A Texas School District Banned My Book. Then Things Got Really Ugly.
I’ve been the target of censorship and vicious harassment, but my greatest worry is what this trend means for young people who rely on school libraries.
Essay
Being Texan
October 15, 2021
This Year’s State Fair Was Overstimulating, Anxiety-Inducing—and Exactly What I Needed
After nearly two years of pandemic life, I didn’t even realize just how much I was craving this release.
Food & Drink
October 8, 2021
The Wild Joy of Foraging My Own Food
I didn’t wake up one day and think, “I’m going to traipse around the woods and eat raw things.” But over time, I learned how to fill my pantry with delicious (and free!) foraged ingredients.
Food & Drink
August 18, 2021
Dudley’s Cajun Cafe Will Never Be the Same—And That’s Okay
To survive the pandemic, the beloved Longview restaurant had to evolve. As a waiter there, I did too.
Being Texan
February 16, 2021
How Dr Pepper Helped Me Feel at Home in Texas
When I was growing up, Dr Pepper was a rare indulgence. Now it’s a reminder of how far I’ve come.
Being Texan
October 28, 2020
I’m Not Ashamed of My Stutter
Stuttering is finally in the spotlight, thanks to Joe Biden’s campaign and the announcement of a groundbreaking new University of Texas research center. But it’s always been part of my life.
Critters
August 11, 2020
Sit, Stay, Wait: What Training a Puppy Taught Me About Pandemic Life
Rewarding and ignoring are the two key tenets of dog training. They’ve helped me get through this summer, too.
Music
June 23, 2020
Texas First: How Willie Nelson Brought Me Closer to My Mom
After living most of my life in Texas, I finally gave Willie Nelson a serious listen and learned a few things about my Nigerian mom.
Music
February 23, 2017
A Fanboy’s Notes
Spoon is my favorite band. Spoon has a new album out. It is my favorite Spoon album. That is all.
November 21, 2016
How I Met My Mother
She died twenty years ago, when I was ten. Yet even as the distance grows, I've found a way to keep her close.
The Culture
August 24, 2016
Cheap Labor
When I needed a new home office, I thought I’d save money by hiring a draftsman. I got what I paid for—and more.
The Culture
June 22, 2016
Buying the Farm
Life along the Pedernales was everything one could hope for—until it wasn’t.
The Culture
December 23, 2015
The Eyes Have It
After my father abandoned us I had to grow up fast. And when the chance for payback came, I took it.
Transportation
August 13, 2015
Carless in Houston
The heretical choice to not own a vehicle in a city that worships the automobile.
Space
July 31, 2015
Galaxy Quest
When my wife, Sonia Van Meter, was chosen as one of the Mars One finalists, I realized that my potential loss was humanity’s gain.
The Culture
May 13, 2015
My Summer of the Shark
When I was nine years old, I struggled to make a super 8 movie as my life unspooled around me.
Food & Drink
May 8, 2015
Rocky Road
For the first time in its history, Blue Bell is in a right sticky mess.
Travel & Outdoors
April 20, 2015
A Gringo Anniversary
How my wife and I got more than we bargained for on a trip to Boquillas.
The Culture
April 10, 2015
Spring Breaking Away
How a trip to South Padre Island, a grand theft auto, and an English folk singer forever changed my life’s course.
The Culture
March 23, 2015
Don’t Move to Texas
It rhymes with “sexist” and “Lexus.”
The Daily Post
March 19, 2015
True Tex-Mex Cuisine’s Long Adios
Beset by high-end interior Mexican, mid-range fajita-and-’rita chains, budget taquerias, and taco trucks—and whatever Torchy’s is—Houston’s old-school Tex-Mex is fading away.
The Culture
March 18, 2015
The Good Son
Returning to El Paso and finding that you can’t go home again. Or maybe you can.
Country Notes
January 20, 2015
For Love of Country
Why we will always worship the ground we walk on.
Essay
January 14, 2015
My Brother’s Secret
Growing up in my family, there were things you just didn’t talk about. Like feelings. Or sex. Or dying from AIDS.
Essay
October 13, 2014
On the Road Again
I thought being a landman in the Eagle Ford Shale would help replenish my bank account. I quickly got more than I bargained for.
The Culture
June 5, 2014
Cat Power
How one feline (and then a couple more, and then another) conquered both our hearts and our mice.
The Culture
April 21, 2014
Texas Pissing
A man marks his territory.
The Culture
April 8, 2014
True Colors
As a teenager I thought a quick paint job would help my family blend in to our white suburban neighborhood. Now I'm glad it wasn't that simple.
Country Notes
March 4, 2014
Home Making
The lonely, calloused, plaster-caked ballad of the do-it-yourself renovator.
The Culture
February 11, 2014
Knowing My Place
Woodland Heights may not be the fanciest neighborhood in Houston, or the quietest, or the coolest (and it can be a little full of itself), but it’s mine.
The Culture
February 11, 2014
All the Pretty Ponies
Growing up at Charro Days.
Role Reversal
January 14, 2014
Ten Ways Caring for a Parent Is Like Raising a Toddler
If you have kids, being a caregiver to an elderly parent may feel a bit familiar.
Essay
December 6, 2013
The Ring and I
The lessons of a family heirloom.
Food & Drink
November 12, 2013
Digging In
How eating cornbread and beans taught me who I was—and who we are as Texans.
The Culture
May 13, 2013
Little Boy Blues
As my son graduates from college, I’m learning to say goodbye to him—again.
Sports
September 30, 2006
Great Guns
In my 86 years I’ve come into the possession of an assortment of firearms: a Colt .32-caliber semiautomatic pistol that my grandfather bought at a hardware store in Cuero; a Remington Model 870 pump, 20-gauge shotgun that my Aggie uncle-by-marriage used to shoot birds; the Winchester Model 06 pump .22