About the Author

Native Texan Joe Holley is a former editorial page editor and columnist for newspapers in San Antonio and San Diego and a staff writer for The Washington Post. He has been a regular contributor to Texas Monthly and Columbia Journalism Review and is the author of three books, The Purse Bearer: A Novel of Love, Lust and Texas Politics, a memoir with his wife entitled My Mother's Keeper: A Daughter's Journey Through the Shadow of Schizophrenia and a biography of football hero Sammy Baugh, Slingin' Sam: The Life and Times of the Greatest Quarterback Ever to Play the Game. His column "Native Texan", about Texas places and people, runs every Sunday in the Houston Chronicle.