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W.F. Strong

February 16, 2023

My Valentine

Love, of course, can come in many forms. Texas Standard commentator WF Strong has found a lot of love in his life, including in his two teenage boys. He recalls a certain newer relationship that he says came as a bit of a surprise. This story first aired in 2018.

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February 1, 2023

Tom Hoskins and his Thousand Points of Light

It could be said that Texas is a state of natural philosophers. Many people have maxims or aphorisms at the ready for every situation. Tom Hoskins was one such person. He made it his late-in-life mission to record all of the adages he came across in a collection he called “Hoskilonians: A Thousand Points of […]

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January 18, 2023

We Might Oughtta Praise Texas Grammar

Those who didn’t grow up in Texas can have a lot of trouble with the way many Texans pronounce many place names. Think Gruene or Refugio. But commentator WF Strong noticed sumpin’ else — some Texans use words you pert near won’t hear in other parts of the country.

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January 4, 2023

The Port Mansfield Cut and the treasure discovered there

Running from Corpus Christi to near Brownsville, Padre Island is the longest barrier island in the world. Up until the late 1950s, you could drive the entire 113 miles of the island if you had a vehicle with decent four-wheel drive. That option was blocked in 1957 when the Port Mansfield Cut was dredged. The […]

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January 2, 2023

Jesse H. Jones was a model philanthropist

Over 30% of annual nonprofit giving happens in the last month of the year. In Texas, philanthropists Jesse H. Jones and his wife, Mary Gibbs Jones, have been very generous. Texas Standard commentator WF Strong has more on the gifts bestowed by the couple on the Lone Star State.

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November 24, 2022

‘Three red marbles’ is a story fit for Thanksgiving

Many Texas Standard listeners are thankful for the “Stories from Texas” brought to us by our regular commentator WF Strong. Today’s story is a little different — he explains why.

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October 26, 2022

La Llorona

A 500-year-old Mexican legend is still freshly scaring kids — especially in the border regions. The story about a crying woman called La Llorona no doubt arrived in what is now Texas with the earliest Mexican settlers. Ever since, this ghostly figure has haunted our rivers, lakes and streams. There are dozens of versions of […]

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October 12, 2022

Yonderings

Texas Standard commentator W.F. Strong explores Texas for us — often through history and lore. But he also picks up new stories from Texas. And, occasionally, he recommends one.

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About

“Stories from Texas” are written and recorded by W.F. Strong for the Texas Standard radio program. They are edited for broadcast by Texas Standard producers.

W.F. Strong

W.F. Strong is a professor of culture and communication at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. He is a Fulbright scholar and author of the book “Stories From Texas: Some Of Them Are True.”

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