By: Amanda Hart Photo courtesy of Librotraficante In March, FPH covered an important fight that was brewing on the steps of the State Capitol. Our favorite Houston Senator, The Great Dan Patrick, had introduced Senate Bill 1128 which would have redefined what Texas universities could classify as history.  That same day, Texas Republican House of Representative Giovanni Capriglione introduced House Bill 1938  which outlined the same goal as SB 1128. According to the bill(s), “A college or university receiving state support or state aid from public funds may not grant a baccalaureate degree or a lesser degree or academic certificate ... Read More »

On April 30, Word Around Town (WAT?!), Rebel Crew, and Nuestra Palabra will present the second ever Poet Draft at Taft Street Coffee. Poet Draft participants will compete for seven spots in the eighth annual Word Around Town Tour. The Word Around Town Tour is a spoken word competition that will take place from August 4 to August 10 at a different location every night. The event was introduced in 2025 with the intent to expose both audiences and poets to cool Houston hang-outs, and of course bring together great poets. Poets competing in Poet Draft for a spot in ... Read More »

By Amanda Hart Illustration by Blake Jones Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” Our history matters. And silence will not do when it comes to demanding that everyone’s history continues to be included in our school curriculum. FPH caught up with Librotraficante member Lupe Mendez to find out about the upcoming battle over SB 1128. What impact will SB 1128 have on our community? This bill and its companion in the House, TX (R) Rep. Capriglione’s HB 1938, would serve to limit the kinds of history classes ... Read More »

Houston is well-known for experimental music/noise and risk-taking performance art, but the literary landscape is rather safe, tepid, and bland. Poet / translator / interpreter / educator / collaborator / organizer / interdisciplinary artist John Pluecker is trying to change that. Read More »

By: Erin Dyer As the fourth largest city in the country, Houston houses a remarkable magnitude of art through various mediums­­, including a broad literary division. Houston is home to the University of Houston’s distinguished and renowned Creative Writing program, as well as several festivals that emphasize fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. The full spectrum of Houston poetry is showcased annually around town via the growing Word Around Town Poetry Tour. If you haven’t heard of it yet, this seven-day tour is the perfect opportunity to educate your mind and entertain your soul through the works of local poets. Three noteworthy ... Read More »

This is the third Free Press Houston Librotraficante embedded road report. For background, check out my previous articles: Books Are A Gateway Drug, Remember the Alamo, and Revenge of the Nerds. This picks up where the last post left off. Forget your iPads and your Kindles, books are making a comeback!  Have you seen this sexy new video from B*tches in Bookshops, yet? Photo by Paolo Mossetti By now you must have heard about Arizona’s ignorant ban on ethnic studies.  It’s a cynical ploy to win votes by opportunistic politicians who are banning classes they have not even checked in ... Read More »