Houston is in the process of defining itself for the 21st century. The downtown skyline is filled with building cranes, and the outer areas are sprouting mini-cities like Sugar Land and The Woodlands. Old-timers and new-comers both need a way to understand this change and help us define who we are as a city and where we are going. It is the worst time to be losing the one writer whose purpose is to discuss Houston's shifting sense of place and identity.