Either way, I’ve always considered myself a Texan. I like a good steak, my dad worked on his family’s ranch in Juarez and knew how to butcher any kind of livestock, and I proudly stood to chant the Texas state pledge every school day from 3rd grade into my senior year. On the other hand, I never learned “Deep in the Heart of Texas.” What was the point when I lived on the thumb?

I’ll admit, some of the modern book cover trends are not my favorite, but now I see them with more positivity. They make me consider the new readers— the ones stepping into the literary world for the first time.

My mind’s eye becomes that of a tlaquetzqui, and I find my soul operating on a different plane. I understand it all. I don’t know if it was the references to the music of my childhood or the red wine starting to kick in (maybe a mixture of both?), but I felt a wave of admiration come over me.