Gary Cartwright
Gary Cartwright received his B.A. in journalism from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. He has had a distinguished career as a newspaper reporter and as a freelance writer, contributing stories to such national publications as Harper’s, Life, and Esquire.
Cartwright was a finalist for a National Magazine Award in 1986 in the category of reporting excellence. He has been the recipient of a Dobie-Paisano fellowship and has won the Texas Institute of Letters Stanley Walker Award for Journalism, and the Carr P. Collins Award for nonfiction. He won the 1989 Press Club of Dallas Katie Award for Best Magazine News Story. He also won of the 2005 Headliner Club of Austin award for best magazine story. [Showdown at Waggoner Ranch, January 2004]
Cartwright has written several books, including Blood Will Tell, published in 1978; Confessions of a Washed-up Sportswriter, published in 1982; Dirty Dealing, published in 1984; and Galveston: A History of the Island, published in 1991. He has co-written three movie scripts, J. W. Coop (Columbia, 1972); A Pair of Aces (CBS-TV, 1990), which he also co-produced; and Pancho, Billy and Esmerelda, which he co-produced for his own production company in 1994. In addition, he co-produced Another Pair of Aces for CBS. Blood Will Tell was filmed by CBS-TV as a four-hour miniseries in 1994.
He has been on the TEXAS MONTHLY staff since 1982, and was a featured contributor in the March 2005 edition.
Features
Writing Life
Checking in on the long, slow, quiet, thoughtful, weird, brilliant, often-interrupted, never-compromised career of John Graves.
Consider the Oyster
If you’re a half shell fanatic like me, you’ll be just as alarmed as I was to hear that oystermen in Galveston Bay—the source of some of the country’s most delicious mollusks —are still struggling to make it after Hurricane Ike.
The Bucket List
Driving the River Road, in far West Texas; having a drink at the Mansion on Turtle Creek, in Dallas; fishing for bass in Caddo Lake; eating a chicken-fried steak in Strawn; searching for a lightning whelk along the coast; and 58 other things that all Texans must do before they die.
Gone to New York
Bud Shrake’s letters to friends back in Texas during his years in New York show the late novelist in all his ribald, freewheeling glory. And never more alive.
The World’s First Hamburger
The world’s first hamburger was served in Athens, Texas, no matter what Mr. Cutlets says.
Ghosts Of War
The battlegrounds of Texas tell an incredible story of struggle, sorrow, triumph, and terror that is far more complex and surprising than anything I learned in school. All I had to do was get in my car and go see them.
Styles and Styles of Texas
The thirty Texans with the most iconic, unforgettable, eye-popping looks, from Davy Crockett to Beyoncé.
Tony Romo Is the Greatest Cowboys Quarterback Since...
Die-hard fans of America’s Team are debating that very question as we speak—and also wondering if the kid from Wisconsin with the buxom distraction can take them to the Super Bowl any faster than, say, Gary Hogeboom did.
Remains of the Day
The Texas State Cemetery, home to the final resting places of the celebrated and the notorious, is a walk through time, revealing all that is great, courageous, tragic, pompous, and absurd about Texas.
Pasó por Aquí
José Cisneros, the legendary illustrator of the Spanish Southwest, is 96, almost blind, and nearly deaf. And, of course, he has no plans to put down his pen.
Main Squeeze Blues
Saying good-bye to my dear Phyllis was the hardest thing I’ve ever done—and losing her so suddenly didn’t make it any easier. But I know I’ll see her again someday.
Thank God It’s Friday
And Saturday. And Sunday. The arrival of fall means weekends spent watching football, up close and on-screen, and yet another opportunity to love the greatest game on earth for all the usual reasons. Forty-nine of them, in fact.
The Rookie
Having suffered through the ineptitudes of the Texas Rangers for nearly three and a half decades, having sat as solemn witness to their stumbling pretenses to be major league material, I assume that the hiring of a 28-year-old to run the team is yet another mistake. Jon Daniels, prove me wrong.
Perfect 10
The reviews of the Vince Young show are in—and, of course, they’re all raves. Gary Cartwright and Bud Shrake argue that the Texas quarterback is the best ever but wonder if his throwing motion is an obstacle to NFL greatness. Plus: Mack vs. “Delbert.”
The Lost City
A few of the streets near what used to be downtown have familiar names, but Arlington has mutated into a disconnected clump of shopping malls, cul-de-sacs, and gated communities, faceless, soulless neighborhoods that give urban sprawl a bad name.
Old-timers’ Day
Duking it out, after more than fifty years of friendship, over Ann Coulter, Terri Schiavo, the appeal of golf, and, inevitably, the decline of the Cowboys.
Dan Rather Retorting
“My hope has always been, for all my flaws and weaknesses, that people will say this: ‘He wanted to be a reporter and he is.’ I think they know that I love this country.” And other reflections on retirement from the broadcast-news icon turned right-wing punching bag.
Sarita's Secret
Could Ray Fernandez, the grandson of a Mexican American maid, be the rightful heir to the vast Kenedy fortune, including the family's mythic South Texas ranch?
Showdown at Waggoner Ranch
It’s the nation’s biggest spread within the confines of a single fence—more than eight hundred square miles extending across six counties. So it’s fitting that the family feud over its future is big too. And mythic.
God Bless America's Team
Pray for Bill Parcells, whose job is to take the Dallas Cowboys back to the Super Bowl. Pray for an arm like Troy's and legs like Emmitt's. And if all else fails, pray for a miracle.
You Only Live Twice
Where does an actress of a certain age restart her life (and jump-start her career) after years at Hollywood's mercy? If you're former Bond Girl Lois Chiles, the answer is obvious: back home in Texas.
Bill Broyles, as Ever, at War
Baytown wunderkind. Officer in Vietnam. Founding editor of this magazine. A-list screen writer. With a resume this stellar, you'd think he'd be satisfied. Not even close.
Durst Case Scenarios
Last September a human torso was found floating in Galveston Bay—a gruesome discovery that opened a window into the bizarre life of the accused murderer, New York multimillionaire Robert Durst.
The Devil and Mr. Jones
How about those Cowboys? Ever since the team's egotistical owner, Jerry Jones, fired coach Jimmy Johnson in a fit of pique, the 'Boys have never been on a slippery slope to perdition. But it's die-hard fans like me who are in hell.
Angel in the Backfield
For running back Emmitt Smith, this season could be halo and farewell.
The Case of the Persecuted Prosecutor
More than anyone, former assistant to the U.S. attorney Bill Johnston was responsible for exposing the FBI’s lies about the final assault on the Branch Davidian compound. Why, then, did his own government go after him?
The Whole Shootin' Match
The most famous bank-robbing lovers of all time weren't nearly as glamorous as Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty. Although the fragile, pretty Bonnie Parker had her good points, Clyde Barrow was a scrawny, two-timing psychopath. They were straight out of a country and western ballad. And when they died in a hail of bullets 66 years ago, their legend was born.
Comeback • Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson
The big payoff.
Free Greg Ott!
Twenty-two years ago a Texas Ranger was shot and killed during a drug raid on the home of Greg Ott, a philosophy graduate student. Even today, no one really knows what happened on that tragic night.
Shrake’s Progress
The Borderland, Bud Shrake’s epic novel about the early days of the Republic of Texas, is the crowning achievement of a life that is itself the stuff of legend.
Forget the Sopranos. Meet the Binions.
When the notorious Dallas mobster and gambler Benny Binion died ten years ago, he passed on a multimillion-dollar legacy to his children. Have they made a mess of it? You bet.
Community • Edward W. Guinn
The good doctor.
The Bingo King Is Dead. Long Live the Bingo King.
When Fast Eddie Garcia was shot to death, San Antonio mourned the loss of not only a man but also a behind-the-scenes power broker at the center of the city’s good ol’ amigo network.
WHISTLE-BLOWER • Jennifer Long
Auditing the IRS.
How to Have Great Sex Forever
Since I started taking Viagra, I have had the time of my life. You can too—but there’s more to romance than a little blue pill.
Willie at 65
The Red Headed Stranger is about to be eligible for Medicare? Ain’t it funny how time slips away.
The Last Posse
After thieves stole his daughter’s horse, deputy U.S. marshal Parnell McNamara didn’t make a federal case out of it. Instead, he rounded up a group of old-style lawmen and lit out after them.
Self-Promotion • Eddie Wilson
Man equals myth.
Turn Out the Lights
The Dallas Cowboys old-timers reunion is over, but for one evening it was possible to remember when pro football was fun, players were loyal, and even a sportswriter could fall in love with his team.
Nothing To It
Bolstered by his favorite phrase, my son Mark faced life with grace, dignity, and good humor. I knew he’d face death the same way.
A Star Is Reborn
A year after Kris Kristofferson’s standout role in Lone Star, Hollywood is still marveling over his comeback. He is too. by Gary Cartwright
Cowboy Family Values
Serious athlete. Devoted father and husband. Savvy businessman. On game day he may be Prime Time, but out of the spotlight, Deion Sanders is the squarest player on the Dallas Cowboys.
Television • Chuck Norris
Lone Ranger.
The Sting
Operation Lightning Strike, the FBI’s bizarre NASA probe, accomplished many things—all of them negative. Plus, the bureau strikes (out) again in Houston.
Eerie Canal
The Intracoastal Waterway is a marvel of engineering and a boon to industry. It’s also an ecological nightmare, which is why politicians, environmentalists, and business leaders are locked in a battle for the future of the Gulf Coast.
The Jones Gang
You know the real reason Texas Stadium has no roof? So Jerry Jones can get his head inside. (Or, how the Cowboys owner’s ego makes it hard to root for America’s Team.)
Texas Twenty: Ron Kirk
The people’s mayor.
Vain Glory
Jerry Jones may have the biggest ego in football, but don’t bet against him. Even without Jimmy Johnson, he still has the best team.
The Innocent and The Damned
The case against Fran’s Day Care in Austin raised the specter of Satanic conspiracy—just like hundreds of similar controversial child abuse cases across the country.
The Enemy Within
A blundered raid and a botched finale don’t change an essential fact about the Mount Carmel standoff: David Koresh is to blame.
One Last Shot
Decades after his family controlled Galveston’s liquor and gambling, 89-year-old Vic Maceo is clinging to his gangster past—and to his pistol.
The Hungriest Coach
Three years after he replaced Tom Landry, Jimmy Johnson is giving Dallas Cowboys fans something to cheer about—and his critics are eating their words.
A System Gone Bad
Kenneth McDuff is just one among hundreds of violent criminals who never should have been paroled—but they were.
Free to Kill
Once, the State of Texas was going to put Kenneth McDuff to death as payment for his crimes. Instead, it set him free to murder again.
Scene of the Crime
It all looked so different 27 years ago.
I Was Mandarin...
Clues left behind by a former Dallas cop convinced his son that he killed President Kennedy—but that’s just the beginning of the mystery.
The Work of The Devil
The disappearance of a University of Texas student in Matamoros led police to the discovery of a drug-dealing cult whose rituals were not only unholy but unthinkable.
Poisoned With Love
They were elderly people, flattered by the attention of a nice young man. But sometimes it’s a mistake to depend on the kindness of strangers.
The Longest Ride of His Life
When Randall Adams was sentenced to death ten years ago, the Dallas community thought a cop killing had been put to rest. But it hasn’t.
Touch Me, Feel Me, Heal Me!
I was curious when I found that three of my friends had delved into the mysteries of psychic surgery. After three “bloody operations” of my own, I knew what it was all about. About $30 a minute.
The Final Gun
In a small East Texas town a black principal and a white coach loved the same woman. First came the gossip. Next came the strange letters. And then there was a murder.
The Last Roundup
“When the cowboys on the 06 ranch talked about losing a way of life, they often pointed to their neighbor, Clayton Williams, as an example of what they meant. He was a millionaire and an oilman, and he represented everything they hated.”
Texas Primer: The Marfa Lights
What is it that makes them dance across the desert night? A trick of physics—or something stranger?
I Am the Greatest Cook in the World
And I’m telling you, if you can’t batter it, fry it, spike it with chiles, or bathe it in buttermilk, it’s not worth your time.
The Black Striker Gets Hit
The life—promising beginning, overripe middle, bloody end—of Lee Chagra, the biggest drug lawyer in El Paso.
Death of a Ranger
Bob Doherty was a Texas ranger who believed in the myth of the Old West; Greg Ott was a college dope dealer, a child of the sixties. When they met, it destroyed both their lives.
The Endless Odyssey of Patrick Henry Polk
Forget all those myths about poverty and welfare. This family is real and the live it.
Candy
The life and times of Candy Barr—the woman who made headlines by always being in the wrong place at the right time.
Is Jay J. Armes For Real?
A real-life detective caper, complete with surprise ending.
Who Was Jack Ruby?
If you thought you knew, you were probably wrong.
Leroy’s Revenge
Ringside as two dogs—father and son—fight to the death.
Rodeo Madness
A rodeo is an anachronism, like javelin throwing: but its bumps, bruises, and brawls are real.
Going Home to Arlington
How do you find a folksy town of 7500 people 20 years later in a sprawling city of 110,000?
Cops as Junkies
Those who enforce our narcotics laws often use the stuff themselves.
Tom Landry: Melting the Plastic Man
Behind the mask is a man of God, a man devoted to the all-American goal of winning the all-American game as few have done before him.
The Death of the Marlboro Man
Old Glory is a long way from Madison Avenue, and Bigun Bradley probably knew it.
The Lonely Blues of Duane Thomas
Why the best runner in pro football ran right out of the game.
Columns | Miscellany
Ghost Writer
It took me half my life to figure out that most of what I thought I knew about J. Frank Dobie was wrong.
Last Rights
The tragic case of Lloyd and Kim Yarbrough raises an old question: Why doesn’t the decision to die belong to the person who is dying?
Game Over
Sure, sure, the newspaper business is dying, and this is bad for freedom, accountability, and democracy itself. But worst of all is what’s happened to sportswriting.
Hostile Makeover
Nobody told me an eyebrow plucking would hurt this much!
You Aren’t Here
The very spot where William Barrett Travis wrote his famous “victory of death” letter is a Ripley’s Haunted Adventures. And other ways gross commercialization has desecrated the Alamo’s sacred battleground site.
The Kitchen Is Closed
Forty years ago, Pete Dominguez and his Mexican restaurants were the toast of Dallas. Now he’s alone, broke, and nearly forgotten.
Truth and Consequences
Roger Clemens may be worthy of the Congressional testimony Hall of Shame, but should we really be so freaked out about his supposed steroid use?
Endless Summerall
What the double-breasted buffoons in today’s broadcast booths can learn from a legend of the game.
The Terror of Tarrytown
How the owner of the first shopping center in Austin is destroying it—one banned candy bar at a time.
The Iconoclast
A liberal newspaperman in George W. Bush’s backyard.
Go Fire Yourself!
It’s the best thing Jerry Jones could do for the Cowboys.
Tex-Mex and The City
You didn’t think the fight over Austin’s Las Manitas was about a restaurant, did you?
Man About Town
That old mad dog Carlton Carl takes Martindale. Literally.
The Beat Goes On
Coronary artery disease is an old and much-hated enemy of mine. The beast attacked me without warning in 1988 as I strolled with my Airedales along Austin’s Shoal Creek hike-and-bike trail. Last November—sacre bleu!—it got me again.
My Blue Heaven
Why I love—and why so many of you hate—the People’s Republic of Austin.
State of Dysfunction
Three Austin boys + the hatred and intolerance of their Boys State experience = a lesson in today’s democracy.
That Sinking Feeling
Why buying a beach house in Galveston may not be the best long-term investment.
Weed All About It
The case for legalizing marijuana (and no, I haven’t been smoking something).
Me and Him
Once upon a time I thought it was cool to question God’s existence. Not anymore.
The Thrill Of the Hunt
How I learned to stop worrying and love “blood sport”—or at least understand its appeal.
And Still Champion
The first black man to hold boxing’s heavyweight title is finally getting the respect he deserves. Now all he’s owed is a presidential pardon.
My Choice
How can I be a Christian and support legalized abortion? Tough question, but after weeks of soul- searching, I have an answer.
Arlington's Team
Why isn't the new Dallas Cowboys stadium going to be in, er, Dallas? Blame the collision of an irresistible force (Jerry Jones) with an immovable object (Laura Miller).
One School Left Behind
Austin's Garza High is a rescuer of lost souls. Too bad President Bush's education-reform law considers it a failure.
Statues of Limitations
A bronze likeness of a Texas heroine will soon appear in downtown Austin—and with it, no doubt, an unnecessary controversy.
The Verdict
Getting Robert Durst acquitted might be too tall an order for most lawyers, but for Dick DeGuerin, it was just another day at the office.
Saving Cupid
Every year, at least two hundred sea mammals get stranded on Texas beaches. This is the story of one of them, a 199-pound dolphin with a neurological disorder, a sardonic grin, and a willingness to swim with yours truly.
Holy Trinity
When I was growing up in Arlington, the upper Trinity River was a dirty joke—and it still is. But the lower Trinity? You've got to see it to believe it.
Holy Shiitakes!
And that's not all. From wine to cheese, the plentiful offerings at Central Market make my mouth water—and my life so much better.
—30—
Blackie Sherrod probably hates the word "retired," but that's what he is now—and newspaper readers across Texas are the poorer for it.
Lines in the Sand
Is Austin artist Jack Jackson's illustrated history of the Alamo too unconventional to be sold at the Alamo gift shop? Draw your own conclusions.
The Idealist
If you're wondering why trial lawyers were once regarded as heroes rather than pariahs, let me tell you about my friend Warren Burnett, the late, great champion of little guys and lost causes.
Brothers in Lore
What ever happened to twin halfbacks Dickie Don and Rickie Ron Yewbet, the pride of the Corbett Comets? Forty years later, their story is still unbelievable.
Fantasy Island
When I went back to Galveston to inspect the renovation of the famed Balinese Room, I turned up a bit of my own history.
Talking to Killers
What's the most unsettling thing about interviewing murderers? In many ways, they're just like you and me.
Live and Learn
East Texas native George Dawson couldn’t read until he was 98. Now, at 102, he’s written a memoir. Next up: a high school equivalency diploma—but no driving.
Shooting Blanks
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department aims to please hunters and birders alike. So why is everyone gunning for it?
Funny Papers
If you believe the Fort Worth Star-Telegram obituary that says Jaime Woodson was one of the great writers of this century, let me tell you about the Corbet Comets.
Steam Spirit
If you’re heading to New Orleans and you’ve got five days to spare, don’t fly or drive. Take a trip fit for a king—aboard the Delta Queen .
Asleeping Beauty
More than two decades after he arrived in Austin, Asleep at the Wheel’s Ray Benson still reigns as the king of swing.
Mr. Right
Dallas professor Mel Bradford thinks that Abe Lincoln was a scoundrel and that equality is nonsense. I had to find out why.
Bear With Me
Black bears have returned to Big Bend National Park, and our author is determined to find one.
Spur of the Moment
San Antonio put a full-court press on basketball superstar David Robinson in hopes that he wouldn’t forget the Alamo City.
I, Piscivore
How I learned what to do with the one that didn’t get away.
Reporter
Greg Ott, Free
Greg Ott, the philosophy graduate student who was convicted of killing a Texas Ranger in 1978, has finally been released and is getting on with his life.
Another Round?
Don't write off George Foreman.
Divine Secrets of The Alamo Sisterhood
The genteel matriarchs of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas are at war—with each other. And this time it's a no-quarter struggle for the group's heart and soul.
The End
Serial killer Kenneth McDuff’s victims are unearthed, and he gets his due (we hope).
Watch Out
Advice for the new coaches of the Dallas Cowboys and the UT Longhorns.
Good Fella
Now that Joe Chagra is dead, it’s time to clear his name in the 1979 assassination of San Antonio federal judge John Wood.
Web Exclusives
Rose to the Occasion
For longtime TCU fans, the Rose Bowl was a reminder of being snubbed in the school’s heyday. With the victory over Wisconsin, the Horned Frogs have shaken off the ghosts of the past—and taken their rightful place on the national stage.
The Fan
Senior editor Gary Cartwright talks about the story behind this month's cover story, "The Devil and Mr. Jones."
Outlaw Love
Senior editor Gary Cartwright tells the story behind this month's cover story, "The Whole Shootin' Match."
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