Posted by
Bill Cherry on Thursday, July 17, 2008 5:58:29 AM
I don't remember the reason or the occasion, but about a year ago or so, I came across a web site magazine called Texas Escapes. The address is
www.texasescapes.com.
I've been writing stories and tales about Galveston, Texas' colorful past for many years, primarily for its local newspaper, but also in a book Bill Cherry's Galveston Memories. Interestingly, and much to my surprise, thousands of the book have sold. And readers of the Galveston County News, "Texas Oldest Newspaper," have endured more than six hundred of my stories.
Well, Texas Escapes had a front page that reminded me of a store window at a 1948 Woolworth dime store. Everything inside the magazine had a place on the cover to click to see it. And there were a handful of writers who had monthly columns, and they were using them to tell their Texas tales and memories.
I thought I might like to write a monthly column, too. So I contacted the publishers/editors, husband and wife team John and Kate Troesser. And as we got to know each other via back and forth emails, I realized that we were all sort of eclectic American literature eggheads. John has stories about the famous Algonquin Round Table. I do, too.
So I couldn't resist writing for them, and fortunately they couldn't resist wanting me to.
John told me the other day that Texas Escapes has just celebrated its tenth anniversary and that it now has a monthly readership that approaches 500,000. That seems to me to be a lot.
This month my column is a personal story about Dr. Michael DeBakey, the famous Houston heart doctor who passed away last week at 99. The guy apparently liked to drive passenger buses. You'll enjoy this one.
Those of you who are interested in all things Texas -- old photos, travel guides, stories like I write -- will enjoy
www.texasescapes.com.