Dobie Dichos

Dobie Dichos Honoring and celebrating J. Frank Dobie’s contributions to storytelling, literature, and folklore

Tickets to the 16th annual Dobie Dichos can be purchased locally at the George West Chamber of Commerce.They can also b...
05/11/2026

Tickets to the 16th annual Dobie Dichos can be purchased locally at the George West Chamber of Commerce.
They can also be purchased on our website www.dobiedichos.com or from Mary Margaret Mary Dougherty Campbell.
Meal + Program (Pre-sale ONLY) $30
Program Only $20 PRE-SALE, $25 at the gate
We will also take a check via USPS at P.O. Box 660, George West, TX 78022!

Rick Sowell will be with us again this year for your musical entertainment! Rick is a talented man, and we enjoy having...
05/09/2026

Rick Sowell will be with us again this year for your musical entertainment! Rick is a talented man, and we enjoy having him with us!

If you attended Dobie Dichos last year, you definitely remember Allan Chapman's coyote song. You also remember the tale...
05/08/2026

If you attended Dobie Dichos last year, you definitely remember Allan Chapman's coyote song. You also remember the talented fiddle player, known as "Rodeo Kate," who accompanied Don Cadden. Well, this year both of these talented individuals together will be our featured music entertainers!

Allan Chapman, a sixth generation Texan, received his MA in English literature from TCU. After teaching for a year at Oklahoma State University, Allan moved to Nashville and was hired as a staff songwriter for Tree Publishing, and then United Artists Music Publishing/EMI - writing songs for the likes of Kenny Rogers, The Oak Ridge Boys, George Jones and Diana Ross. He is a three-time Grammy Nominee.
Allan is a proud Board member of the Texas Folklore Society.

Karen Howell-Chapman (Rodeo Kate) has an MA in Musicology from The University of Wisconsin Madison and a MLS from Texas Women’s University. She is a Texas storyteller and longtime western music fiddler.
Karen was named Instrumentalist of the year by the International Western Music Association.

Haylee Dobbs Haag will be one of our "local tellers" this year. We look forward to the Dobie story Haylee will share wi...
05/07/2026

Haylee Dobbs Haag will be one of our "local tellers" this year. We look forward to the Dobie story Haylee will share with us from the stage!

Haylee Dobbs Haag was born in California and raised in Live Oak County. Haylee Dobbs Haag holds a Master of Library Science and works as the E-Librarian at Coastal Bend College in Beeville, TX. First introduced to J. Frank Dobie at the Live Oak County Library in George West, she developed a lasting appreciation for storytelling rooted in history. She continues to admire stories shaped by historical context, whether fiction or nonfiction, and believes there’s nothing better than sitting on the porch with a good book. She is slowly but surely working on her first novel and aims to create her version of storytelling with a unique voice, just as Dobie does in his work.

Melody Holland Lawrence is one of two "local tellers" we will have with us this year. If you're interested in local/are...
05/06/2026

Melody Holland Lawrence is one of two "local tellers" we will have with us this year. If you're interested in local/area legends, you won't want to miss Melody's performance!

Melody Holland Lawrence was raised in Live Oak County on the Holland home place near the intersection of Goynes Junction and Gamble Gulley. She attended school in George West, actively participating in sports, cheerleading, FHA, UIL Academics, 4-H, and Texas youth rodeo. Her roots run as deep as the live oaks of the Lewises of Oakville in Live Oak County and the mesas, prickly pear, and brush country of the Hollands of McMullen County.
After graduating from George West High School, Melody followed her uncle Billy Murray Holland, father Robert Holland, and sister Debbie Holland’s path to Aggieland, where she studied business management. She spent nine years in outside sales, followed by a thirty-year teaching career that was more suited to family life. She pursued her love of the arts while teaching language arts, coordinating the gifted and talented curriculum, and coaching UIL speaking and drama events.
As a teacher in McMullen County ISD, Melody initiated and served as the executive director of the first McMullen County Storyfest held at Choke Canyon State Park in Calliham, Texas. She brought the talents of noted storytellers Tim Tingle and Doc Moore, Live Oak County cowboy poet Johnny Campbell and storyteller Beto Lopez, and Jim Wells County vaquero storyteller Alejandro Solis to McMullen County.
Melody and her husband Donny reside in southern Atascosa County, where they raised their sons Dee and Cody. They now spend most of their time on the family ranch in McMullen County, as well as promoting the Cody Lawrence Memorial Calf Roping and Scholarship Fund and visiting family and friends in Live Oak County when they can.

David Marion Wilkinson makes his inaugural appearance on the Dobie Dichos stage this year. We look forward to having hi...
05/05/2026

David Marion Wilkinson makes his inaugural appearance on the Dobie Dichos stage this year. We look forward to having him with us!

DAVID MARION WILKINSON is an author, novelist and screenwriter who has lived in Texas since 1972. A graduate of Houston’s Sharpstown High, the 5th generation Arkansas native and graduate of University of Texas (B.A. 1980) has published five books, won two Spur Awards (and been a finalist twice), the Wrangler Award from the Western Heritage Association and Cowboy Museum and Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City, the Violet Crown Award (Barnes & Noble and the Writers League of Texas), and was a finalist for the 2003 Oklahoma Book Award.
Wilkinson’s first novel, NOT BETWEEN BROTHERS, was in development with NBC Studios/Kevin Costner’s TIG PRODUCTIONS for a 4-hour mini-series, where he gleamed a little craft. Since then, the author has worked with Magnolia Pictures/2929, History, Lifetime/A&E and the Discovery Channel. Wilkinson went on to work on a variety of projects, usually historical “limited series”, and recently adapted some of his first novel for a two-hour pilot for a Texas production company.
Wilkinson is a member of the Texas Institute of Letters and the Writers Guild of America—West, and a sponsoring member of Western Writers of America. He lives in Austin with his writer wife, Martha.

One of Dobie Dichos's most loyal supporters, Taylor Tomlin returns to the Dobie Dichos stage this year!A Native Texian, ...
05/04/2026

One of Dobie Dichos's most loyal supporters, Taylor Tomlin returns to the Dobie Dichos stage this year!

A Native Texian, TAYLOR TOMLIN was born in Tyler, Texas but has spent most his life residing on a small “ranch” (or a “place” by the standards of Dobie’s father) in the wilds of north Bee County in what remains of the community of Mineral, Texas. An avid historian, Taylor has participated in historical reenactments and living history venues across the country in various capacities both as a hobbyist and professional since childhood. Taylor was first introduced to Dobie’s works while working on a ranch in high school when the ranch owner presented him a copy of The Voice of the Coyote as a gift that started a lasting love affair with all things Dobie. An alumnus of Coastal Bend College and Texas A&M University, Taylor more recently has served as a professor of History at the former institution. In his professional occupation, Taylor, has also served as a consulting historian and occasional character actor for various museums, historic sites, film, and television production companies. A student of memory and remembrance, folklore is of the utmost importance to a viable cultural history.

LP Thompson, aka Larry, told a story on the old cinder block and plywood stage at our very first Dobie Dichos back in 20...
05/03/2026

LP Thompson, aka Larry, told a story on the old cinder block and plywood stage at our very first Dobie Dichos back in 2011. We are delighted to have him back with us!

LARRY THOMPSON is an award-winning storyteller, author, and cowboy poet whose performances invite audiences to laugh, listen, and take part in the tale. From mountaintops to firelit campgrounds, Larry’s stories have crossed the country from New Mexico to South Carolina, blending cowboy humor, folklore, and a touch of starlight.

His most recent books, Under Starry Skies and Embers & Echoes, continue his tradition of short story collections rooted in the Texas landscape and the timeless act of gathering around a fire. A featured teller at the George West Storyfest and past president of both the San Antonio and Tejas Storytelling Associations, Larry’s work has also earned recognition with the Will Rogers Medallion Award for Cowboy Spirit. He says new stories arrive the way sparks rise from a fire—unexpected, bright, and impossible to ignore. Larry keeps tending that flame, believing that each story told is another chance to connect hearts across the dark.

“The fire didn’t need to burn bright – just steady enough to remind them they weren’t
alone.”
— from “The Watchfire,” Embers & Echoe

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PO Box 660
George West, TX
78022

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