Book excerpt: The authors of COLLECTED TALES FROM THE RIO GRANDE are current or former residents of the Rio Grande Valley, who know the joys and tribulations of living along a contentious border with Mexico. From this wealth of talent and experience, the Valley Byliners Editorial Committee selected and edited the stories and poems that make up this volume. Don Cliff ord has written for and edited several prize winning military and civilian publications. Jack King once taught English and Art in the Texas State Technical College Upward Bound program. Marianna Nelson helped keep the project on track with pertinent insights from the Byliner membership. But in the long run, this book would not have been possible without the collective eff orts of all the talented writers presented here.