Joe Nick Patoski
Before Joe Nick Patoski joined TEXAS MONTHLY, he worked as a radio broadcaster in El Paso, Arlington, and Austin, and served as a stringer for Rolling Stone, drove a taxi cab, managed rock and roll bands, and was a reporter and a columnist for the Austin American-Statesman.
He's written articles for Men's Journal, Spin, and Conde Nast Traveler and he also contributed a chapter in The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock and Roll.
He is co-author of Stevie Ray Vaughan: Caught in the Crossfire, published in 1993 by Little Brown, and Selena: Como la Flor about the life and death of the entertainer Selena, also published by Little Brown.
Patoski grew up in Fort Worth and attended the University of Texas at El Paso, the University of Minnesota, Tarrant County Junior College, and the University of Texas at Austin.
Features
Top Fifty
(May 2003)
The Best of the Best
(May 2003)
Pit Stops
Where are the best places to eat barbecue in Texas? Six years ago we published a highly subjective—and hotly debated— list of our fifty favorite joints, and now we’ve gone back for seconds. Ten intrepid souls drove more than 21,000 miles in search of 2003’s worthiest ‘cue. Here’s what they came back with: the top 5 and the next 45, plus honorable mentions, great chains, and meat by mail. (May 2003)
Water Foul
When the City of Marshall wanted to pump millions of gallons of water out of Caddo Lake and sell them to the highest bidder, the state said, "Sure." Residents of Karnack, Uncertain, and other tiny northeast Texas towns said, "Hell, no." Guess who prevailed (for now)? (October 2002)
Yelapa
(October 2002)
25 Top Custom Bootmakers
(June 2002)
Alive and Kicking
Nothing advertises your Texas bona fides more these days than a pair of handmade cowboy boots. Here's everything you need to know about them - how to tell a vamp from a pull, which toe style is right with a suit - and where to buy the best. (June 2002)
Boot Anatomy
(June 2002)
Driving Music
(May 2002)
Alternate Routes
(May 2002)
Pretty Drives
(May 2002)
Big Bend 2002
Whether you want to hike it, raft it, drive it, or all of the above, here's everything you need to know to get the most out of a trip to Texas' greatest treasure. (March 2002)
Which Side of the Fence Are You On?
All over Texas, ranchers are putting up eight-foot fences to keep their deer from roaming so they can charge more for hunting leases. Purists say shooting such deer doesn't amount to "fair chase." Biologists say penning them in causes disease. I say it's the best thing that could happen to the land. (February 2002)
Texas Ranges
In an excerpt from their forthcoming book, Texas Mountains, senior editor Joe Nick Patoski and freelance photographer Laurence Parent celebrate the wild beauty of the state's sierras. (November 2001)
Old-Fashioned Texas
Texas is changing before our eyes, but fried pies, drive-in movie theaters, and other vestiges of earlier days are all around. To find these treasures, we risked life, limb, and cholesterol count-and had a blast from the past. (August 2001)
Boone Pickens Wants To Sell You His Water
And you’re going to need it, eventually, since Texas’ most precious natural resource is being depleted at an alarming rate. His plan is to pump vast amounts from his land in the Panhandle and pipe it to parched cities like El Paso and San Antonio—for a hefty price, of course. But other powerful interests have the same idea. Let the battle begin. (August 2001)
On the Water Front
Summer’s blast furnace is firing up. Luckily, Texas is a paradise of spring-fed pools, sparkling beaches, and more. Here are our picks for the best places to chill out, get wet, and go off the deep end. Plus extra web-only information! (June 2001)
50 Things Every Texan Should Do
Have you gotten lost in the Big Thicket? Attended a South Texas pachanga? Whether you’re a newcomer or a native, following these suggestions will give you a crash course in all things Texas—and one heck of a good time. (March 2001)
The Widow’s Pique
In Lubbock they call her the "Spanish Yoko Ono," and María Elena Holly, Buddy Holly’s widow, has always had a troubled relationship with his conservative hometown. Some folks rave on that it’s her greed that has killed the city’s Buddy Holly Music Festival. But it’s more complicated than that. (February 2001)
Airport 2000
These days, a plane trip can entail more time in the terminal than in the air. But why get stressed when you can have a massage, taste Texas wines, go for a jog, check your e-mail—even eat gumbo while watching (other people's) planes take off? A survivor's guide to DFW, Houston Intercontinental, and five other big-city airports. (November 2000)
Splendor in the Grass
Thirty years ago J. David Bamberger bought "the worst piece of land in Blanco County," then cleared the cedar and planted native trees and grasses. Today his ranch is a haven for birders, environmentalists, and students— and he is a revered guru of land stewardship. (October 2000)
Environment • Steve Manning
For the birds. (September 2000)
Musical Marginalia
The places, people and stories behind Texas music. (May 2000)
Tomorrow People
Meet the senior class of what might be called Texas Music U. — four up-and-coming acts that should graduate to the big time. (May 2000)
Y'all in the Family
How did Lloyd Maines get to be a revered guitarist and record producer? How did his daughter Natalie find fame as a Dixie Chick? Chalk it up to musicianship—and kinship. (May 2000)
Play Ball, Y'all
Meet eight Texas teams that are bringing America's pastime—the gimmicky, anything-goes minor league version—to a stadium near you. (April 2000)
Crashed
At heart, Dewey Winburne was an educator, not an entrepreneur; he saw technology as a tool for doing good rather than doing well. Even so, he was able to survive in Austin’s heady new economy—until the pressure got to him. (March 2000)
Land That I Love
City folks with money to burn are driving up the cost of living in the Davis Mountains and the state’s other pretty places. What’s a rancher to do? (March 2000)
Entertainer of the Century—Willie Nelson
“He doesn’t fit the stereotype of a 66-year-old veteran of a profession that eats its young. The goofy grin he flashes conveys the vibe that he really and truly likes what he’s doing. We like it too.” (December 1999)
High-tech • Mark Cuban and Todd Wagner
Net profiteers. (September 1999)
High Plains Drifting
How to get your kicks on Route 66 and other less celebrated roads: three leisurely drives through a part of the state where the sights are cool and the nights are cooler. (July 1999)
Team Player
Why he was a hit running the Texas Rangers. (June 1999)
Let’s Get Lost
Hot springs, steep cliffs, death-defying trails: My six-day trek through Mexico’s Copper Canyon was the adventure of a lifetime. (May 1999)
Our Juan and Only
At home in his native Puerto Rico or at home plate in Arlington, Texas Rangers slugger Juan Gonzalez is a hit. (April 1999)
Radio
Play-by-play coverage of high school baseball in Alpine, polka and Pan-American music in El Campo: More than a dozen reasons not to touch that dial. (March 1999)
Just Say Snow
Breathtaking scenery, tons of runs, and pillowy, powdery white stuff: If you need a lift this winter, New Mexico skiing won’t leave you cold. (December 1998)
The Witnesses
Nellie Connally, Red Duke, and others remember November 22, 1963. (November 1998)
The Two Oswalds
It’s the most intriguing theory of all: two men with the same identity, one a patsy and the other a murderer who got off scot-free. (November 1998)
RADIO • Tom Joyner
The host with the most. (September 1998)
Money in the Making
Houston’s new movers and shakers don’t hang with the Wyatts or Sakowitzes. They’re Eightball, Scarface, Lil’ Keke, and the other power players of the city’s rap music scene. (August 1998)
The Wild Coast
The birds of High Island. The wilderness of Matagorda Island. The untamed beach of Boca Chica. These and other hidden treasures await you-if you know where to look. (June 1998)
The Power Couple—Robert Rodriguez and Elizabeth Avellan
A match made in heaven and blessed by Hollywood. (May 1998)
Wowtown!
The billionaire Basses had a vision—and money, of course. Now, thanks to their efforts, Fort Worth has the hottest downtown in Texas. (April 1998)
The War on Cedar
It’s unpalatable to cattle, an invader of grasslands, and a water hog. So why can’t I just get rid of it? Because it’s a vegetative Vietnam. (December 1997)
Memphis
It’s music to your ears. (November 1997)
Sweating It Out
How I survived a course in desert survival. Chihuahuan Desert. (October 1997)
Rough and Ready
The secrets of Big Bend Ranch State Park. (October 1997)
The Road to Nowhere
A drive that’s unforgettable to the end. (October 1997)
Television • Hank Hill
An animated personality. (September 1997)
Law • Lucius D. Bunton III
Here comes the judge. (September 1997)
Multimedia • Chris Roberts
The name of the gamer. (September 1997)
Grand Canyons
Hiking, biking, and nighttime weather to your liking make the Palo Duro and Caprock canyons a cool summer getaway. (August 1997)
Out There
For seven days Rick McLaren and his armed cohorts were holed up in their Republic of Texas “embassy” while reporters dug for stories, lawmen kept watch, and the residents of nearby Fort Davis wished they’d all go away. (June 1997)
Bill, Due
After more than two decades in the movie business—including star turns in Apollo 13, Twister, and now his own Traveller—Fort Worth’s Bill Paxton is finally getting what’s coming to him. (May 1997)
Underground Round
(May 1997)
Speed
This month, more than 150,000 fans will pack an enormous new venue near Fort Worth to watch the state’s first major stock car race. Clearly, NASCAR is on the right track in Texas. (April 1997)
Still ZZ After All These Years
So what if they’re not cranking out hits and selling out concerts the way they used to? After nearly three decades, no one makes better blues rock than ZZ Top. (December 1996)
Advertising • Lionel Sosa
Breadth of a salesman. (September 1996)
Food • John Mackey
Ace in the Whole. (September 1996)
So You Wanna Be a Storm Chaser?
(July 1996)
The Candy Man
Mr. Peppermint doffs his skimmer in a fond if bittersweet farewell to all the kids he entertained on TV for so many years. (July 1996)
Riders on the Storm
By the end of May, the weather in the Panhandle finally turned nasty, and two real-life tornado trackers cut to the chase. (July 1996)
Junior Achievement
Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Jerry Jeff Walker—and now Junior Brown? The former community college teacher is the latest outlaw to hijack Texas country music, and he may be the greatest. (June 1996)
Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll
When the double life of pioneering record producer Huey Meaux was exposed, it was time to face the music: How well did I really know the legend I once called my friend? (May 1996)
The Ultimate Hill Country Tour
Spend a long weekend this spring meandering through Texas’ fabled heartland, where you can stop and smell the wildflowers, taste country cooking, and take home a trunkful of fine antiques. (April 1996)
The Sweet Song of Justice
The verdict is in, but a complete account of what went on in the Selena murder trial hasn’t come out—until now. (December 1995)
Trip Tips
(June 1995)
The Shore Thing
Our complete guide to a great vacation on South Padre Island: the best spot for tanning, who serves the freshest seafood, how to rent scuba gear, where to see the prettiest sunset, and more. (June 1995)
The Queen Is Dead
When Selena Quintanilla Perez was killed on March 31, Texas mourned—and around the world, the veneration began. (May 1995)
Chile Weather
It’s harvest time for the green chile—the mild-mannered pepper that adds zest to almost any dish. (August 1994)
Tex-Mex Treks: Ciudad Acuna, Coahuila
A cool mariachi bar (in Juárez), tasty lake bass (in Cuidad Acuña), terrific shoes and boots (in Reynosa), and other secrets of border travel. (March 1994)
Show Your Colors
You don’t need to travel to Vermont to see fall splendor. Discover it in the Guadalupe Mountains, Texas’ undiscovered national park. (October 1993)
True Fit
Comfort, style, and identity are a few of the reasons why Texans will be forever in blue jeans. (September 1993)
Big Bend Made Easy
It may be more than 800,000 acres, but you can easily cut Big Bend down to size. Here’s how. (March 1993)
Big Bend Made Easy
It may be more than 800,000 acres, but you can easily cut Big Bend down to size. Here’s how. (March 1993)
What a Disc!
From Scott Joplin to ZZ Top, a comprehensive guide to the best Texas music on CD. (October 1992)
All’s Fair in Love and Catfish
Staring down a Mississippi monopoly, one Brazoria County company hopes to become a bigger fish in a big pond. (July 1992)
Judge Roy Scream vs. The Texas Cyclone
How to beat the heat, find the food, and master the coasters at Texas’ four big theme parks. (June 1992)
Big Bird
Getting up close and personal with the endangered whooping crane. (January 1992)
Golden Oldies
Seven legendary Texas musicians who won’t ever let the music stop. (December 1991)
What a Dish!
We cleaned our plate at restaurants across Texas. Here are the results: 66 irresistible specialties of the house. (October 1991)
Wet ‘n’ Wacky
From real river water to its playful German theme, Schlitterbahn’s totally tubular! (August 1991)
Secret Summer Places
Follow us for a great vacation, minus something all tourists can do without crowds. (June 1991)
Texas Primer: The Herkie Jump
Three cheers for Lawrence Herkimer and his leap to fame. (October 1989)
Chip Ahoy
A new gambling-cruise-ship enterprise out of Port Isabel makes it possible to spend an evening in a casino while going nowhere in the Gulf. (February 1989)
The Flash Flood
In a land of contrasts, a few hours can mean the difference between drought and deluge. (April 1987)
Texas Primer: Big Red
Its passionately loyal following may make this drink the last Texan soda pop on the planet. (August 1986)
Columns | Miscellany
Pom-pom and Circumstance
Why you can't spell "cheerleader" without "leader." (February 2003)
Water Hazard
The mayor of San Antonio says a 2,600-acre golf resort on top of the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone won't ruin the city's sole source of drinking water. Who wants to tee off on that one? (November 2002)
Prairie Dogma
Birders and their allies want to preserve the vanishing grassland of the farm and ranch country west of Houston, but time is running out. (September 2002)
Tune In, Turn On
Why Grand Prarie's Bobby Patterson of KKDA-AM is my favorite deejay in Texas. (May 2002)
Paper Chase
Read all about it: Alpine residents win big during the town's newspaper war. (January 2002)
Guad Is Great
Forget about the Rocky Mountains. For first-class kayaking, fishing, and bird-watching, head to the Lower Guadalupe after Labor Day, when the drunken armada of tubers retreats to shore and nature returns in full strength. (December 2001)
Distress Signal
San Antonio's Clear Channel Communications may dominate Texas' airways, but the way it does business is tuning out to the best things on the radio. (November 2001)
True Story
When one of his reporters turned up missing in Mexico, the editor of the San Antonio Express-News took on one of the most important assignments of his life. (October 2001)
Laura Canales
(September 2001)
The Original Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders
(September 2001)
David Clyde
(September 2001)
Joe Dealey
(September 2001)
The New Guy
What's the story on Bob Mong, the new editor of the The Dallas Morning News? He has a newshound's instinct, an insider's touch, and his work cut out for him. (August 2001)
Liberalism Lives!
In a state that's becoming more conservative, two young editors at the Texas Observer are reenergizing a magazine that won't leave the left behind. (July 2001)
Dead On Deadline
Why reporters who cover the border are finding themselves more and more under the gun. (May 2001)
Bigger Bend
Rising high above the floor of the Chihuahuan Desert, Mexico's Museo Maderas del Carmen nature reserve is like a whole other country. Plus: information on how to visit the park. (October 2000)
Angels & Outlaws
What is Texas music? (May 2000)
The King of Clubs
The longtime impresario of the coolest chain of nightlife spots in Texas remembers well what it was like to be a Cellar dweller. Me too. (April 2000)
My Wimberley
Why Wimberley is not Columbine. (June 1999)
What She Deserves
Ten years ago she was the Next Big Thing. She still is. Meet Kelly Willis all over again. (March 1999)
That’s the Ticket
The airlines are locked in a fiercely competitive war. Should you try to benefit? Discount-travel guru Tom Parsons says: All’s fare. (December 1998)
What’s Left?
When you listen to Jim Hightower’s talk radio show, that’s the question you inevitably ask—about him, the medium, and Texas liberalism. (January 1998)
He Writes the Songs
Though Jerry Lynn Williams is practically unheard of outside the industry, stars like Eric Clapton know him as one of the best tunesmiths anywhere. (December 1996)
Habeas Corpus
The rap on Corpus Christi is that there’s no there there—but a case can be made that it’s a great weekend destination. (April 1996)
Latin Beat
Music and dance define Veracruz, the city with the stongest coffee and the freshest seafood in Mexico. (January 1995)
Some Things Never Change: Doug Deep
He’s a little bit country, rock and roll, and everything in between. That’s why Doug Sahm is still going strong. (February 1993)
Chili Relations
Food fight: The most ridiculous, overblown squabble this side of the legislature. (November 1992)
Hidden Valley
Brownsville’s Sabal Palm Grove has it made in the shade. (October 1992)
Roadhouse Warrior
Ely may have a new album, but his best performances have always been live, in person. (September 1992)
With Strings Attached
Willie Nelson’s true love may have a body that’s worse for the wear, but woe to the man who tries to pick it up. (February 1988)
Hot Springs Eternal
Going to Hot Springs was once a Texas rite of passage steeped in the ways of old sin. Today this Arkansas resort is still worth the trip. (April 1986)
A Ballad of the West
(March 2001)
Scenes From Nowhere
(February 2001)
Doug Sahm
To Sir, with love: Why Doug Sahm was my hero. (January 2000)
Live at the Austin Outhouse
(January 2000)
Reporter
Git Along . . .
How Lubbock—epicenter of the prairie dog universe—learned to stop worrying and love the little beasts. (May 2003)
Troubled Water?
The Austin American-Statesman versus Barton Springs. (April 2003)
A Time to Drill
Drilling for answers on Padre Island. (March 2003)
Reliant Stadium
Tackling the ins and outs of Reliant Stadium. (September 2002)
Book Drive
Colleyville's library plot. (April 2001)
Riding High
McAllen's terminal condition. (April 2001)
Talking Ed
Fort Worth's horse play. (April 2001)
The Reformer
The El Paso mayor's race. (April 2001)
Contigo
(December 2000)
SRV
(November 2000)
Hot Night Tonight
(October 2000)
Zoológico Tropical
(September 2000)
The Return of Wayne Douglas
(August 2000)
Executive Ranch
Life around the town of Crawford sure was slow until George W. Bush bought a ranch there. (June 2000)
Places in Between
(June 2000)
San Antonio Rock: The Harlem Recordings, 1957-1961
(May 2000)
Tuned Out
Five years after Selena's death, tejano music is struggling to be heard. (May 2000)
Chris Rybak
(April 2000)
Superfast
(March 2000)
Jacksboro Highway
(February 2000)
Most Requested
(February 2000)
Quiero Un Camaro
(February 2000)
Catfish, Carp, and Diamonds: 35 Years of Texas Blues
(February 2000)
Noise and Smoke
(February 2000)
One Endless Night
(February 2000)
Clean Living
How the fight over a toxic waste dump has changed the lives of three West Texas activists. (July 1999)
Score!
One of college basketball’s great coaches finally gets his due. (March 1999)
Take Note
Texas-friendly tips for watching the Grammys (February 1999)
Pit Split
A family feud threatens to close the best barbecue joint in Texas. (February 1999)
Pig Out
A swimming swine’s squeally big show comes to an end. (August 1997)
Branded
McAllen’s mayor is Branded a loser for the first time in twenty years. (August 1997)
Fan Fare
A Texas football magazine that scores. (July 1997)
Dumped On
It’s almost certain that Hudspeth County will soon be the site of a nuclear-waste dump—but officials in neighboring Presidio County think they’re the ones getting dumped on. (March 1997)
Rainpower
A rain windfall in the Hill Country (October 1996)
Big Bend, R.I.P.?
Air pollution from Mexico has descended on Big Bend big time and while officials on both sides of the border dither, our last unspoiled frontier is slipping away. (March 1996)
Bugging Out
Farmers in the Rio Grande Valley are reeling from last year’s crop disaster—and they don’t cotton to agriculture commissioner Rick Perry’s excuses. (January 1996)
Folk Lure
An Austin arts group is exposing the roots of Texas music to a younger audience. (December 1994)
ASKed Out
My third year organizing the JFK assassination conference was one year too many. (January 1994)
Heavy Duty
Houston’s favorite bouncer keeps the peace with style and a smile. (August 1992)
Panhandle Hollywood
Plainview became Rustwater, Kansas, for the shoot. (August 1992)
Narc Central
Agents target the flow of contraband on the border. (August 1992)
Cattle Recall
John L. Guldemann scorns claims that Longhorns damage the natural area. (August 1992)
Too Legit to Quit
Ward and deejays Murphy, Milton, and Love rap about rappers. (July 1992)
Selling Space
Space Center Houston will wow crowds with Disney gimmicks. (February 1992)
Straight Shooter
Gary Bledsoe, the new head of the Texas NAACP, doesn’t dodge the tough questions. (January 1992)
Born to Win
Triumph at the track comes naturally for a man called Bingo. (January 1992)
In Tune
Houston’s Young Turk music producers have cut a new groove in the record industry. (January 1992)
Down Mexico Way
“Mexico Mike” Nelson writes the book on seeing Mexico by automobile. (December 1991)
Bummin’ Around
(November 1991)
Water Rites
Trans-Pecos ranchers grapple with El Paso over the West’s most valuable resource. (November 1991)
The Slosh Factor
An aficionado of (gasp!) canned chili accepts an impossible mission. (April 1991)
Serious Fun
Check Magazine. (January 1991)
Web Exclusives
Get Your Groove Back
A new book on dance halls explains why Texans are itching to go boot-scootin'. (August 2002)
The Next 25 Bootmakers
More of the best bootmakers in the state. (June 2002)
Rough Roads
These drives are sure to get your attention. (May 2002)
Survival Guide
Everything you need to know about getting around in Big Bend, from where to stay inside the park to where to get diesel fuel. (March 2002)
It's Simply a Matter of Taste
For some of us, there's nothing better than a cold longneck bottle of Big Red. (March 2002)
Big Adventure
Senior editor Joe Nick Patoski tells the story behind this month's cover story, "Big Bend 2002." (March 2002)
Seeing Red
For some of us, there's nothing better than a cold longneck bottle of Big Red. (March 2002)
Hot Box
Notes on notable musicians. (December 2001)
Tall Tales
Photographer Laurence Parent and senior editor Joe Nick Patoski talk about climbing, the best shot, and their new book, Texas Mountains. (November 2001)
Extra! Extra!
Bob Mong knows he's facing many challenges, and he certainly didn't ask me what I'd do if I were in charge of the Dallas Morning News. I thought I'd offer some nickel advice anyway. (August 2001)
Tropical Paradise
Jeff Henry believes his new Schlitterbahn on South Padre Island will be a success. It just might take a while—but, hey, that's okay. (July 2001)
Nifty Fifty
Senior editors Anne Dingus and Joe Nick Patoski tell the story behind this month's cover story, "50 Things Every Texan Should Do." (March 2001)
Big Bend National Park
(January 1000)
Texas Monthly Biz
Sand Dollars
The economics of beach tourism. (June 2000)
My Library
