1985

Professor of Football

Okay, now, listen up. This story is about Bill Yeoman, a really good football coach. Read it or run three laps after practice.

The Week of the Virgin

A doll-like statue of sugar-cane fiber and clay came to San Antonio from a village in Mexico. Twenty-four hours a day, residents of the West Side visited Our Lady of San Juan de los Lagos.

The Fraying Empire of Bobby Sakowitz

Robert Sakowitz set out to be a retail Renaissance man. Like his hero Leonardo da Vinci, he was going to do everything. And he did—including something he never imagined: fail.

Portraits in Power

Helmut Newton, world famous for his bizarre, sometimes shocking erotic photographs, turns his lens on another exotic subject—Texas tycoons.

Spaghetti Rivaldo

Recipe from La Griglia, Houston4 oz. extra virgin Italian olive oil 3 large cloves garlic, minced 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped 4 Tbs. capers, rinsed 1/3 cup black pitted olives, rinsed 1/3 cup green pitted olives, rinsed 1 35 oz. can Vallone* tomatoes 1 tsp. sugar pinch dried oregano

Crab and Shrimp Cheesecake

Recipe from La Griglia, Houston1 stick butter, melted 1 stack pack saltine crackers (about 40) 16 ounces cream cheese, softened 2 17.5-ounce cartons mascarpone cheese (soft Italian double cream cheese—four 8 ounce cartons can be used) 6 eggs 2 Tbs. flour 4 Tbs. each chives and green onions finely minced

On the Menu: La Griglia

EVEN IF LA GRIGLIA were completely empty—which is highly unlikely—the enormous bawdy murals, busy mosaics, and bustling wait staff would give the impression of great activity. This popular eatery, located in the River Oaks Shopping Center, is a place to see and be seen—inevitable, since the restaurant is one of

Touts

State Secrets

Mexico’s bureaucracy thwarts Texas land heirs; a new poll has bad news for the guv; taxing times for the state budget; ending a boondoggle for colleges.

Roar of the Crowd

Texas Monthly Reporter

What evil lurks at the San Antonio Convention Center? How does a would-be Kenedy Ranch heir make a buck? Who helps keep the space shuttle aloft?

Puzzle

Texas Primer: The His and Her Gift

Once upon a time the His and Her Gift reflected a Texas that was extravagant and maybe a little gauche. Now the gift is no less extravagant, but it’s a lot less, well, innocent.

Post-Modern Times

Christian recording mogul Chris Christian knows what the Rock of Ages really means.

Better Than Ever and More of It

New records from Texas bands have only one thing in common—stubborn individuality.

Queen of the Rodeo

In Sweet Dreams, Jessica Lange is a dynamo of female gumption; Hail Mary makes the Immaculate Conception an inconsequential miracle; Joshua Then and Now is entertainingly busy and uncouth; Twice in a Lifetime is twice too often.

I Want to Be Alone

When the wife goes back to work and the husband takes on chores and children, the real problem is not laundry or lunch boxes. It’s the battle between love and ambition.

Downtown

A dog’s best friend?

A Heaping Mess

One man’s answer to nouvelle cuisine.

Desire and Memory

The Ups and Downs of Theophilus Maitland had more ups than downs in Dallas, but Memorial Candles didn’t have much memorable melody.

Behind the Lines

Nights of Figs and Other Mysteries

Charles Portis’ Masters of Atlantis is anything but believable and nothing if not enjoyable. A Small Town, Shelby Hearon’s ninth novel, is a hit-and-miss proposition.

Back Roads

Next time you want to go from Wichita Falls to Paris, take the Red River Bus Line.

Texas Primer: The Petroleum Club

People who have watched a certain prime-time soap opera think they know what goes on at the Petroleum Club. They don’t.

The Art-by-the-Truckload School

They’re cheesy, they’re tasteless. But each black velvet painting is a one-of-a-kind work of art.

Preacher’s Kids

My father had to have an answer for everything—adultery, spiritual crises, the pigeons defecating in the church gutter. No wonder I didn’t become a preacher. The miracle is that my sister did.

The Hustlers

The genteel practice of law is dead. Nowadays lawyers fight for clients, raid each other’s firms, and bill, bill, bill.

Johnny B’s Lime Rickey

Fast becoming a master soda jerk, Marilyn Shackelford, manager of Johnny B’s Old-Fashioned Soda Fountain, showed us how to make a fresh Lime Rickey at home.1 juicy lime Crushed ice 1 1/2 oz. cherry syrup (Jubilee brand is good)Fill a pint glass with crushed ice. Squeeze in juice of one

On the Menu: Johnny B’s Old Fashioned Soda Fountain

IT WASN’T BECAUSE I was touring West Texas that I ate a cheeseburger for breakfast. It was after stumbling upon Johnny B’s for lunch the day before. Never mind the open sky and distant mesas, the cheeseburger at this inviting luncheonette was all I could envision.Open only since November (and

Touts

The sincerest form of plattery; imaginative new serving pieces for the holiday season.

State Secrets

Fundamentalists lose ground in textbook war; White maneuvers to keep Hispanic support; round two for Crystal City.

Roar of the Crowd

Texas Monthly Reporter

A turf battle over shrimp on the coast; a nominee for the meanest man in Houston; a former Cowboy’s reflections on why athletes go broke.

Puzzle

Post-Modern Times

NorthPark Mall inaugurated an epoch twenty years ago. It’s still the standard for upscale shopping.

Missing the Pointe

White Nights is too much cold war, not enough Baryshnikov; After Hours is overwrought Scorcese; Mishima is a mishmash.

Eat and Run

Graze on the street corners of Texas for fast, tasty, and inexpensive meals.

The Neo Black Velvetists

A new chapter in art history? Five artists dabble in a medium you’ll never see at the Met.

We Wanted a Test Tube Baby

The odds for having a child of our own were slim to none. We took a chance on slim.

Downtown

You have to wonder if guys like San Antonio’s C. A. Stubbs aren’t the future of urban politics.

Is It Live Or Is It a CD?

Compact discs: coasters? Frisbees? or the best sound you’ll ever hear?

Behind the Lines

Winners of Dallas, at ease!

Dense as a Clootie Dumpling

It had to happen. Novelist James Michener has finally trained his macroscope on Texas, and the result is, well, long.

Back Roads

They said it couldn’t be done, but Larry Brumfield built Texas’ largest indoor bass aquarium.

Have I Got a Collection for You

With one bold acquisition the Dallas Museum of Art could double the value of its holdings. But there were a few strings attached.

When the Well Runs Dry

In parts of Texas drought is a steady boarder who may stray but always comes home for supper.

The Dream Lives On

Four of the many small high-tech companies betting that they have the excitement, momentum, market, and business savvy to succeed where others have failed.

The Chips Are Down

The real Texas technology picture is much more intricate than either the mad hype of two years ago or the dire headlines of today make it out to be.

The Kathy Ratings

Kathy Whitmire’s substantial achievements as mayor of Houston are overshadowed by her bad public image and political ineptitude—not a good situation for a candidate seeking a third term.