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The Essential J. Frank Dobie: Wittliff Collections Literary Series
Setting out to create a collection of J. Frank Dobie’s writing that brings him to life and makes him relevant to current generations, Steven L. Davis has combed through the works of this renowned Texas author, gathering together in one volume Dobie’s most vital writings. Dobie’s stories and essays here are meticulously edited to prune away some of the brushy undergrowth and bring Dobie’s folksy, erudite voice bounding back to life.
The result is The Essential J. Frank Dobie, a treasury that introduces new listeners to Dobie—and reminds older ones that Dobie captured priceless social history while producing some of the most fascinating, best-informed writing about Texas. Dobie bore eloquent witness to the passing of ancient pastoral lifeways, and was decades ahead of his time in championing civil rights and protecting the environment. Davis, a Dobie biographer, has found the stories only the master himself could tell—those enriched by his matchless personal adventures, from Mexico to wartime Europe to the remote outback, where he joined wandering seekers on their quests for lost treasures.
Featuring previously published works as well as writing that has never before appeared in audiobook form, The Essential J. Frank Dobie will intrigue, inform, and delight listeners who know Dobie’s work as an old acquaintance, and those who are meeting him for the first time. As Davis concludes, “the spirit of Dobie is as alive as ever. May you be nourished by it."
The result is The Essential J. Frank Dobie, a treasury that introduces new listeners to Dobie—and reminds older ones that Dobie captured priceless social history while producing some of the most fascinating, best-informed writing about Texas. Dobie bore eloquent witness to the passing of ancient pastoral lifeways, and was decades ahead of his time in championing civil rights and protecting the environment. Davis, a Dobie biographer, has found the stories only the master himself could tell—those enriched by his matchless personal adventures, from Mexico to wartime Europe to the remote outback, where he joined wandering seekers on their quests for lost treasures.
Featuring previously published works as well as writing that has never before appeared in audiobook form, The Essential J. Frank Dobie will intrigue, inform, and delight listeners who know Dobie’s work as an old acquaintance, and those who are meeting him for the first time. As Davis concludes, “the spirit of Dobie is as alive as ever. May you be nourished by it."
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Published July 24, 2023
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About the author
Steven L. Davis
8 books13 followersSteven L. Davis is a PEN USA award-winning author of four books and the editor of two more. His new book, co-written with Bill Minutaglio, is THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN IN AMERICA: Timothy Leary, Richard Nixon & the Hunt for the Fugitive King of LSD.
He is the current President of the Texas Institute of Letters, founded in 1936 with an elected membership consisting of the state’s most respected writers. He is considered "one of Texas' leading scholars of its indigenous culture" and his writing has been described as "lively," "groundbreaking," and "illuminating."
His previous books include Dallas 1963, co-written with Bill Minutaglio and winner of the PEN USA Award for Research Nonfiction. He is also the author of the acclaimed books, J. Frank Dobie: A Liberated Mind and Texas Literary Outlaws: Six Writers in the Sixties and Beyond.
He is a longtime curator at the Wittliff Collections at Texas State University in San Marcos, which holds the literary papers of many major authors. He has developed and curated over 30 exhibitions at the Wittliff. He has been a Series Editor for the University of Texas Press and helped develop several books for publication. He is the editor of Land of the Permanent Wave: An Edwin "Bud" Shrake Reader and co-editor of Lone Star Sleuths: Mystery-Detective Fiction in Texas.
He is married to the artist and historian Georgia Ruiz Davis and lives with his family in the Texas Hill Country.
He is the current President of the Texas Institute of Letters, founded in 1936 with an elected membership consisting of the state’s most respected writers. He is considered "one of Texas' leading scholars of its indigenous culture" and his writing has been described as "lively," "groundbreaking," and "illuminating."
His previous books include Dallas 1963, co-written with Bill Minutaglio and winner of the PEN USA Award for Research Nonfiction. He is also the author of the acclaimed books, J. Frank Dobie: A Liberated Mind and Texas Literary Outlaws: Six Writers in the Sixties and Beyond.
He is a longtime curator at the Wittliff Collections at Texas State University in San Marcos, which holds the literary papers of many major authors. He has developed and curated over 30 exhibitions at the Wittliff. He has been a Series Editor for the University of Texas Press and helped develop several books for publication. He is the editor of Land of the Permanent Wave: An Edwin "Bud" Shrake Reader and co-editor of Lone Star Sleuths: Mystery-Detective Fiction in Texas.
He is married to the artist and historian Georgia Ruiz Davis and lives with his family in the Texas Hill Country.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 25, 2020
I love this book. You can stop at any chapter throughout the book for days if you want and when you pick it back up you don’t really feel like you lost anything because all of the stories are different in each chapter. This is in the old days what they called spinning a yarn! If you are Texan than you’ll love it that much more. It’s a great collection of stories from cattle Drives to a man getting scalped by Indians and then living to tell the tale. I have never read his stories before although often I thought of doing so. I am glad that I picked this book up.
January 13, 2020
Often hearing Dobie quoted and never reading his essential writings is to misunderstand. Believe me, he is worth quoting, for men (or women) thinking this deeply are a rarity these days. Davis assembled and annotates a life of ranching, hard work, deep thought, and perspectives from the back of horse, drifting in to modern sensibility and rationality.
February 3, 2024
The first 3/4 of the book was very interesting until it got into the political commentary (Parts 7, 8 &9).
The beginning was 5 stars the end was 1 star hence my 3 star overall rating.
It’s still worth reading, just don’t feel like you have to complete the book. It’s not going to get better at the end.
The beginning was 5 stars the end was 1 star hence my 3 star overall rating.
It’s still worth reading, just don’t feel like you have to complete the book. It’s not going to get better at the end.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews