I’m not a complicated man. You can get me to part with my money in a hurry if you follow this simple formula: ‘90s country music star + Texas-born singer/songwriter + intimate venue = sale. It’s a pretty straightforward algorithm, and the internet has figured me out. Back in the late spring, Spotify sent me … Continue reading A night out with Radney
Tag: Texas
Buc-ee’s is the fillin’ station of the New South
I believe it was William Shakespeare who first said, “Get thee to a Buc-ee’s,” in his 1603 groundbreaking work, “Hamlet.” And folks traveling the South’s major highways have been flocking to the always open convenience-store-on- steroids ever since. Much has been written and broadcasted about the chain of gas stations since Arch “Beaver” Aplin III … Continue reading Buc-ee’s is the fillin’ station of the New South
What I learned from my parents
Dad was a preacher and Mom was a teacher, so many of life’s lessons were given to my brothers and me explicitly and directly. They were not shy about telling us exactly what to do, both in the moment with an assigned task and in the future with big life decisions. I still remember the … Continue reading What I learned from my parents
Putting the ‘grand’ in grandparents
I was blessed to know three of my four grandparents well. Minnie Ruth Elrod, my mom’s mother, whom we called Maw Maw, was always a part of my life. We had frequent visits with her when we all lived in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. She eventually followed us to Lake Wales, Fla., and moved in … Continue reading Putting the ‘grand’ in grandparents
That other Lance
If an electric current pulses through a device in your home or pocket, you have been inundated with the confessions of disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong this week. With a given name like “Lance,” it’s impossible for me to escape the iconic figure who once stood for so much more than a sport. The similarities are myriad: … Continue reading That other Lance
An unexpected journey
When Barron and Harris piled into the back of the new Hyundai, eager to ride with Daddy after another great meal at Los Hermanos, they had no idea we weren’t following Carla home. We had already had a pretty good day. It was one of those rare days when Carla and Carlton still had preschool, … Continue reading An unexpected journey
Playing catch up
I’ve spent the better part of the last week in Fort Worth, Texas, working long hours, enduring incredible heat and spending time with my youngest brother and his family. The 8-day odyssey to the place of my birth felt more like two trips in one. The first four days I was engaged in the annual … Continue reading Playing catch up
Fierce landscapes
What a difference a week makes. Last week I was in the Chattahoochee National Forest connecting with my middle son and enjoying the beauty of the Appalachian foothills. This week I visited Big Bend National Park in Texas, connecting with pastors and enjoying the beauty of the mountains and desert of southwest Texas. Call it a … Continue reading Fierce landscapes
I Gotta Go … listen to Robert Earl Keen
I’m a writer, not a musician. That’s the best way to explain my fascination with country music – specifically, alternative country and the work of singer-songwriters. I’m not much of a fan of that over-produced, impure sound coming out of Nashville the last 10-20 years. A few years ago, my native-Texan friend, Bob, introduced me … Continue reading I Gotta Go … listen to Robert Earl Keen
New South Essays 