Based in Austin, TX

The Myth of Red Texas
Cowboys, Populism, and Class War in the Radical South

Publisher: OR Books

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Upcoming Talks

Brownsville, TX
Friday, March 7th, 7pm
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Dallas, TX
Wednesday, April 1st, 7pm
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San Antonio, TX
Thursday, April 9th, 6pm
120 Adams Street

New Orleans, LA
Friday, April 17th, 6pm
The Garden District Book Shop
with Nathan Robinson (Current Affairs)

Austin, TX
Thursday, May 7th, 6pm
Alienated Majesty

A timely call for Texas—and the South—to reclaim its radical history, drawing lessons for today’s struggle from the populists and socialists of yesteryear.

“Reclaims Texas’s political history from dominant conservative narratives, deftly tracing a rich legacy of collectivist class struggle, radical politics, and democratic movements.”

—Emma Vigeland

“Griscom takes Texas history and makes it sing a new song—one that reminds us of a radical past and enables us to understand why we feel the call to make America radically freer, more equal and democratic.”

—Harvey J. Kaye

“In this totally unique and indispensable book . . . Griscom surfaces resonant truths about the state's political character and its possible futures.”

—Meagan Day

“In this bracing and wonderfully written history of Texas, David Griscom has done us a great service. When Texans rebuild a vibrant left, this book will be an indispensable resource.”

—Vivek Chibber

“A lively and informative retelling of the forgotten history of populist and socialist movements in Texas, replete with colorful characters. Essential reading for those reclaiming Texas from reactionary conservatism.”

—Seth Harp

In blood-red states such as Texas, politics operates under the fallacy that these places were always conservative, so that it would be foolish, even utopian, to propose a progressive alternative. The Myth of Red Texas, David Griscom’s debut book, reassesses this misconception, arguing that the Lone Star Left must embrace its hidden past to reach a brighter future.

Cowboys on strike, socialists on the ballot, farmers fighting tooth and claw for what they termed the “cooperative commonwealth”—Texas was once a wellspring of radicals hell-bent on taking power from the robber barons who ruled the day. With a careful eye for history, Griscom demonstrates how Texans’ left-wing parties, from the populists to the socialists, organized against the Right and often won—and how reclaiming that tradition can help today’s Left break the political deadlock in Texas and beyond.

Purchase directly via OR Books.

David Griscom Writer

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Projects Left ReckoningJacobin Show Books “Myth of Red Texas” (2026)

David Griscom
Writer

Bio
Email
Instagram
X

Projects

Left Reckoning
Jacobin Show

Books

“Myth of Red Texas” (2026)