Ben Rehder

Ricky Delgado spends his days quietly working as a chicken hanger at the poultry plant in Rugoso, Texas, saving up what little money he makes. On the day his boss calls him in and accuses Ricky of having a fake Social Security number, he learns his brother has been shot trying to cross the border. That single gunshot from the weapon of a wealthy ranch owner sends ripples of shock through the community of a small Texasborder town, revealing the many ways peoples’ lives are interwoven despite the borders they try to erect. Ben Rehder’s The Chicken Hanger confronts the present-day controversy of politics and prejudice along the Texas-Mexico border. Rehder weaves between multiple perspectives and opinions of those protecting America and those hoping to become Americans, and asks whether a man’s worth is measured by his citizenship, or by the life he leads. Rehder’s books have made bestseller lists in Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, and Field and Stream. He currently lives near Austin with his wife.

At the Festival: The Chicken Hanger To Wit: Texas Mysteries with a Sense of Humor Sunday, October 28 Lone Star Tent