I am a native of Austin, Texas, and have seen the city burst at the seams.
I got an undergraduate degree in journalism from Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos and then spent many years as a small-town newspaper reporter in cities like Lockhart, Victoria and Temple.
I went back to SWT in 1991 to pursue an MFA in Creative Writing. I got some excellent training and worked with the famed short story writer Andre Dubus before graduation in 1995.
In recent years I've done free-lance writing for Variety, The Austin Chronicle, the Dallas Morning News, the Austin American-Statesman, the San Antonio Express-News and Texas Monthly
My bride and I just celebrated our sixth wedding anniversary and I couldn't be happier with my lovely Tiffany. No kids YET, but we have a spotted terror named Spike and catnapper named Shadow. Oh, and walking custody of king of the bad breath Patch.
We live out in the country and are loving it (despite the commute).
Here's an interesting side note: In the early '90s friends and I put out a zine called Lost Armadillos in Heat (the idea was ex-Austinites who wished they could move back). It was well-known at the time for its raucous and often offensive humor. You can still find much of its contents on the web. But I'll make you search for it!