Thursday, October 25, 2012

Texas Book Festival Featured Author: Thomas Kreneck, author of Del Pueblo: A History of Houston's Hispanic Community


Thomas Kreneck is associate director for special collections and archives at the Mary and Jeff Bell Library and Joe B. Frantz Lecturer in Public History at Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. He is also the author of Mexican American Odyssey: Felix Tijerina, Entrepreneur and Civic Leader, 1905–1965, published in 2001 by Texas A&M University Press.

TAMUP: What or who inspired you to write your book?

TK: A lifetime of interest in the Mexican American experience, my experiences as founder and head of the Mexican American Archival component at the Houston Metropolitan Research Center (HMRC), and a profound belief that everyone should have a basic understanding of Houston's Hispanic community as the fourth largest concentration of Hispanics in the United States compelled me to write this book.

TAMUP: What are you looking forward to most about being one of the 200+ authors featured at the Texas Book Festival?

TK: I look forward to reviewing the other literature at the TBF, meeting the other authors, and especially interacting with those persons interested in my book.