When I turn on the ignition the interior light goes out till I close the door and reopen it. It makes no noise when I try to turn it over. The battery is new. I tested the starter by hooking battery straight to it and it would spin. The truck is a 1989 ford ranger xlt 4x4 with a 2.9l motor.

 

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It reads like the fuse or fusible link going to ignition switch is bad.

1989 was a transition year for the electrics in Rangers.
You should have an engine fuse box, it's Power wire will come from the Starter Relay on the fender.
This post on the Starter Relay is the Power distribution point for the vehicle.
Battery Positive cable is hooked up there and all the other Power wires, fuse boxes and alternator wires.
So very important that all these wires are clean and dry, not a bad idea to remove them and wire brush each wire end and the post itself.
DISCONNECT BATTERY GROUND CABLE, any time you work on ANY WIRING!!!!!!

Pull out ALL fuses one at a time and check that the connectors are not corroded and that the fuse is good, OHM Meter is best way to test a fuse since fuses can "look good" when they are not.

Could also be your ignition switch under the steering column is failing.
When you turn the key to RUN, or START, this rotation pushes a rod inside the steering column that moves the Slider in the ignition switch just above brake pedal on the steering column.

Layout seen here: http://i.fixya.net/uploads/images/a4d28fb.gif

So the key switch isn't the electrical part, it moves the electrical part to make and break connections.

I base the above on "no dash lights" are coming on when key is turned on, so no power is getting through to the cab electrics.

If dash lights are working then could be your Clutch switch(manual trans) or your NSS(automatic trans) is bad.
These switches prevent starter motor from working if Clutch pedal is not pushed in all the way or if automatic is not in Park or Neutral