Insomniactive

I grew up with this magazine, and am lucky that my connections to it have only grown over time. I count as my friend Mike Levy, the visionary founder, former publisher and current irascible ass-pain gadfly (“takes one to know one, ” I suspect he’d say). Evan Smith, my longtime friend and new business partner, had his last day at the magazine on Friday. As an 18-year veteran of the magazine and only its third editor, his imprimatur on the enterprise won’t be soon forgotten. Nate Blakeslee, my wife’s beloved little brother, contributes to the new issue as deft and penetrating a piece of journalism about Texas public education as I’ve ever read. And the light touch of Jake Silverstein’s editor’s letter suggests that this is an institution-journalistically, at least-in good hands. Jake has a tough act to follow but is off to a damn fine start, having shared with Evan a National Magazine Award for General Excellence in hist first year.

Oh, and the S.C Gwynne cover article is as good as recent sports writing gets, even though I doubt Sam considers himself a sports writer.

Even if Texas didn’t self-identify as its own nation, Texas Monthly would still be a true national treasure. Long and vigorously may it prosper.