pretty good student,” and he
also loved basketball. Around
this time an appreciation for
poetry began to develop; poet-
ry was something both interest-
ing and beautiful, demonstrat-
ing the musicality of language.
In 1996 Johnson enrolled at
the University of Texas at
Austin, studying English and
relishing Austin’s vibrant music
scene. His English teacher,
Professor Craig Arnold, him-
self a published poet, took an
interest in Johnson’s poetry and
had a huge influence in its
development. Graduating in
2000 with a B.A. in English,
Johnson then moved to El Paso
to work in an emergency shel-
ter for undocumented immi-
grants.
This abrupt change in
lifestyle came from a desire to
experience real life, which he
felt he had not yet encountered.
The decision was inspired by
his uncle, Michael Gallagher, a
radical Jesuit priest and immi-
gration lawyer. The setting for
this work was Annunciation
House, affiliated with the
Catholic Church, where he
spent six months, before mov-
ing under the same auspices to
the colonia of Anapra in
Juarez.
The work involved helping
with the primitive living condi-
tions of the local residents of a
dirt-poor neighborhood. He
says this experience educated
him as a human being, and he
felt humbled by the resource-
fulness of Mexicans living in
hardship. It was extremely
demanding work, and after 18
months he got burned out. In
2002 he moved back across the
Rio Grande to continue his
work for four more years with
immigrant communities in
Austin.
Marfa, and specifically the
installment art work of Donald
Judd, had had a strong influ-
ence on Johnson since his first
visit in 1999, and in 2006 he
jumped at the chance of an
internship with the Chinati
Foundation. No sooner had
that ended then he got a part-
time job at the Marfa Book
Company. Two days later he
was full-time, and one year
later, staked by Tim Crowley
and with help from his family,
he was the owner.
Marfa Book Co., with its
exceptional art books, has
flourished under its new owner,
expanding from book readings
and art shows to musical and
film events and showing a slow
upward financial curve.
Johnson makes time for daily
poetry writing but not for a
vacation. He has had two
poems published and is an edi-
tor of two poetry blogs.
Recognition by Marfa makes
his work easier, as does the vital
help from his partner Caitlin
Murray.
PAT MARTIN
A gray-haired lady opened
the door of her Marathon
home and welcomed me. I had
met her previously, but I did
not know then how a long,
hard life produced a nimble,
vital 83 year old, who last year
went tubing at New Braunfels
and also completed the
Marathon 5K race. This is Pat
Martin, as fine an example of
West Texas hardiness and
modest good humor as you
could find.
She was born in a hospital
in San Antonio on Nov. 18,
1928, the second child of Cecil
and Charlie Shely. Charlie
Shely was a rancher from
Bracketville who arrived in
Marathon in 1901, herding a
flock of sheep, a week’s jour-
ney. An older brother Jack, who
died in 2009, was born eight
years earlier.
Pat’s earliest memories at
the Shely Ranch, 30 miles
southeast of Marathon, are of
playing with her cousin Fred,
doing “boys’ stuff.” There were
monthly visits to Marathon for
shopping and the sound of
passing trains – a reminder that
an outside world existed – but
this was primarily a simple,
rural life, which hardened body
and character alike.
Pat went to school in
Marathon, staying at Grandma
Shely’s house. She liked school
and also enjoyed playing vol-
leyball. In the 12th grade she
was class valedictorian; among
her class mates was Biddie
Martin. Finishing school in
1947, she enrolled at Sul Ross,
but only for one year. She mar-
ried Biddie Martin in Alpine
on July 3, 1948. The couple
then settled into a house at the
Becket Ranch, leased from the
Gage family, where Biddie was
paid $75 a month.
Cooking was “hit or miss”
for the new bride, who much
preferred being outside doing
ranch work. Three children
were born: Ann in 1950, Don
in 1953 and James in 1966. All
married and have children, live
in West Texas and remain in
touch – particularly Don, who
lives in Marathon.
In 1950 Biddie and Pat
worked with Uncle Bert Becket
providing horses to Big Bend
National Park. Otherwise, the
annual cycle of tending sheep
and goats was the workload:
lambing and shearing, driving
the lambs to Marathon to load
on trains and always the mun-
dane chores with water supply
and fencing. “Just hanging on”
is how Pat describes it.
In addition to working the
Shely Ranch, Biddie took other
ranching jobs. In 1957 he start-
ed at the Gage Holland Ranch,
where he spent 20 years. He
also leased the Johnson Ranch
throughout
the
1990s.
Ranching was beginning to
change. By 1973 sheep and
goats had been replaced by cat-
tle, which were less at risk from
predators. By the 1990s
Marathon was a tourist desti-
nation.
Biddie retired in 2000.
Meanwhile Pat took a job in
Marathon with the utilities
company and later with the
Chisos Gallery, where she
worked 13 years. Biddie died
on Dec. 1, 2010 at the age of
82, hugely respected in the area
and mourned by a large crowd.
Looking back on their shared
life, Pat asks rhetorically, “What
else would you want to do?”
and laughs.
106 N. 3rd St. ● Alpine, TX 79830 ● [email protected]
(432) 837-2326 ● www.alpinetexas.com
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Second Quarter 2012
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