No one is neutral about Texas. It is too big to ignore and too boisterous to leave the rest of us alone. First published in 1968, In a Narrow Grave is the classic statement of what it means to come from Texas. In these essays, McMurtry's fine prose opens a window into the complex workings of America's largest state. As the author reveals: "Before I was out of high school, I realized I was witnessing the dying of a way of life -- the rural, pastoral way of life. In the Southwest the best energies were no longer to be found on the homeplace, or in the small towns; the cities required these energies and the cities brought them.