You’ll be miserable if you don’t do what you’re supposed to do.
Kris Kristofferson
Howdy, y’all.
As I said when Texas-born actress Shelly Duvall passed away, I’m sure by now you’ve heard that another Texas-born icon has died: Kris Kristofferson, who passed away on September 28, 2024, in his home in Maui, Hawaii.
In a world of talentless, flat, plastic personalities, especially in the entertainment industry, Kristofferson was a full-orbed human being. He was a polymath. Born in the border town of Brownsville (June 22, 1936), his biography reads just as you’d expect a Renaissance man’s biography to read. From his official website:
He was an Oxford scholar, a defensive back, a bartender, a Golden Gloves boxer, a gandy dancer, a forest-fighter, a road crew member, and an Army Ranger who flew helicopters. He was a peacenik, a revolutionary, an actor, a superstar, a Casanova, and a family man. He was almost a teacher at West Point, though he gave that up to become a Nashville songwriting bum.
Musically, most folks know him for a handful of songs: “For the Good Times” (1968), “Me and Bobby McGee” (1969), “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down” (1969), and “Help Me Make It Through the Night” (1970). He and Willie Nelson were the only surviving members of the country supergroup “The Highwaymen”—Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings having already died. Now only Willie survives. This edition of Ten Texas Things Worth Sharing celebrates Kristofferson’s legacy as a movie star, features two of my favorites, as well as some other Texas related items I think y’all’ll enjoy.
Movies: Kris Kristofferson appeared in at least forty-eight films, including Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974), A Star is Born (1976), and Lone Star (1996). But there are two films I particularly like. First, his portrayal of Billy the Kid in Sam Peckinpah’s 1973 Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. Seven years latter, Kristofferson’s star fell from the Hollywood heights with Michael Cimino’s Heaven’s Gate (1980)—a film that bombed at the box office, was panned by critics (at the time), and nearly bankrupted the studio. It has since seen a revival as an audacious achievement in moviemaking.
Television: Jay Kleberg isn’t a Texas household name, despite his run for Land Commissioner in 2020 (he lost) and a member of the family that owns and operates the King Ranch in Kingsville. Nevertheless, he and his wife joined up with PBS to produce a new six-part series on the Texas Gulf Coast called, Chasing the Tide.
Dreams: Speaking of chasing things and PBS, as a Rhodes Scholar, Kris Kristofferson studied the Romantic Poets at Oxford. One of his favorite was William Blake. In the 2019 Ken Burns documentary Country Music (episode 6: “Will the Circle Be Unbroken?”), Kristofferson paraphrases Blake: “If he who is organized by the divine for spiritual communion, refuse and bury his talent in the earth, even though he should want natural bread, shame and confusion of face will pursue him throughout life to eternity.” Kristofferson points out, “He’s telling you that you’ll be miserable if you don’t do what you’re supposed to do.” (See 43:46 for the quote.)
Podcasts: I’ve been fortunate that Y’allogy has grown in large part to recommendations from friends, including Josh at Wild West Extravaganza. Though he doesn’t exclusively focus on the wild and wooly days of Texas, if you love the wild west you should definitely put your ear to what he has to say.
History: Thinking about history—and Texas history in particular—if you ever find yourself in Abilene (Texas, not Kansas), do yourself a favor and carve out some time to visit Frontier Texas! Not only will their exhibits inform you about life on the Texas frontier in the late 1800s their interactive displays will keep the kiddos engaged.
Food: While you’re in Abilene you might as well make the short drive to Buffalo Gap to have dinner at Perini Ranch Steakhouse (reservation required). Get the quail legs as an appetizer. And for your meal, along with whatever steak you desire, ask for the hatch chili mac and cheese (seasonal). Top it all off with bread pudding for desert (you can thank me later).
Museums: Since you’re in the general area, take a side trip to the one stop sign town of Cross Plains to visit Woody’s Classic Cars and Baseball Museum. If you’re into classic cars and/or the Texas Rangers baseball team then you’ll not be disappointed.
Bookstores: In an Amazon dominated world it’s nice to visit an actually bookstore. On my recent trip to North Central Texas I stopped in at two that offer a wide array of books. At Intermission Bookshop in Brownwood, I found a nice four volume set of Douglass Southall Freeman’s Pulitzer Prize winning biography of Robert E. Lee. And at Pratt’s Books in Graham, I found a fine second edition of J. Evetts Haley’s biography of Charles Goodnight (the price on the first edition would have ensured sleeping outside on my cowboy bedroll) and a wonderful first edition of Tom Lea’s two-volume history of the King Ranch.
Books: Speaking of bookstores, my literary western, Blood Touching Blood, will be available for purchase beginning December 1, 2024. I’ve already posted a preview of the opening chapter and of the cover design.
Y’allogy: Since this Ten Texas Things Worth Sharing is going out in October, I thought it would be fun to share the link to a Texas-sized ghost story from the archives: “Texas Tales: The Ghost of Zacatecas Pass.” I’ll post a new ghost story on Halloween—this one taken from Blood Touching Blood.
Until next time: Be brave. Live free. And remember: God and Texas, y’all.
Texan spoken here, y’all.
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