Joe Holley writes the “Native Texan” column for the Houston Chronicle. A native Texan himself, he received degrees from Abilene Christian University, the University of Texas at Austin, and Columbia University and is a former editor of the Texas Observer and a regular contributor to Texas Monthly. Holley is a former editorial page editor and columnist for newspapers in San Antonio and San Diego and a staff writer for The>i> Washington Post. He has been a regular contributor to Texas Monthly and Columbia Journalism Review. He joined the Houston Chronicle in 2009.