Send a message

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

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. May 2008

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. December 2006

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. September 2006

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. September 2006

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. May 2006

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.” February 2006

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. December 2005

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. May 2005

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. March 2005

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? September 2004

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. January 2004

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. September 2003

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. December 2002

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. March 2002

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. February 2002

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. October 2001

Angel in the Backfield

For running back Emmitt Smith, this season could be halo and farewell. October 2001

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? August 2001

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. February 2001

Comeback • Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson

The big payoff. September 2000

Free Greg Ott!

In 1978 a Texas Ranger was killed during a drug raid on the home of Greg Ott, a North Texas State graduate student. No one really knows what happened that night, but Ott was charged with murder and sentenced to life in prison. Today, everyone agrees that he has paid his debt to society—everyone, that is, but the Texas Rangers. August 2000

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. April 2000

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. November 1999

Community • Edward W. Guinn

The good doctor. September 1999

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. July 1999

WHISTLE-BLOWER • Jennifer Long

Auditing the IRS. September 1998

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. July 1998

Willie at 65

The Red Headed Stranger is about to be eligible for Medicare? Ain’t it funny how time slips away. April 1998

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. March 1998

Self-Promotion • Eddie Wilson

Man equals myth. September 1997

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. August 1997

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. June 1997

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 March 1997

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. October 1996

Television • Chuck Norris

Lone Ranger. September 1996

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. August 1996

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. July 1996

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.) March 1996

Texas Twenty: Ron Kirk

The people’s mayor. September 1995

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. June 1994

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. April 1994

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. June 1993

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. June 1993

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. September 1992

A System Gone Bad

Kenneth McDuff is just one among hundreds of violent criminals who never should have been paroled—but they were. August 1992

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. August 1992

Scene of the Crime

It all looked so different 27 years ago. December 1990

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. December 1990

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. June 1989

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. May 1989

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. September 1985

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.” February 1985

Texas Primer: The Marfa Lights

What is it that makes them dance across the desert night? A trick of physics—or something stranger? November 1984

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. February 1983

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. August 1978

Candy

The life and times of Candy Barr—the woman who made headlines by always being in the wrong place at the right time. December 1976

Who Was Jack Ruby?

If you thought you knew, you were probably wrong. November 1975

Rodeo Madness

A rodeo is an anachronism, like javelin throwing: but its bumps, bruises, and brawls are real. March 1974

Going Home to Arlington

How do you find a folksy town of 7500 people 20 years later in a sprawling city of 110,000? February 1974

Cops as Junkies

Those who enforce our narcotics laws often use the stuff themselves. November 1973

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. November 1973

The Death of the Marlboro Man

Old Glory is a long way from Madison Avenue, and Bigun Bradley probably knew it. September 1973

The Lonely Blues of Duane Thomas

Why the best runner in pro football ran right out of the game. February 1973

Columns | Miscellany

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. June 2008

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? April 2008

Endless Summerall

What the double-breasted buffoons in today’s broadcast booths can learn from a legend of the game. October 2007

The Terror of Tarrytown

How the owner of the first shopping center in Austin is destroying it—one banned candy bar at a time. September 2007

The Iconoclast

A liberal newspaperman in George W. Bush’s backyard. June 2007

Go Fire Yourself!

It’s the best thing Jerry Jones could do for the Cowboys. March 2007

Tex-Mex and The City

You didn’t think the fight over Austin’s Las Manitas was about a restaurant, did you? February 2007

Man About Town

That old mad dog Carlton Carl takes Martindale. Literally. November 2006

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. April 2006

My Blue Heaven

Why I love—and why so many of you hate—the People’s Republic of Austin. February 2006

State of Dysfunction

Three Austin boys + the hatred and intolerance of their Boys State experience = a lesson in today’s democracy. November 2005

That Sinking Feeling

Why buying a beach house in Galveston may not be the best long-term investment. September 2005

Weed All About It

The case for legalizing marijuana (and no, I haven’t been smoking something). July 2005

Me and Him

Once upon a time I thought it was cool to question God’s existence. Not anymore. May 2005

The Thrill Of the Hunt

How I learned to stop worrying and love “blood sport”—or at least understand its appeal. March 2005

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. January 2005

My Choice

How can I be a Christian and support legalized abortion? Tough question, but after weeks of soul- searching, I have an answer. December 2004

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). October 2004

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. July 2004

Statues of Limitations

A bronze likeness of a Texas heroine will soon appear in downtown Austin—and with it, no doubt, an unnecessary controversy. May 2004

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. February 2004

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. November 2003

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. October 2003

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. June 2003

—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. April 2003

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. March 2003

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. January 2003

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. December 2002

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. October 2002

Talking to Killers

What's the most unsettling thing about interviewing murderers? In many ways, they're just like you and me. July 2002

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. February 2000

Shooting Blanks

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department aims to please hunters and birders alike. So why is everyone gunning for it? December 1996

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. October 1996

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. February 1996

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. November 1995

Mr. Right

Dallas professor Mel Bradford thinks that Abe Lincoln was a scoundrel and that equality is nonsense. I had to find out why. March 1992

Bear With Me

Black bears have returned to Big Bend National Park, and our author is determined to find one. December 1991

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. November 1987

I, Piscivore

How I learned what to do with the one that didn’t get away. September 1987

Reporter

Greg Ott, Free

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. July 2004

Another Round?

Don't write off George Foreman. June 2004

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. May 2004

The End

Serial killer Kenneth McDuff’s victims are unearthed, and he gets his due (we hope). December 1998

Watch Out

Advice for the new coaches of the Dallas Cowboys and the UT Longhorns. September 1998

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. February 1997

Web extras

The Fan

Senior editor Gary Cartwright talks about the story behind this month's cover story, "The Devil and Mr. Jones." October 2001

Outlaw Love

Senior editor Gary Cartwright tells the story behind this month's cover story, "The Whole Shootin' Match." February 2001