Gary Pinkerton will talk about his new book Bridles and Biscuits: Contraband Culture in Spanish East Texas. From the publisher: Pinkerton "explores the complex economies and shifting structures of a borderland environment. In 1773, as residents of Los Adaes were abruptly forced to relocate to Béxar, the Spanish retreat from the region created a greater opening for unregulated trade among French, American, and Italian settlers ... Pinkerton demonstrates how the region that hosted the exiled Adaeseños “became the entry point for those with bigger goals than trading horses and skins.” Pinkerton is the Managing Director of the Alliance for Texas History and the author of Trammel’s Trace: The First Road to Texas from the North (2016) and other books. Refreshments provided. Free and open to all.

Dr. Alison Fields will introduce John Sayles's acclaimed Texas film Lone Star (1996), marking the 30th anniversary of its release followed by a screening. Critically ranked as one the best and most important films about Texas, Lone Star uses the backdrop of a border town murder-mystery to examine themes of national, generational, and personal borders and the ways communities enforce those divisions with stories about the past. It features outstanding performances by Chris Cooper, Elizabeth Peña, Matthew McConaughey, Kris Kristofferson, Ron Canada, and many others. Dr. Fields is the director of the University of Oklahoma School of Visual Arts and author of Lone Star (2026), a new book about the film. Lamar Students receive free admission with presentation of valid ID. Check back for additional details.