Texas

Texas Mother-Daughter Books Are More a Shot of Whiskey than a Sip of Tea

Published

2 years ago

February 28, 2024

Texas Mother-Daughter Books Are More a Shot of Whiskey than a Sip of Tea

I’m going to admit something to all y’all: the best thing that has ever happened to me—becoming a mother—is also the absolute worst. When my daughter was born, I was unprepared for the overwhelming scope of motherhood, the endless fulfilling of needs, the simultaneous busyness and boredom, the crushing psychic pressure of being responsible for a new human being, and the stretch marks that blessed my ever-expanding heart. I resented her and I adored her. My precious girl.

Undoubtedly, mother-daughter relationships are as varied in the Lone Star State as anywhere else on the planet, but in my experience, Texas moms are tough. Maybe because we have to be; a recent survey ranked Texas as one of the worst states for women in terms of economy and well-being, which is certainly nothing new.

Texas mothers—like the land itself—can be flinty and intense, tempestuous and severe, even as we protect, nurture, and defend our babies. I’m fascinated by the varied ways the women in my life have approached motherhood, and how rarely they match the idealized depictions we grew up with on TV. Perhaps that’s why I prefer to write—and read—about strong women and their complicated, imperfect familial relationships.

My latest, The Young of Other Animals, tells the story of Mayree and her daughter, Paula, whose tense proximity has grown more fraught following the death of Mayree’s husband. When Paula narrowly survives a violent assault, the two confront the shared traumas of their pasts, and attempt to save the relationship they hadn’t realized they’d lost. This is my most personal novel to date, inspired by the attack I survived at age 19–which I didn’t even tell my mother about until last year.

Here are two classics and six other more recent books about mothers and daughters in Texas that illuminate how we’re more likely to be one person’s shot of whiskey than everybody’s cup of tea.

Billy claims to have no feelings for her “liar and cheat” of a mother, but as she finds herself replicating Willa Mae’s con-artist tricks, she realizes she’s likely to end up exactly like her.

Maybe you remember this as the classic Academy Award-winning 1983 movie. But this 1975 McMurtry novel set in Houston is full of crisp prose and fascinatingly flawed characters. The story centers on Aurora Greenway, an acerbic, eccentric Houstonian widow navigating life and a complicated relationship with her imminently practical daughter, Emma. For those readers who need their characters to be likable, this one—like most of the books on this list—might not be for you. Aurora is indeed often unlikeable, but at least she isn’t uninteresting. She is the sun of her own solar system, around which other characters—her daughter, her housekeeper, her string of male suitors—orbit. But it is her daughter who understands her the best, which seems to contrast the way Aurora feels about Emma, until at the most crucial moment, it doesn’t.

Mouton’s mother looms large throughout this fascinating memoir by Houston’s poet laureate emeritus. “My favorite truth happened long before I can remember. But my mother does,” Mouton writes. She relies on her mother’s stories of their ancestry, on her sharp-edged pride, on her faith, and on her insistence that the author “reclaim herself all Black, all woman, and loved.” However, this “biomythographic” memoir focuses not just on Mouton’s relationship with her own indomitable mother, but on the essential role of Black mothers throughout history.

This light-hearted bildungsroman tackles some heavy themes: inhabiting a human body that a mother is compelled to criticize, wanting to love and be loved, and living unabashedly alongside profound insecurities. Willowdean is a plus-sized, 16-year-old, Dolly Parton-loving Texan living with her former beauty queen mother who calls her, not insignificantly, “Dumplin’.” This positive coming-of-self story is billed for YA but taps right into one of Dolly’s famous quotes: “Find out who you are. And do it on purpose.”

For good reason, Parson’s debut short story collection was longlisted for both the National Book Award and the Story Prize. Primarily set in a semi-rural working-class Texas, these stories are full of sharp, empathetic observations about the gritty and mundane lives of ordinary people in various states of desire and deprivation, longing and loneliness. All twelve are masterful, but my favorite is “The Soft No.” Told from the perspective of a tween-age daughter, it’s a concise and stunning examination of the titular broken-down, soft-no mom, whose depression has trapped them both in a life filled with uncertainty. “Spirits up,” the narrator says, “she lets us dig through her purse and order a while pizza for everyone…Downswing is different: Mom unshowered in dark lipstick and baggy underwear, whimpering in the kitchen, stepping all over the groceries she ordered but won’t put away.”

Set against the backdrop of the American Civil War, this historical fiction is absolutely spellbinding. It tells the fictionalized story of the real Cathy Williams, a former slave and the only woman to ever serve with the legendary Buffalo Soldiers. Though born into servitude in America, Williams’ maternal grandmother had been an African warrior queen, and, in her words, “my mama never let me forget it.” When Cathy is taken from her plantation—and her mother—by Philip Sheridan of the Union Army and recruited to work as a cook’s assistant, she recalls her mother’s words: She was never a slave but a captive whose warrior blood destined her escape from the enemy. To survive, Cathy poses as a man, becoming an outspoken, hardworking, unbreakable soldier posted at Fort Davis in West Texas. Although Cathy and her mother are separated for most of the book, I was compelled by the strength Cathy draws from her maternal heritage and her unwavering determination to someday be reunited with her mother.

“Where my panties at?” So begins the unforgettable journey of 16-year-old orphan Billy Beede, five months pregnant by a coffin salesman in 1960s Ector County, Texas. When Billy finds out her baby’s father is married, she heads west to visit her mother Willa Mae’s coffin, and dig up the jewelry Willa Mae’s lesbian lover, Dill, claims to have buried her with. (Coincidentally, Dill—like Cathy in Daughter of a Daughter of a Queen, also presents as a man, which makes me think about the lengths women will go in order to survive misogynistic circumstances.) Billy claims to have no feelings for her “liar and cheat” of a mother, but as she finds herself replicating Willa Mae’s con-artist tricks, she realizes she’s likely to end up exactly like her. Parks, who won a Pulitzer Prize for her play Topdog/Underdog, is one of the most innovative storytellers I’ve read.

Fans of abduction thrillers will love Gentry’s story about a teenage girl who goes missing, only to reappear on the family doorstep eight years later. Anna, who wasn’t particularly emotive with her daughter before Julie’s kidnapping, struggles to connect with the woman who claims to be her missing child. She says, “You look at your daughter and it all comes back, every microsecond when you felt that twin surge of shame and fear, but this time it’s outside of you, happening to a body that feels like yours but doesn’t belong to you, so there’s no way to protect it.” This twisty tale, set in Houston, ventures into disquieting the territory of female inexperience and yearning, violence and family volatility.

This timeless memoir is an absolute treasure: structured like a novel with a poet’s turn of phrase, and just enough embellishment to make a reader wonder if the title is a double entendre. Karr’s cutting, gutting story, set in hot, gritty east Texas in the early 1960s, deals mostly with her middle childhood and her relationship with her undependable, substance-addicted parents. Much of her early life was spent trying to safeguard her mother, Charlie, from herself. And more than once, Charlie attempted some f’ed-up violence against Mary and her sister Lecia. Mary forgave her again and again, but this poignant reflection stuck with me: “Those other grown-ups were scared. Not only of my parents but of me. My wildness scared them. Plus, they guessed that I’d moved through houses darker than theirs. All my life I’d wanted to belong to their families, to draw my lunch bag from the simple light and order of their defrosted refrigerators.” Though Karr is sober now, I can’t help but wish I’d met her in her drinking days so I could pour us a couple of martinis and open up about life and trials as a woman growing up in the Lone Star state.

Editor’s Note: A different version of this essay ran in Electric Literature, reprinted with permission of the author.

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Texas

Most applicants for Texas school choice vouchers already attend private schools, state data shows

Published

2 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Most applicants for Texas school choice vouchers already attend private schools, state data shows

The deadline for Texas families to apply for Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA), also known as school vouchers, is on March 17.

TEFA is the $1 billion program that provides families with taxpayer money to help pay for private school. A longtime priority of Gov. Greg Abbott, Texas Republicans were able to pass it through the Legislature in a special session in 2025 after years of opposition from a coalition of Democrats and some Republicans worried about it negatively impacting public schools.

In the period from when applications opened on Feb. 4 through March 8, more than 160,000 Texas families have applied for the vouchers. Acting Texas Comptroller Kelly Hancock expects the program to reach capacity in its first year.

Texas school voucher application data by income

According to data from the Comptroller’s Office, 79% of the applicants for TEFA are already in private school. Lawmakers who advocated for the program said it was designed to give public school and homeschooled students an opportunity to switch to a private education.

After applications close, the Comptroller’s Office will allocate funding to eligible families through a lottery that prioritizes students with disabilities first. Eleven percent of all applicants, about 18,000, are students with disabilities from families at or below 500% of the Federal Poverty Level.

Next on the priority list is students from low- and middle-income families. Just 35% of applicants are from households that earn 200% or less of the Federal Poverty Level:

200% or less of the Federal Poverty Level ($66,000 or less for a family of 4): 35%
Between 200% and 500% of the Federal Poverty Level ($66,001-$164,999 for a family of 4): 36%
500% or more of the Federal Poverty Level: ($165,000 or more for a family of 4): 29%

The Comptroller’s Office will report the waitlist to the Texas Legislature to determine funding for future years.

Texas school voucher application data by grade

The highest share of applications are for students who will be entering pre-K in the fall. Nearly 21,000 applications, about 12.8%, are in that cohort. The number of applicants per grade level declines as the students get older:

Pre-K: 20,975
Kindergarten: 15,777
First grade: 13,654
Second grade: 13,035
Third grade: 12,922
Fourth grade: 12,449
Fifth grade: 12,273
Sixth grade: 12,262
Seventh grade: 10,953
Eighth grade: 9,600
Ninth grade: 9,464
Tenth grade: 7.921
Eleventh grade: 6,731
Twelfth grade: 5,347

Texas school voucher applications by school district

The Comptroller’s Office also released a list that broke down the number of applications submitted in each school district across the state.

How much money public school districts will miss out on will depend on how many enrolled or prospective students they lose to private school because of TEFA, since state funds follow the student. But since 79% of applicants are already in private school, the extent of the impact on public school funding may be limited.

Here are the North Texas school districts with the most TEFA applications from within their boundaries:

Dallas ISD: 5,267
Fort Worth ISD: 3,151
Plano ISD: 2,875
Richardson ISD: 1,803
Frisco ISD: 1,793
Arlington ISD: 1,746
Northwest ISD: 1,661
Garland ISD: 1,622
Lewisville ISD: 1,614
Keller ISD: 1,541

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Texas

Texas woman and dog killed in Arlington collision on Cooper Street

Published

14 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Texas woman and dog killed in Arlington collision on Cooper Street

ARLINGTON, Texas – Arlington police are continuing to investigate a fatal crash that killed a 43-year-old woman on Friday afternoon, saying speed was a factor and that investigators are working to determine whether street racing was involved.

Surveillance video shows speeding before crash

What we know:

Tanya Cypert was less than a mile from her Arlington home when the collision occurred at the intersection of Cooper Street and Eden Road, authorities said. Cypert had been on her way to get something to eat before her shift at Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine.

Police said surveillance video from a nearby business shows two vehicles speeding northbound on Cooper Street moments before the crash.

The footage shows a black sedan moving in and out of frame, followed by a second black sedan, identified by police as a 2025 Mercedes, weaving between other vehicles.

Another camera angle shows Cypert’s white Hyundai Tucson slowing to make a left turn onto Eden Road as the first black sedan passes through the intersection. Seconds later, the Mercedes enters the intersection and collides with Cypert’s vehicle.

The impact produced a cloud of smoke and caused an engine to detach and land on the road.

Arlington police investigate potential street racing

Dig deeper:

The 18-year-old driver of the Mercedes was injured and remains hospitalized with broken bones, police said. Investigators have not yet interviewed him.

Cypert was transported to a hospital, where she later died. Her French bulldog, which was in the vehicle with her, was also killed.

Victim’s family on the tragedy

What they’re saying:

Cypert’s sons, Chancellor and Ethan, said they returned to the crash site Monday to honor their mother’s memory.

“It was a regular day for her, and now it’s going to be memorialized as the worst day of our lives,” said Chancellor Cypert.

Chancellor said the family is seeking justice but not revenge.

“As much as we want justice and stuff, it’s not about seeking revenge. It’s about trying to honor her memory and how many people she loved,” he said. “She loved everybody.”

Ethan said the damage to the front of the vehicle was “crazy and mind-blowing,” adding, “There is no need for that amount of speed at all.”

A family friend, Karen Arce, described Cypert as selfless and supportive.

“The sun just shines a little less bright every day,” Arce said.

The family also said an off-duty Midlothian police officer witnessed the crash and was the first to exit his vehicle to try to help. They expressed gratitude for his efforts.

Charges pending in fatal Arlington collision

What’s next:

No arrests have been made, and no charges have been filed. Police said they are continuing to interview multiple witnesses and review surveillance video as the investigation remains active.

The Source: Information in this article was provided by FOX 4’s Peyton Yager.

Crime and Public SafetyArlingtonTarrant CountyTexasTraffic

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Texas

Texas Officials Unveil Amended Hemp Rules With Strict ‘Total THC’ Limits But Lower Licensing Fee Than Previously Floated – Marijuana Moment

Published

1 day ago

March 9, 2026

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Texas Officials Unveil Amended Hemp Rules With Strict ‘Total THC’ Limits But Lower Licensing Fee Than Previously Floated – Marijuana Moment

Texas officials have adopted a series of new rules for the state’s hemp market—with certain revisions that advocates and stakeholders call a “direct victory,” including changes to make participation in the industry more affordable, and other regulations that threaten to severely restrict product availability.

The Department of State Health Services (DSHS) unveiled the amended hemp rules on Friday, about two months after publishing proposed regulations with licensing fees and other changes that led organizations such as the Texas Cannabis Policy Center (TCPC) to sound the alarm.

In response, the department received more than 1,400 comments urging revisions.

“Revised rules have slashed manufacturer fees from $25,000 to $10,000 and retailer fees from $20,000 to $5,000. This is a direct victory for advocacy,” Heather Fazio, director of TCPC, said in an email to supporters on Monday. “However, significant challenges remain.”

Specifically, the agency decided to maintain language requiring hemp products to be tested for “total THC” content, including THCA, which means most cannabis flower would be considered non-compliant with limitations imposed under state law.

“We estimate this will hand 50 percent of the legal market to illicit operators, making our state less safe,” Fazio said.

TCPC and other groups such as the Texas Hemp Business Council (THBC) have also pointed out that there would be additional requirements imposed on hemp businesses with respect to product testing, labeling and record-keeping.

The Texas Department of State Health Services has adopted new rules for consumable hemp products under Chapter 300.
Key takeaways from our initial review:
• Manufacturer licenses: $10,000 per facility
• Retail licenses: $5,000 per location
• THCA now included in total THC…
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— Texas Hemp Business Council (@TexasHempBiz) March 7, 2026

Separately, under a proposed rule from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) there would also be a “less consequential, but important” update to the hemp program, Fazio said, with the agency seeking to prohibit the on-site consumption of hemp at businesses where alcohol isn’t allowed. There would be no “sampling” exceptions in place, either.

(Disclosure: Fazio supports Marijuana Moment’s work with a monthly Patreon pledge.)

TCPC did share a piece of positive news for advocates, noting “steady progress” in expanding the state’s medical cannabis program under a law enacted last year. While adult-use legalization has continued to stall in the conservative legislature, the medical marijuana program is significantly expanding, with nine new licenses already approved and three more expected before April 1.

Meanwhile, last week, Texas voters approved a marijuana legalization question that appeared on the state’s Democratic primary ballot.

As part of the primary election on Tuesday, each major party was able to place several non-binding propositions on the ballot that allow voters show how they feel on key issues. The Texas Democratic Party used one of its propositions to find out where the electorate stands on legalizing cannabis and whether past convictions should be expunged.

For what it’s worth, a statewide poll released last month found that Texas voters don’t like how state leaders and lawmakers have handled marijuana and THC policy issues. In the survey, a plurality of voters (40 percent) said they disapprove of how their elected officials have approached the issue, according to the survey. Just 29 percent said they approve of how cannabis issues have been handled, while 31 percent said they didn’t have an opinion one way or another.

A separate poll released last year found that a plurality of Texas voters want the state’s marijuana laws to be made “less strict.” And among the legislative items lawmakers considered during recent special sessions, voters say a proposal to address hemp regulations was among the least important.

—
Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments.

Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access.
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For its part, the state Department of Public Safety in October adopted additional rules to increase the number of licensed dispensaries, establishing security requirements for “satellite” locations and authorizing the revocation of licenses for certain violations.

DSHS also recently finalized rules allowing doctors to recommend new qualifying conditions for cannabis patients and creating standards for allowable low-THC inhalation devices.

Meanwhile, bipartisan Texas lawmakers say the stage is set to advance legislation next session establishing regulations for hemp THC products, with growing understanding among their colleagues that prohibition fails to effectively address concerns about the cannabis market.

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