With the paltry rate of posting on Grits, you might have thought I was no longer writing. But I’m pleased to announce a new zine I’ve been working on over the past couple of years: A micro-history of a small, 100-year-old neighborhood grocery store 2 blocks from my home, in a shopping center dubbed Hudspeth’s Corner. (This is the cover art, above, by the wonderful Lakeem Wilson.)
No one living knew the site’s origins, but it’s a decidedly epic tale of the rise and fall of a segregation-era black family business. The saga, spanning 5 generations, provides a unique window into the history of the whole neighborhood. (More or less against my will, the story includes significant criminal-justice themes as well.)
Undertaken as a palate cleanser after the 2021 legislative session, I began researching a series of deep, historical stories in the East Austin “Chestnut” neighborhood where I’ve lived for 33 years, all within a few blocks of my house. The rest will be released in 2024 and 2025, but because of the 100-year anniversary, Kathy and I wanted to get this one out now before we leave in August to go to Mexico for the rest of the year!
It would really help if folks pre-ordered copies; you can do that here, ensuring your copy will get dropped in the mail the moment it rolls off the presses. (Price is $6 plus s/h.)
Then, on July 23, we’re having a zine launch at the Community Garden wine bar at the Hudspeth’s Corner site. Congressman Greg Casar has agreed to cohost and we’re going to record a little podcast about the store featuring historians, preservationists, and neighborhood folks. If you’re in Austin, join us!
I’m excited to put this out; it’s been a fun little project.