What is Southern Gothic with a Texas twist? Maybe I should call it Texas Gothic. These stories have a Texas twist because they are set in Texas. They become gothic when the setting is derelict, isolated, sinister, maybe haunted. The alienation can be due to poverty, mental illness, eccentricity, ambivalent gender roles and disturbing characters. There may be a paradox regarding the characters. For example the autistic uncle observes his wealthy sister, the matriarch of the family, as she