A. C. Greene '' ( né '' Alvin Carl Greene Jr. ; 4 Nov 1923 – 5 April 2002 ) was an American writer – important in Texas literary matters as a memoirist , fiction writer , historian , poet , and influential book critic in Dallas . As a newspaper journalist , he had been a book critic and editor of the Editorial Page for the '' Dallas Times Herald '' when John F. Kennedy was assassinated , which galvanized his role at the paper to help untangle and lift a demoralized city in search of its soul . Leaving full-time journalism in 1968 , Greene went on to become a prolific author of books , notably on Texas lore and history . His notoriety led to stints in radio and TV as talk-show host . By the 1980s , his commentaries were being published by major media across the country . He had become a sought-after source for Texas history , anecdotes , cultural perspective , facts , humor , books , and politics . When the 1984 Republican National Convention was held in Dallas , Greene granted sixty-three interviews about Texas topics to major media journalists . Greene 's 1990 book , '' Taking Heart '' – which examines the experiences of the first patient in a new heart transplant center ( himself ) – made the '' New York Times '' Editors Choice list
assassinated
Assassination of John F. Kennedy
A. C. Greene Jr.