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

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

The Queen Is Dead

When Selena Quintanilla Perez was killed on March 31, Texas mourned—and around the world, the veneration began. May 1995

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

Wet ‘n’ Wacky

From real river water to its playful German theme, Schlitterbahn’s totally tubular! August 1991

Secret Summer Places

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

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

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

Contigo

December 2000

SRV

November 2000

Hot Night Tonight

October 2000

Zoológico Tropical

September 2000

The Return of Wayne Douglas

August 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

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

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

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

Texas Monthly Biz

Sand Dollars

The economics of beach tourism. June 2000

Patrick Touts Ultrasound Bill (Sun May 11 at 8:14 AM)
There's Two I's in "Bonnie Richardson" (Sat May 10 at 11:45 PM)
Mother's Day Gift That Keeps on Giving (Thu May 1 at 10:55 AM)
Behold the Book at the Top of the New York Times Best-Seller List (Sat May 10 at 9:56 PM)
The TEXAS MONTHLY Podcast: Rodney Ellis on Guilt, Innocent, and the Death Penalty (Thu May 8 at 1:43 PM)