Ever wonder how Austin became a city proud of its “weirdness”? Join us for a stellar example of local history with Joe Nick Patoski! In Patoski’s book, Austin to ATX: The Hippies, Pickers, Slackers & Geeks who Transformed the Capital of Texas, he traces how Austin became Austin. He covers the origins of the music, television, film, food culture, and technology that created the capital city as it is today. Patoski additionally profiles the individuals who shaped the city, such as Willie Nelson, O. Henry, and Molly Ivins. Book signing will follow the discussion.

Joe Nick Patoski is an author and journalist who writes about Texas and Texans. He has been a staff writer for Texas Monthly magazine, a one-time reporter at the Austin American-Statesman, and has written for numerous publications, including the New York Times, National Geographic, the Texas Observer, and No Depression magazine, for whom he was a contributing editor. Patoski has authored or co-authored biographies of Willie Nelson, Selena, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and the Dallas Cowboys, and collaborated with photographer Laurence Parent on books about the Texas Mountains, the Texas Coast, and Big Bend National Park. He also wrote essays for the 2015 book Homegrown: Austin Music Posters, 1968-1982 and the 2005 book Conjunto by John Dyer with Juan Tejeda.

Admission Free!