1. The Framers' Coup: The Making of the United States Constitution
By Michael J. Klarman
Presents a comprehensive accounting of the founding of the U.S. Constitution from the precursor Articles of Confederation to the enactment of the Bill of Rights. Suggests the framers were practicing ordinary interest group politics and reviews primary sources to show their reasoning, prejudices, and moral blind spots. Concludes the Constitution was a coup for expanded powers of the federal government and a significant departure from the more democratic state constitutions of the time.
Oxford University Press, 2016. 865 pages.
342.7302 K665F 2016


 

2. From the War on Poverty to the War on Crime: The Making of Mass Incarceration in America
By Elizabeth Hinton
Argues that America's mass incarceration rates originate not with the Reagan administration's War on Drugs, as popularly perceived, but with the Johnson administration's Great Society social welfare programs. Traces the trajectory of Johnson's War on Poverty and War on Crime policies, illustrating how Nixon and later presidents pulled away from welfare efforts and devoted increasing resources to anticrime programs that ultimately criminalized poverty. Demonstrates how flawed statistical data overstated the problem of crime in African American communities and produced a distorted view of American crime as a whole.
Harvard University Press, 2016. 449 pages.
364.973 H596F 2016


 

3. We Wanted Workers: Unraveling the Immigration Narrative
By George J. Borjas
Analyzes the impact that immigration has on the United States economy. Questions whether the analytical models used by both proponents and detractors of unrestricted immigration policies are flawed based on their assumptions and data. Concludes that many of the arguments for and against certain immigration policies, supported by statistical evidence, have been corrupted to support a particular stance on immigration.
W. W. Norton & Company, 2016. 238 pages.
331.10973 B644W 2016


 

4. Moderates: The Vital Center of American Politics, from the Founding to Today
By David S. Brown
Charts the progress of centrism in American politics, emphasizing the critical role that moderate politicians, ideas, and collaborations have played since the United States was established. Examines the contributions of pragmatic, centrist leaders within their historical contexts, including John Adams, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, the Bushes, and Bill Clinton.
University of North Carolina Press, 2016. 335 pages.
306.20973 B812M 2016


 

5. Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis
By J.D. Vance
Examines the family, economic, and social challenges of America's poor, white working class in Kentucky's Appalachian region and small-town Ohio. Addresses policy issues of child abuse, alcoholism, poverty, welfare, and family trauma through a gripping and poignant memoir.
Harper, 2016. 264 pages.
305.5 V277H 2016


 

6. Shaming the Constitution: The Detrimental Results of Sexual Violent Predator Legislation
By Michael L. Perlin and Heather Ellis Cucolo
Presents a comprehensive overview of sex offenders and current sexual predator legislation in America. Analyzes in depth not only the laws, but also the social attitudes that have effectively blocked many constitutional protections that these offenders should have available to them. Argues public policy often has been the result of knee-jerk legislation and posits that as a result, society has neglected issues that matter - risk prediction, effective treatment, and curbing media misrepresentation.
Temple University Press, 2017. 309 pages.
345.73 P421S 2017


 

1. A Tongue in the Mouth of the Dying By Laurie Ann Guerrero
Laurie Ann Guerrero, the 2016 Texas Poet Laureate, is also the 2014 San Antonio Poet Laureate. Her poetry has been described as startling and visceral - full of imagination and empathy but also sharp as knives. Among her numerous awards are the 2012 Andres Montoya Poetry Prize and the Helen C. Smith Award from the Texas Institute of Letters. A Tongue in the Mouth of the Dying has been identified as a must-read work of Chicano literature. It explores the histories of South Texas, its people, and their ability to speak out.
University of Notre Dame Press, 2013. 66 pages.
811.6 G937T 2013


 

2. Sonnets and Salsa By Carmen Tafolla
Dr. Carmen Tafolla, the 2015 Texas Poet Laureate, is a writer, a performance artist, and a professor of Bicultural Bilingual Studies at the University of Texas - San Antonio. She has authored several books of poetry along with short stories, historical nonfiction, and children's books. She is recognized as one of the madrinas of contemporary Chicana literature and a master at code-switching. Her works have appeared in textbooks, newspapers, journals, and magazines. She has been honored with several awards including being named the 2012 San Antonio Poet Laureate. Sonnets and Salsa is a collection of poems/sonnets in English and in Spanish that capture the joys and struggles of Latina women.
Wings Press, 2001. 107 pages.
811.54 T125S 2001


 

3. Shock by Shock By Dean Young
Dean Young, the 2014 Texas Poet Laureate and a Pulitzer Prize finalist, has been a prolific author of poetry for the past thirty-years. He has received awards and support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Guggenheim Memorial Foundation and the American Academy of Arts and Letters. In 2011 he underwent a heart transplant after living with congestive heart failure for a decade. Hints of his condition can be found throughout his poetry. He is currently the William Livingston Chair of Poetry with the James A. Michener Center for Writers and a professor with the University of Texas Department of English in Austin. Shock By Shock, his first collection of poems since his brush with death, celebrates his joy for life with a mixture of surrealism and humor.
Copper Canyon Press, 2015. 81 pages.
811.54 Y84S 2015


 

4. Again for the First Time By Rosemary Catacalos
Rosemary Catacalos, the 2013 Texas Poet Laureate, is of Greek and Mexican heritage and a San Antonio native. Her work is deeply rooted in the classical myths, folklore, and history of both cultures. She has been a tireless advocate for literacy, creative education, and underheard voices. Again for the First Time, which was awarded the Texas Institute of Letters Poetry Prize, blends Greek mythological characters with contemporary settings and addresses a variety of issues, including San Antonio street life and racism.
Wings Press, 2013. 79 pages.
811.54 C28A 2013


 

5. Jan Seale: New and Selected Poems By Jan Seale
Jan Seale, the 2012 Texas Poet Laureate, began writing poetry at the age of six. She is an award winning author of poetry, short stories, nonfiction and children’s books. The former teacher’s works often reflects on nature, aging, spirituality, and the lives of women. Jan Seale: New and Selected Poems, the eighth volume of the Texas Poets Laureate series, is a collection of some of her best poetry published between 1974-2012.
TCU Press, 2012. 88 pages.
811 T312PL 12


 

6. David M. Parsons: New and Selected Poems By David M. Parsons
Dave Parsons, the 2011 Texas Poet Laureate, is a man of many contrasts - from serving in the U.S. Marine Corps to owning a haberdashery, from coaching sports to teaching creative writing at Lone Star College. He began writing poetry in college and has been published in several journals and anthologies. He is the recipient of numerous awards and was inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters in 2009. David M. Parsons: New and Selected Poems, the seventh installment of the TCU Texas Poets Laureate Series, is a collection of some of his most celebrated works, including poems inspired by the city of Austin.
TCU Press, 2012. 86 pages.
811 T312PL 11


 

7. Redefining Beauty By Karla K. Morton
Karla K. Morton, the 2010 Texas Poet Laureate, is a celebrated poet who has authored numerous books of poetry that span many subjects and forms. In her role as Texas Poet Laureate, she established the Little Town, Texas Tour to bring poetry to young people across Texas, focusing on small towns underserved by the arts. Redefining Beauty is a collection of powerful poems that chronicle her journey through cancer diagnosis, treatment, and recovery - offering hope but also unfiltered honesty - on the brutality of cancer.
Dos Gatos Press, 2009. 63 pages.
811.6 M846R 2009


 

8. Paul Ruffin: New and Selected Poems By Paul Ruffin
Paul Ruffin, the 2009 Texas Poet Laureate, was an award winning writer who passed away in 2016. He was a Texas State University System Regents' Professor and a Distinguished Professor of English at Sam Houston State University. He was also the founder of the Texas Review and of Texas Review Press. He published over 1500 poems along with a multitude of stories and essays. Paul Ruffin: New and Selected Poems, the fifth installment of the TCU Texas Poets Laureate Series, highlights some of his finest poetry and extraordinary storytelling.
TCU Press, 2010. 85 pages.
811.54 R838N 2010