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 …
Category: News

Backstory to an iconic photo of “brotherly love.”
The iconic photograph of the legendary Vaughan Brothers – Jimmie and Stevie Ray – sitting on a couch, smiling, arms over each other’s shoulders and flanked by electric guitars was taken by Scott Van Osdol and Jeff Rowe in spring …
Read More "Backstory to an iconic photo of “brotherly love.”"

Rechy archive illustrates our society’s changing views on the LGTBQIA community.
In honor of Pride Month 2022, I wanted to give a behind-the-scenes look at the John Rechy papers which I’m currently processing. John Rechy is a native El Pasoan who is recognized as a pioneer LGBTQ author. In 1963 he …
Read More "Rechy archive illustrates our society’s changing views on the LGTBQIA community."

Texas literary all-stars gather to celebrate “Viva Texas Rivers” at The Wittliff.
An all-star collection of 23 Texas writers along with an acclaimed artist gathered at the Wittliff Collections on Mother’s Day to celebrate a sparkling new literary anthology devoted to Texas Rivers. Viva Texas Rivers! Adventures, Misadventures & Glimpses of Nirvana …
Read More "Texas literary all-stars gather to celebrate “Viva Texas Rivers” at The Wittliff."

Original ‘Mr. Bojangles’ lyrics on display at The Wittliff
The earliest known surviving set of Jerry Jeff Walker’s handwritten lyrics for “Mr. Bojangles” exist because a plucky young guitar repairman in New Jersey asked Walker to write them down so he could learn the song. Walker wasn’t yet a …
Read More "Original ‘Mr. Bojangles’ lyrics on display at The Wittliff"

“Hollywood Mad Dogs” now available in The Wittliff’s Literary Series
Before his death in 2009, legendary Texas author Edwin “Bud” Shrake completed a final novel, Hollywood Mad Dogs. This rollicking tale is based on his real-life adventures as a Hollywood screenwriter in the 1970s, where he penned films starring Dennis …
Read More "“Hollywood Mad Dogs” now available in The Wittliff’s Literary Series"

The long journey to restoring “The History of Ranching.”
In 1950 the Wimberley, Texas artist James Buchanan “Buck” Winn was commissioned by the Pearl Brewery in San Antonio to paint The History of Ranching, a massive mural to adorn the walls of the Corral, the brewery’s oval-shaped hospitality room. …
Read More "The long journey to restoring “The History of Ranching.”"

Tamara Saviano receives 2020 Margaret Moser Women In Music Award.
(AUSTIN, TEXAS – March 12, 2020; source: Juice Consulting) – On the evening of March 11, 2020, author, filmmaker and producer Tamara Saviano, whose papers reside in The Wittliff Collections, was awarded the 2020 Margaret Moser Women in Music Award …
Read More "Tamara Saviano receives 2020 Margaret Moser Women In Music Award."

Podcast featuring Wittliff authors now online.
Once upon a time, you had to be listening live to catch Bookmarked, the literary talk show hosted by Priscilla Leder on KZSM in San Marcos. Now Bookmarked is available as a podcast, and among its archived programs, you’ll find …

The Wittliff Collections announces its first-ever festival in January of 2021.
The Wittliff Collections will host its festival debut on January 9, 2021, in Austin, Texas, with a one-day event celebrating the unbridled imagination of Texas, Mexico, and the Southwest. The Wittliff Collections Festival will feature a full day of panels …
Read More "The Wittliff Collections announces its first-ever festival in January of 2021."