Texas bears the tragic distinction as the site of our nation’s first mass shooting, which took place in 1966 atop the University of Texas Tower. In new book From a Taller Tower, author Seamus McGraw explores this incident, the mass shootings that have followed in years since, and the events’ lasting legacy in the United States today: our growing desensitization to them and our fear that we could fall victim to one almost anytime and anywhere. He will be joined by Julian Rubenstein, whose new book The Holly explores a shocking instance of gun violence perpetrated by an anti-gang activist and the event’s effect on an entire Colorado community. Together, they will explore how guns shape the psyche of the country, and what these stories tell us about a path forward.

• Moderator: Mike Clark-Madison, Austin Chronicle news editor
• Format: This is a live, virtual event on CrowdCast (RSVP link above).
• Chat: Feel free to use the chat box in CrowdCast to share your thoughts and virtually cheer for and share kudos with the session’s participants! Disorderly comments will be removed immediately. Please refer to the code of conduct.
• Book(s): Click the book cover(s) below to purchase through BookPeople, Texas Book Festival’s partner bookseller. Your purchase helps support the author(s), independent bookselling, and the Texas Book Festival. Thank you.

Seamus McGraw, Julian Rubinstein, From a Taller Tower: The Rise of the American Mass Shooter, The Holly: Five Bullets, One Gun and the Struggle to Save an American Neighborhood