September 1979
Table of Contents
Features
The Promised LandTwo wetbacks from Mexico inherit the legacy of all immigrants—grueling labor, low pay, and a bleak existence on the edge of the American dream. Easy MoneyFaster than a speeding Master Charge, funkier than a garage sale, able to leap bad credit ratings in a single bound. Look, up at the sign! It’s a bank! It’s a store! It’s Super Pawn! Honey, You’re Still Driving Me CrazyWise up: that insipid supermarket sugar-water you’ve been putting on your toast isn’t honey. The real stuff—Texas honey—is as full-bodied and distinctive as the nectars that go into it. |
Why Teachers Can’t TeachOur system of training teachers is a crime that robs taxpayers of millions of dollars, robs potential teachers of competence and self-respect, and robs our kids of a decent education. Football HeroesThe best part of Texas high school football is that it’s the biggest thing in town—and still only a game. |
Columns
Behind the LinesWaltzing across Texas. PoliticsUp the CreekEveryone in Austin loves sparkling Barton Creek—especially the developers. SportsHooping It UpPickup basketball is not a pastime for the lily-livered or the lackadaisical. FilmThe Truth HurtsNorth Dallas Forty scores but misses the extra point, Dracula bites off more than it can chew, and Peppermint Soda recalls with accuracy the bittersweet days of adolescence. ArtAnother Roadside AttractionHouston National Bank’s ìLarger Canvas Twoî takes it to the streets. BooksMexican Mystery TourCharles Portis’ new novel belongs to the tradition of great frontier yarns, but this time the young man goes south. |
Popular MusicDust Off Your Blue Suede ShoesThen grab your platters and step into the golden era of rock ën’ roll. ChurchHearts and MindsWelcome to Dallas’ first Baptist, the largest Baptist church in the world, with a pastor and a service to match; a more modest path to religious enlightenment leads you to Houston’s Emerson Unitarian. JazzRequiem for a HeavyweightCharles Mingus was a great jazz musician with a sharp mind, an impeccable sense of rhythm, and a mighty powerful fist. Stepping OutThe Beautiful and the DamnedTown and Country magazine came to Texas to record our sophistication, wealth, and savoir faire—and all hell broke loose. DanceUnfancy DancerSome have said that life is a dance, and Deborah Hay makes you believe it. |
Reporter
ReporterTexas Monthly ReporterB-a-a-d government meddling irks Texas goat and sheep raisers; something’s rotten in Rotterdam, and it’s driving up oil prices; and the world’s best gymnasts are coming to Cowtown. |
Miscellany
Roar of the CrowdThe Inside StoryPhoto jock; teacher’s pest. |
State SecretsNot-so-little leaguer finds fountain of youth; schools have to test and tell whether Johnny can’t read; Houston’s new shingle ordinance tries to lock the barn door. ToutsTo bid or not to bid; aye, there’s the rub. |
