Joe Nick Patoski

I don't know much about Joe Nick Patoski, whose articles I've read in Texas Monthly and other august Texas publications, but I often like what he has to say in his writing, particularly about the outdoors.

Amongst many other things and irons in the fire, Joe Nick just authored the biography Willie Nelson: An Epic Life . I'll bet it's good, because he writes very well and since he's been a part of the Austin culture for so long, I bet it has lots of good stories and some pretty righteous insite into Willie.

Joe Nick's website is here http://www.joenickp.com/. If you look at some of the topics to the left of his page, you'll see stuff like Texas, Travel and Water. Behind these icons you can find some of his excellent articles. Say you're planning a trip to the Guadalupe for some fishing, then you'll want to go here http://www.joenickp.com/water/guadisgreat.html.

If you wanna read more about the Devil's River, he talks about it here http://www.joenickp.com/water/devilsriver.html. Of course, I think it is a pre-requisite for some Texas Monthly writers to have great experience with the Big Bend area, and Patoski is no exception. http://www.joenickp.com/travel/bigbendhike.html and here http://www.joenickp.com/texas/bigbend.html and here http://www.joenickp.com/travel/roadtonowhere.html and even here http://www.joenickp.com/texas/westtexas.html.

There's handy stuff to know in those articles, and you feel like you are almost there with him, so vivid are his descriptions. And usually, they take me away to places I've visited and places I'd like to visit. It's a wonder my path has never crossed his.