Oh btw, I love Garrett T. Capps, who calls himself "San Antonio's resident cosmic country gonzo honky tonk weirdo freak," so it's cool that he's letting me use one of his songs for the Free Range theme.

Free Range is also on Spotify. We'll add the show to more platforms soonish.
open.spotify.com/show/2C6zrLp...

In the next week or so, we'll have (1) Naomi Shihab Nye on her friendship with author Paulette Jiles, who died earlier this month; and (2) documentary filmmaker Bradley Beesley on his crazy 25-year obsession with catfish noodling.

If interested, subscribe to Free Range on Apple. apple.co/4578VaC

I also have an episode with James Wade, an acclaimed up-and-coming author, about our shared East Texas roots, what it's like to have panic attacks, and his long road to peace and purpose -- the subject of his beautiful recent essay for @texashighways.bsky.social texashighways.com/culture/essa...

In an early episode of Free Range, I chatted with probably my favorite writer, @stephenharrigan.bsky.social, about the way a religious upbringing can shape you for life, even if you lose your faith -- a theme of his deeply affecting new book Sorrowful Mysteries. amzn.to/459jCJQ

Thanks for the assignment, Mike! It was so much fun to get to know these wildly creative folks.

The 2024 🧵 of 10 longform personal essays from the award-winning Open Road series in @texashighways.bsky.social.

A fisherman reels in childhood memories on the Texas coast, by @wesferguson.bsky.social.

texashighways.com/culture/essa...