The Guardians Who Slumbereth Not

Textbook watchdogs Mel and Norma Gabler are good, sincere, dedicated people, who just may be destroying your child’s education.

by William Martin

The Dinosaur Darwin Missed

Side by side near a Texas river are dinosaur tracks and what appear to be the marks of a human foot—proof, in the creationist mind, that evolution is bunk.

by Dale S. Turner

Halftime Heroes

The bright-eyed, pink-cheeked cream of Texas youth aren’t scrambling on the football field. They’re playing in the high school band.

by W. L. Taitte

The Envelope, Please

It’s the celebrity event you’ve all been waiting for: the first annual John Phiilip Sousa awards, presented to Texas high schools where it’s hard to beat the band.

Mr. Hannah’s Rocket

His first spacecraft blew up on the pad and his primary investor died, but the first free enterprise rocket finally flew from Matagorda.

by Stephen Harrigan

Easy Street

Houston’s black elite have come a very long way to live in MacGregor Way, the swankiest black neighborhood in Texas, but they still don’t feel safe.

by Lawrence Wright

Sensations

Was the partridge in a pear tree you gave last Christmas not fully appreciated? Our sensational gift ideas will save you this year.

by Cyndy Severson and Andy Vracin

Texas Primer: The Blue Norther

Sunny in the morning, sunny in the evening, freezing by suppertime.

by Jan Reid

Behind the Lines

Mind over manners.

by Gregory Curtis

Art

The Shrine Of The Bleached Skull

Roy Fridge’s curious assemblages reflect the cryptic world he created to replace the one he left behind.

by Michael Ennis

Lifestyle

And What Exactly Is A Joist?

Remodeling is hell.

by Prudence Mackintosh

Classical Music

From The Mouth Of Saints

Four Saints isn’t a solemn Gregorian chant but a lovable American opera. New LPs of Brahms, Shostakovich, and Bach are worth a second listen.

by W. L. Taitte

Movies

Your Flick of Flicks

Laughter, nostalgia, and a delightful performance by Peter O’Toole are brought to you by My Favorite Year, a tribute to the heyday of TV. Lookin’ to Get Out will have you doing the same. Yes, Giorgio is so-so. Texas has its moments.

by James Wolcott

Kids

Auf Wiedersehen, Sayonara, So Long

When you’re an Air Force brat, parting is part of growing up.

by David Seeley

Working

I Was A High School Football Coach

The man on the sidelines recalls the smell of turf and sweat, the cheers of the fans, the pain of defeat.

by Neal Morgan

Reporter

Texas Monthly Reporter

Texas’ greatest rural sheriff, oddest permutation of democracy, unlikeliest punk heroes, and hottest airline dogfight.

by Peter Applebome

Roar of the Crowd

Standard bearers, sentence parers, blue wayfarers.

State Secrets

Making a mountain out of a Greenhill; Dallas versus Houston in the governor’s race; Post time at the Chronicle; the Yankees are after our oil money again.

Edited by Paul Burka