Worth Repeating: San Antonio Stories

In this soulful collection, Texas Public Radio staffers Flahive and Pool team up with Streetman, assistant director of Trinity University Press, to compile 40 highlights from their program Worth Repeating, in which San Antonio denizens share true stories from their lives. In “Grateful,” former pastor Rey Lopez reflects on leaving the Evangelical church after becoming disillusioned with the faith’s insistence “that they have the corner on truth.” “Respect the Lechuza” recounts how artist Alex Rubio’s skepticism toward his family’s stories of the mythical Lechuza—“a large bird with the head and torso of a female figure, red eyes, and a large wingspan”—evaporated after he saw the cryptid in a park after a night out drinking. Elsewhere, Black photojournalist Bria Woods recounts feeling racially “othered” attending majority white schools growing up, and reporter Jess Elizarraras discusses her “culture shock” moving from a small town of recent Mexican immigrants to urban San Antonio, where she felt she needed to be “twice as perfect as everyone else” because she was Mexican American. The stories offer a panoramic view of the city, showcasing the vibrant personalities that call San Antonio home while reckoning with its social divisions. This is perfect for fans of The Moth or Humans of New York. (Aug.)