Author

Jan Reid

Jan Reid's Profile Photo

Jan Reid is a former senior editor at Texas Monthly and has contributed to Esquire, GQ, Slate, Men’s Journal, Men’s Health, and the New York Times. An early article about Texas music spawned his first book, The Improbable Rise of Redneck Rock. Among his ten books are a well-reviewed novel, Deerinwater, for which he won a Dobie-Paisano Fellowship; a collection of his magazine pieces, Close Calls,</em< that was a finalist for a Texas Institute of Letters book of the year award; Rio Grande, a compilation of choice writing and photography on the storied border stream; and The Bullet Meant for Me, a reflection on marriage, friendship, boxing, and physical and emotional recovery from a deadly shooting in Mexico.
Travel & Outdoors

Gruene Peace

A historic dance hall, the cypress-shaded Guadalupe, a couple of rustic inns: A great weekend getaway awaits you less than an hour from Austin and San Antonio.

Jan Reid

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Sports |
January 20, 2013

Legends of the Fall

Texas football heroes Darrell Royal, Doak Walker, Sammy Baugh, and John David Crow are off the field, but they’re still having a ball.

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Feature |
January 20, 2013

Glory Days

Texas high school football may be in decline, but filmmakers still want to play.

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Jan Reid |
January 20, 2013

Cold Case

One year ago tejano star Emilio Navaira was nearly killed in a tour bus accident outside Houston. What are we still learning about the experimental medical procedure that may have saved his life?

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Music |
January 20, 2013

He’s About A Mover

Country, jazz, blues, R&B, polka, and conjunto—the late, great Doug Sahm was a walking encyclopedia of Texas music. An exclusive excerpt from a new biography explores how he stirred it all together and found his own sound in his first great song.

By Jan Reid and Shawn Sahm

Music |
January 20, 2013

The Cult of Keen

It took two decades of shows at honky-tonks filled with frat-boy fans and Aggie admirers, but singer-songwriter Robert Earl Keen has his first major-label record deal.

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Health |
January 20, 2013

To Hell and Back

After he was shot by a Mexico City cab driver—and told that he might be paralyzed—Jan Reid was flown to Houston, where Dr. Red Duke and a team of therapists literally got him back on his feet. In an excerpt from his forthcoming memoir, The Bullet Meant for Me, Reid

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Feature |
January 20, 2013

Citizen Cane

Ten years ago I was shot in Mexico City by a street thug who wanted to kill me. Since then, I’ve endured unbelievable pain and learned how to walk again, and I’m thankful for what I have: a new outlook on life, time with my family, and a chance to

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Letter From Houston |
December 1, 2006

Physician, Heal Thyself

When Sam Hassenbusch was diagnosed with a deadly form of brain cancer, the only saving grace was his own history of treating the very same affliction.

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Jan Reid |
June 30, 2006

Seems Like Old Times

My Wichita Falls High School reunion inevitably got me thinking about the passage of time but also about memories that endure. And, of course, football.

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Feature |
January 1, 2006

Rocket Man

Richard Garriott wants to experience space travel because it would be cool—and because his dad did.

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Feature |
December 1, 2005

Me of Little Faith

All I know for certain about religion is that the one my mother tried so hard to pass on to me just didn’t take.

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Health |
December 1, 2004

The Good Doctor

Can one of the state’s best writers change modern medicine as we know it? Abraham Verghese hopes so—one story at a time.

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Politics & Policy |
July 31, 2004

The Man With the Plan

You probably know that Tom DeLay spearheaded the massive—and massively controversial— congressional redistricting effort that tied Texas legislators in knots for one regular and three special sessions. What you probably don’t know is how he did it. Herein lies a tale.

By Jan Reid and Lou Dubose

News & Politics |
April 30, 2004

The Metamorphosis

If you want to understand the shift in political power that has taken place in Texas over the past thirty years—from rural areas to the new suburbs, from Democratic control to Republican dominance—you'll hardly find a better case study than Tom DeLay's Sugar Land.

By Jan Reid and Lou Dubose

Texas History |
February 1, 2003

The Warrior’s Bride

Cynthia Ann Parker was nine when a Comanche snatched her from her East Texas home in 1836. Yet throughout her life as her captor's wife she remained strong, brave, and devoted to her husband and children. Which is to say, she was the original Texas woman.

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Feature |
January 1, 2003

The End of the River

Why the mighty Rio Grande isn't so mighty anymore: a twisted tale of international politics, water rights, and environmental reality (with a drought thrown in for good measure).

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Feature |
March 1, 2002

Kid Gloves

Growing up in Wichita Falls, I was a skinny kid with buckteeth and a girl's name, so I got into my share of fights. To improve my odd's of winning-and turn my anger and fear into bravery and skill-I learned to box.

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Politics & Policy |
November 1, 2001

Tony Sanchez’s New Deal

The 58-year-old banker and oilman from Laredo is enormously wealthy, has impeccable Texas roots, and–best of all–is Hispanic. Sounds like the Democrats' dream candidate, right? Maybe.

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Books |
March 1, 2001

Return to The Gay Place

Forty years after it was published, Billy Lee Brammer's novel about LBJ-era Austin is still one of the best ever written about American politics. Yet just as interesting is the story of Brammer himself.

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Feature |
January 1, 2000

A Heavy Weight

In this corner, convicted rapist Tony Ayala of San Antonio—once a rising star of pro boxing, now an ex-convict on the road to redemption. And in this corner, his past—the toughest opponent he's ever faced.

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Feature |
April 1, 1998

The Contender

He may soon compete for the super featherweight championship of the world, but for now Austin boxer Jesus Chavez is in the fight of his life—with federal immigration officials.

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Music |
April 1, 1997

Milligan’s Island

With his resounding voice and striking appearance, Austin’s Malford Milligan stands out in a sea of Texas soul singers.

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Energy |
November 1, 1995

Crude Awakening

There’s black gold in the South American rain forest—lots of it. Can the oil companies get it out without ruining the jungle and the way of life of the Indians who live there? The perils of drilling in the heart of darkness.

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Sports |
November 1, 1995

Twelve Yards and a Cloud of Dust

The Tiny town of Mullin adopted its high school football heroes in more ways than one. These foster children and native sons had the time of their lives playing in the Super Bowl of six-man football.

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Books |
August 31, 1995

Basking in It

If the literary novel is dead, then why is Baskerville Publishers in Dallas flourishing?

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Music |
July 31, 1995

LaFave Rave

Jimmy LaFave’s great new CD might propel him from Austin to the big time—if that were what he wanted.

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Reporter |
May 31, 1995

A Special Agent

The Secret Service lost a good man in the Oklahoma blast—and I lost an old friend.

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Texas History |
April 30, 1995

Davy Crock?

New York fireman Bill Groneman is disputing a critical piece of Alamo lore—and historians everywhere are burning mad.

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Profile |
April 30, 1995

Spooking the CIA

Jennifer Harbury’s career as a lawyer in Texas was the prelude to her front-page fight with the U.S. intelligence community.

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Sports |
February 1, 1995

Big

In heavyweight boxing—and in the glare of media lights—it helps to be larger than life. Ask George Foreman, 1994’s comeback kid.

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Sports |
August 31, 1994

A Good Sport

By all rights, Oilers coach Jack Pardee should be the most respected Texan in football. Instead, his days may be numbered.

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Politics |
April 30, 1994

Last of a Breed

Bob Eckhardt left an indelible mark on Texas liberalism. At eighty, he looks back on his wins, losses, and wives.

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Luckenbach, Texas.
Music |
December 1, 1993

Lucken Back

Twenty years later, Jerry Jeff Walker returns to the town his music put on the map.

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Critters |
March 1, 1993

Running Rabid

Five years ago, rabies was rare in South Texas. Now nearly three hundred animals have died and the epidemic is not abating.

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True Crime |
January 1, 1993

Scarred

Not long after she made her trek from Texas to New York, Marla Hanson saw her modeling career end at the hands of a razor-wielding thug. Six years later, the cuts on her face have healed, but the emotional wounds remain.

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