Thorne Webb Dreyer, Editor
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Author Archives: Thorne Dreyer
RICHARD CROXDALE | TEXAS HISTORY | The battle of Waller Creek: The felling of the Erwin Drum
In the Movement Folk Tales, Frank Erwin plays the role of the evil stepmother. By Richard Croxdale | The Rag Blog | June 20, 2023 The Rag Blog is cross-posting a piece of history published by People’s History in Texas … Continue reading
ALLEN YOUNG | TELEVISION | In defense of drag queens
A review of ‘AJ and the Queen’ and a lot more. By Allen Young | The Rag Blog | June 2, 2023 Drag queens have recently become the target of right-wing politicians in several Republican-dominated states, and while I’ve never … Continue reading
ALLEN YOUNG | HISTORY | Mixing the tequila of Cinco de Mayo with the blood of Kent State: A quirky history essay
We look back at two days in May. By Allen Young | The Rag Blog | May 17, 2023 Sí, mis amigos, Cinco de Mayo is a well-known date (that’s May 5 in English), and of course it’s a time … Continue reading
Posted in RagBlog
Tagged Allen Young, American History, Battle of Puebla, Cinco de Mayo, History, Kent State, Mexican History, Mexican Independence, Rag Bloggers
10 Comments
CLIFF WILKIE | MEMOIR | In a little cafe just the other side of the border
It all happened in Ciudad Acuna, Mexico, on March 30, 1969. By Cliff Wilkie | The Rag Blog | April 30, 2023 It was just like in the Marty Robbins song, “in a little cafe just the other side of … Continue reading
Posted in RagBlog
Tagged Chicano Movement, Chicano Rights, Cliff Wilkie, La Raza Unida, Memoir, Mexican Border, Rag Bloggers, Sixties, University of Texas
20 Comments
ALLEN YOUNG | BOOKS | ‘To Tell the Truth: My Life as a Foreign Correspondent’ by Lewis M. Simons
Valuable insights into journalism offer a very enjoyable read. By Allen Young | The Rag Blog | April 21, 2023 Reading this book has provided me with a unique experience that is both intellectual and emotional, and I think it … Continue reading
Posted in RagBlog
Tagged Allen Young, Book Review, Books, Foreign Correspondents, Journalism, Lewis Simons, Memoir, Rag Bloggers, To Tell the Truth
1 Comment
ALICE EMBREE | BOOKS | ‘The Ad Hoc Livers’ by Jim Simons
Simons’ book is a great trip down memory lane with a few name changes to protect the not-so-innocent. By Alice Embree | The Rag Blog | April 17, 2023 Jim Simons’ novel, Ad Hoc Livers, is now available on Amazon … Continue reading
Posted in RagBlog
Tagged Alice Embree, Austin Fiction, Book Review, Books, Jim Simons, Texas Writers
1 Comment
LAMAR HANKINS | POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY | ‘Woke’ attacks promote inequality and injustice
Not to be ‘woke’ is to willfully ignore reality. By Lamar Hankins | The Rag Blog | April 13, 2023 Right-wingers, the emotionally damaged, and “lazy ideologues” who hurl being “woke,” like an epithet studded with sharp spikes to wound … Continue reading
Posted in RagBlog
Tagged 'Woke' Attacks, Lamar Hankins, Political Philosophy, Rag Bloggers
2 Comments
The Orange Show Presents ‘Old Weird Houston’
Events include presentation by ‘Rag Blog’ editor Thorne Dreyer. By Pete Gershon | The Rag Blog | March 17, 2023 HOUSTON — Houston at mid-century was a place where anything seemed possible, from an air-conditioned domed stadium to a monument … Continue reading
Posted in RagBlog
Tagged Fine Arts, Houston Events, Houston History, mydolls, Orange Show, Pete Gershon, Rag Bloggers, Thorne Dreyer
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JONAH RASKIN | THE SIXTIES | Avedon at the Met: the Chicago Seven and the Sixties
‘I wanted to see if I could reinvent what a group photo is,’ Avedon observed. By Jonah Raskin | The Rag Blog | March 8, 2023 Looking at Richard Avedon’s black-and-white photos of the Chicago Seven which peered out at … Continue reading
Posted in RagBlog
Tagged Chicago 7, Chicago 8, Dave Dellinger, Jerry Rubin, John Froines, Jonah Raskin, Lee Weiner, Photography, Rag Bloggers, Rennie Davis, Richard Avedon, Sixties, Sixties Radicals, Tom Hayden
3 Comments
LAMAR HANKINS | ACTIVISM | Rules for troublemakers
My prison experiences caused me to understand how much I had taken on faith about administrators. By Lamar W. Hankins | The Rag Blog | February 24, 2023 At age 78, I continue to see the value in and the … Continue reading
Posted in RagBlog
Tagged Activism, Civil Rights, Lamar Hankins, Mano Amiga, Prison Conditions, Rag Bloggers, Saul Alinsky
2 Comments
BRUCE MELTON | CLIMATE CHANGE | Winter storm Texas 2023, and climate change
Ice storm brought down the power lines and it’s cold, cold, cold. By Bruce Melton | The Rag Blog | February 9, 2023 Bruce Melton will be Thorne Dreyer‘s guest from 2-3 p.m. CST, February 9, 2013, on KOOP 91.7-FM … Continue reading
Posted in RagBlog
Tagged 2223 Winter Storm, Austin Ice Storm, Bruce Melton, Climate Change, Global Warming, Rag Bloggers
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LAMAR HANKINS | SPORTS AND RELIGION | Offering up prayers for Damar Hamlin
When did God start taking sides in football games or bless the performances of various pious athletes? By Lamar W. Hankins | The Rag Blog | February 8, 2023 Prayer seems to me a cry of weakness, and an attempt … Continue reading
