and discusses the benefits to health and wellbeing that are gained by spending time in nature. Written for readers who may not have a technical background in biology but who want to understand and experience nature at a deeper level, this book models mindfulness-experiencing oneself and surroundings in a fully-present, attuned, and nonjudgmental way-as an ideal practice for experiencing the woods, mountains, or wetlands of Texas. Illustrated throughout with beautiful photographs of woodlands, prairies, streams, flowers, and animals, Mindfulness in Texas Nature encourages readers to experience for themselves what makes these places special, how to get the most out of the time spent there, and how to plan meaningful visits to the many beautiful and significant natural areas across Texas."--

One of the most important themes in US history is the series of struggles that transformed the Southwest from a Spanish to an American possession: the Texas Revolution of 1836 and the Mexican-American War of 1845. But what if historians have been overlooking a key event that led to these wars--another war almost entirely unknown--that took place on what is now US soil and dramatically shaped the development of the American Southwest to this day? The true story of this war, presented in The Lost War for Texas: Mexican Rebels, American Burrites, and the Texas Revolution of 1811, is only now being revealed by never-before-published research, which will challenge paradigms and reshape much of what we know about United States, Texas, and even Mexican history. In the early 1800s, the impact of the Napoleonic Wars rippled across the Atlantic. Within weeks of the United States's declaration of war on England in 1812, hundreds of western militia forces rallied to a flag and marched boldly to war--but not for the United States. They instead invaded the province of Texas to make common cause with Mexican rebels who had launched their struggle against the Spanish monarchy the year before. The resulting war changed the Southwest forever. Author James Aalan Bernsen places a spotlight on division and separatism at this pivotal moment of the "second revolution" of the United States. The Lost War for Texas, by revealing the forgotten world of 1811-1812 will profoundly change how we understand the birth of the American Southwest.

Many books and essays have addressed the broad sweep of Texas music--its multicultural aspects, its wide array and blending of musical genres, its historical transformations, and its love/hate relationship with Nashville and other established music business centers. This book, however, focuses on an essential thread in this tapestry: the Texas singer-songwriters to whom the contributors refer as "ruthlessly poetic." All songs require good lyrics, but for these songwriters, the poetic quality and substance of the lyrics are front and center. Obvious candidates for this category would include Townes Van Zandt, Michael Martin Murphey, Guy Clark, Steve Fromholz, Terry Allen, Kris Kristofferson, Vince Bell, and David Rodriguez. In a sense, what these songwriters were doing in small, intimate live-music venues like the Jester Lounge in Houston, the Chequered Flag in Austin, and the Rubaiyat in Dallas was similar to what Bob Dylan was doing in Greenwich Village. In the language of the times, these were "folksingers." Unlike Dylan, however, these were folksingers writing songs about their own people and their own origins and singing in their own vernacular. This music, like most great poetry, is profoundly rooted. That rootedness, in fact, is reflected in the book's emphasis on place and the powerful ways it shaped and continues to shape the poetry and music of Texas singer-songwriters. From the coffeehouses and folk clubs where many of the "founders" got their start to the Texas-flavored festivals and concerts that nurtured both their fame and the rise of a new generation, the indelible stamp of origins is inseparable from the work of these troubadour-poets. Contents Introduction, by Craig Clifford and Craig D. Hillis 1 Part One. The First Generation: Folksingers, Texas Style Too Weird for Kerrville: The Darker Side of Texas Music 17 Craig Clifford Townes Van Zandt: The Anxiety, Artifice, and Audacity of Influence 27 Robert Earl Hardy Vignette--The Ballad of Willis Alan Ramsey 36 Bob Livingston Guy Clark: Old School Poet of the World 39 Tamara Saviano Kris Kristofferson: The Silver-Tongued Rhodes Scholar 49 Peter Cooper Vignette--Don Henley: Literature, Land, and Legacy 59 Kathryn Jones Steven Fromholz, Michael Martin Murphey, and Jerry Jeff Walker: Poetic in Lyric, Message, and Musical Method 61 Craig D. Hillis Vignette--Kinky Friedman: The Mel Brooks of Texas Music 83 Craig Clifford Billy Joe Shaver: Sin and Salvation Poet 85 Joe Holley One Man's Music: Vince Bell 92 Joe Nick Patoski Vignette--Ray Wylie Hubbard: Grifter, Ruffian, Messenger 101 Jenni Finlay The Great Progressive Country Scare of the 1970s 103 Craig D. Hillis (interview with Gary P. Nunn) Plenty Else to Do: Lyrical Lubbock 109 Andy Wilkinson Roots of Steel: The Poetic Grace of Women Texas Singer-Songwriters 115 Kathryn Jones From Debauched Yin to Mellow Yang: A Circular Trip through the Texas Music Festival Scene 136 Jeff Prince Vignette--Bobby Bridger: "Heal in the Wisdom," Creating a Classic 145 Craig D. Hillis (interview with Bobby Bridger) Interlude: What Do We Do with Willie? 148 --I. Willie (An Early Encounter) 148 Craig D. Hillis --II. Willie (On Everything) 151 >Part Two. The Second Generation: Garage Bands, Large Bands, and Other Permutations "Gettin' Tough" Steve Earle's America 161 Jason Mellard Lyle Lovett and Robert Earl Keen: Cosmic Aggies 166 Jan Reid Vignette--Walt Wilkins: Spirituality and Generosity 174 Craig Clifford (interview with Tim Jones) Lucinda Williams: Poet of Places in the Heart 176 Kathryn Jones Rodney Crowell: Looking Inward, Looking Outward 185 John T. Davis Vignette--Sam Baker: Short Stories in Song 192 Robert Earl Hardy James McMurtry: Too Long in the Wasteland 193 >Part Three. Epilogue: Passing of the Torch? Drunken Poet's Dream: Hayes Carll 203 --I. Good Enough for Old Guys 203 Craig Clifford --II. Good Enough for Young Guys 207 Brian T. Atkinson Roll On: Terri Hendrix 209 Brian T. Atkinson From Riding Bulls to Dead Horses: Ryan Bingham 212 Craig Clifford (interview with Shaina Post) Bad Girl Poet: Miranda Lambert 218 Craig Clifford Challenge to Bro Country: Kacey Musgraves 221 Grady Smith Beyond the Rivers 224 > Notes 231 Selected Sources 233 Contributors 243 Index 251

"Naturalists Jim and Lynne Weber guide readers to the surprising natural diversity found in the urban wildscapes of the Texas capital city and beyond. 'Naturalist's Austin: A Guide to the Plants and Animals of Central Texas' provides a tour that includes nearly 700 species of plants and animals native to the region. The book opens with a natural history overview that aims to underscore the importance of a strong environmental ethic for ensuring the ability of naturally occurring species to thrive within an urban environment-even one exhibiting the type of explosive growth found in Austin. Highlighting features of the area's natural processes (migration, wildfire, caves, aquifers, and others), Weber and Weber present lavishly illustrated accounts of both common and unique plant and animal species, with selected exotics included, that may be found in Austin and the surrounding areas. Each section in the species accounts opens with an informative overview, and the individual accounts discuss species status, seasonality, descriptions, habitat, and 'fun facts' related to interesting behaviors or adaptations. With vivid photographs throughout, this colorful and informative guide is sure to be a favorite of Texas nature lovers and a resource for the greater appreciation and better stewardship of our natural resources"--

"Just as the time of the vaquero is near to running its course, the days of the full-time sheep and goat shearers -- tasinques -- are coming to a close. So asserts author Robert Aguero, son and grandson of tasinques and recipient of the proud tradition of those who labored with their hands in the dusty corrals of the Nueces River Valley and the Edwards Plateau, harvesting the wool and mohair that fueled the industry known by the shearers and their families as la trasquila. Aguero, himself a veteran of the shearing sheds, offers stories and perspectives gleaned both from personal experience and interviews with dozens of individuals intimately connected with the Central Texas wool and mohair industry. From the docienteros -- virtuosos able to shear 200 animals or more per day -- to the rancheros -- the owners of the ranches who hired the shearing crews, year after year -- Aguero has captured the essence of a way of life that is rapidly passing into history. The work opens with a foreword by esteemed historian Arnoldo De Leâon. A host of photographs accompanies the narrative, capturing visually the dust, sweat, and noise of the atajo -- the shearing pen -- along with the pride in accomplishment that characterizes the tasinque tradition. Robert Aguero's Shearing Sheep and Angora Goats the Texas Way: A Legacy of Pride both documents and pays homage to an honored way of life and livelihood that is disappearing from the region"--

"The Llano Estacado covers some 48,000 square miles of western Texas and eastern New Mexico. In this new survey of the region, the story begins during prehistoric times and with descendants of the Comanche, Apache, and other Native American tribal groups. Other groups have also left their marks on the area: Spanish explorers, Comancheros and other traders, European settlers, farmers and ranchers, artists, and even athletes. Carlson reviews "the Llano's historic contours from its earliest foundations to its energetic present," and in doing so, he skillfully narrates the story of the region up to the present time of modern agribusiness and urbanization. Throughout the ten chronologically arranged chapters, concise sidebars support the narrative, highlighting important and interesting topics such as the enigmatic origins of the region's name, fascinating geological and paleontological facts, the arrival of humans, the natural history of bison, colorful "characters" in the history of the region, and many others. The resulting broad synthesis captures the entirety of the Llano Estacado, summarizing and interpreting its natural and human history in a single, carefully researched and clearly written volume"--

The history of the Mexican Army's activity in the Texas Revolution is well documented but often hidden away. Many important primary sources have been lost or destroyed, but an impressive amount of period documentation has survived. And yet many of these handwritten, Spanish documents have been shelved in the back rooms of museums and libraries long enough to have been forgotten. Various archives are scattered in locations across Spain, Mexico, and the United States, with very few documents having been translated into English until now. Little can be found in Texan sources that addresses the actions, motivations, and opinions of the Mexican participants in the Texas Revolution. What does exist in Texan accounts was either added in passing or, worse, grossly fabricated. In short, the Texan side of the story has been told, and often at the expense of the perspective of Mexican participants. Author Gregg J. Dimmick makes available this new perspective, including a consideration of the many external forces affecting the Mexican government and its military leaders. At the same time Texans were fighting for independence, Mexican officials faced revolts across several states, battled each other for political control, responded to Spain's attempts to reacquire Mexico, and contended with numerous foreign powers, including the United States and Britain. In Santa Anna's Army in the Texas Revolution, 1835 Dimmick sheds new light on the complex motivations of the Mexican Army facing the Texas Revolution.

"Follow the lives of a resident family of American oystercatchers as you explore the diversity of an estuary, where rivers meet the sea, in Matagorda Bay. Celebrate the unique ecology of the bay as its own little world of Texas estuaries, the "nurseries of the sea." Matagorda Magic: The Hidden Life of a Texas Bay reveals the importance of these features as critical habitats for more than 200 species of resident and migratory birds, including the endangered whooping crane. Estuaries are among the most productive ecosystems on Earth. In Texas, these places sustain sea life and provide critical habitat for hundreds of species. Estuaries also filter out pollution, buffer the shore from storms, sequester carbon, and offer recreational opportunities. Yet estuaries are commonly viewed as nothing more than mosquito-infested wastelands. In Texas alone, approximately 50 percent of coastal wetlands have been destroyed in the last century. During that same time, half of oyster reefs have disappeared. Such losses show the disconnect between people and estuaries as well as the widespread lack of understanding about the importance of these vital ecosystems. Matagorda Magic addresses this misunderstanding by inviting young people, their families, and teachers to discover the wonder of estuaries through the lives of their animal inhabitants as they contend with challenges on a Texas bay. Sidebars illuminate the fascinating lives of oystercatchers, whooping cranes, oysters, blue crabs, shrimp, spotted seatrout, and other animals who depend on estuaries for survival. By offering an intimate glimpse into these hidden lives, this book informs, nurtures, and deepens a love of place that in turn inspires stewardship"--

While successful developments in aviation receive considerable attention, the projects that failed or otherwise did not live up to expectations receive far less, if any, scrutiny. Typically, unsuccessful efforts are briefer in duration and have a less visible paper trail. Thus, while the literature is rich in success stories, we tend to "forget" or simply bury our failures. And, as one observer has suggested, "that there were failures, mistakes, and wrong turns reminds us that progress is not inevitable, that acknowledged error can be as instructive as success, and that roads not taken impose a price all their own." Here, author Kenneth P. Werrell tells of a race to overcome obstacles--politics, resources, competing technologies, timing--in the quest to deliver quality, if not war-winning machinery. The focus of Air Force Disappointments, Mistakes, and Failures: 1940-1990 is on aircraft (e.g., bombers, fighters, transports) and missiles (e.g., cruise missiles, standoff missiles, ballistic missiles, surface-to-air missiles, air-to-air missiles). An intelligence system is also evaluated. These case studies give the context and details of the development, testing, and, as appropriate, operational service. Highlighting the problems and criticisms of these systems then provides an opportunity to determine what went wrong. The reasons for the failures of these systems vary from the obvious (money, delays, technical problems) to more complex reasons, such as the foe's reaction, politics, new technologies, and timing. The tale of these disappointments is a heretofore untold story. These projects, in which the US Air Force stumbled, are outliers within the overall success of the service, and, fortunately, its successes outnumber the failures.

"Acquired by the State of Texas in 1988 and first opened to the public as Big Bend State Natural Area in 1991, Big Bend Ranch State Park (BBR) lies within the southern Big Bend of the Trans-Pecos, encompassing some 492 square miles of the Chihuahuan Desert and representing nearly half the total acreage of the Texas state park system. Unlike nearby Big Bend National Park-BRR is relatively undiscovered, wild, challenging, and slightly intimidating. BBR is the "Other" Big Bend, christened the "Other Side of Nowhere," a rugged wilderness outback for the adventuresome with 238 miles of trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding and 70 miles of challenging four-wheel drive roads where visitors can explore stunning geological features, remnants of the area's 11,000-year human history, and a diversity of flora and fauna that rivals any area in the state. In this guidebook, photographer and naturalist Roy Morey walks visitors through the wild landscape, sharing what he has learned during eleven years of studying and photographing Big Bend Ranch State Park. Organized around the six physiographic regions of the park as outlined by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, The Other Side of Nowhere guides readers through the features and locations of the park and includes a field guide section with informative profiles and vivid imagery of 281 plant species. This definitive guide to Big Bend Ranch State Park is a must-have for visitors and an important botanical resource for the greater Big Bend and Trans-Pecos areas"--

"As historian Gunnar Tote Nerheim states in his introduction, "Norway is a foreign country to Texans, and Texas is a foreign country to Norwegians. Neither in Norway nor Texas has there been any awareness that so many Norwegians settled in antebellum Texas." Norsemen Deep in the Heart of Texas brings Norwegian settlement in Texas to light and in doing so offers the first-ever comprehensive history of Norwegians in Texas. Fluent in both English and Norwegian, Nerheim has done what no other historian has done by combining primary and secondary sources from both languages and both countries. A well-established European scholar, Nerheim examines these never-before-referenced sources, telling the story of Norwegian immigration to Texas, explaining the contexts of Norwegians immigration to Texas in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and uncovering its significance to the histories of both countries. The larger historical context reveals that immigration to Texas operated as part of dynamic circumstances on both sides of the Atlantic, including slavery and the Civil War. Drawn from the perspectives of both regions, the history of Norwegian settlement in Texas provide new insights into European immigration. Readers interested in Texas, Norwegian, and trans-Atlantic history, as well as nineteenth-century immigration, will find new horizons in "Norsemen Deep in the Heart of Texas.""--

"As defined by conservation biologist Thomas Fleishner, natural history is "a practice of intentional, focused receptivity to the more-than-human world . . . one of the oldest continuous human traditions." Seldom is this idea so clearly reflected as in classic works of American fiction of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. John Cullen Gruesser's edited volume Animals in the American Classics: How Natural History Inspired Great Fiction features essays by prominent literary scholars that showcase natural history and the multifaceted role of animals in well-known works of fiction from Washington Irving in the early nineteenth century to Cormac McCarthy in the late twentieth century, including short stories and novels by Edgar Allan Poe, Herman Melville, Mark Twain, Zora Neale Hurston, William Faulkner, Ernest Hemingway, Jack London, John Steinbeck, and Harper Lee. As an introduction to or a new way of thinking about some of the best-known and most beloved literary texts this nation has produced, Animals in the American Classics considers fundamental questions of ethics and animal intelligence, as well as similarities among racism, ageism, misogyny, and speciesism. With their awareness of Poe's "more-than-casual knowledge of natural science," Mark Twain's proto-animal rights sensibilities, and Hurston's training as an anthropologist, the contributors show that by drawing attention to and thinking like an animal, fiction tests the limits of humanity"--