November 1986

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Features

Davy Crockett, Still King of the Wild Frontier

He was a master of tall tales and a genius at self-promotion. But was he anything more?

by Paul Andrew Hutton

The Ballad of Fess Parker

He was the definitive Davy Crockett, and with good reason.

by Stephen Harrigan

Why Inman Left

The departure of MCC’s chief signals a new beginning for the company—and an end to Austin’s high-tech boom.

by Peter Elkind

The Long, Lonesome Road

Fred Thomas was young, poor, and black. Not only was he afflicted with the terror of schizophrenia, he was also faced with the chaos of the Texas mental health system.

by Joseph Nocera

Moments of Glory

Texas Medal of Honor winners remember the day when they were invincible.

Text by David Kramer

Texas Primer: Frito Pie

A rhapsody of the perfection of corn chips, chili, cheese, and onions, mixed in a bag.

by Michael Hilton

Shadows in the Garden

A splash of lace, a sultry drape—what could be more romantic than a long black dress?

Columns

Shopping

No Commercial Interruptions

You can buy almost anything on shopper’s TV, if you have the patience to sit and watch it.

by Mimi Swartz

Behind the Lines

The unknown enemy.

by Gregory Curtis

Movies

Ball of Glitter

Technologically, Captain EO is a marvel, but the plot is banal to the point of retrograde; Touch and Go has drive and laughs; True Stories has no stories; The Men’s Club is a stag party with pretensions; Shanghai Surprise is a passable waste of time.

by James Wolcott

Art

Animal Magnetism

Melissa Miller’s lions and tiger confront demons, dance under the moon, and reflect the ambiguity of the modern world.

by Michael Ennis

Books

Forty-two Per Cent Potent

In the novel Paradise, Donald Barthelme offers a cereal box of current events and social observations; Laura Furman challenges the dogged ideal of family in Tuxedo Park; Karleen Koen’s Through a Glass is a crash-bang publishing event.

by Jan Reid

Popular Music

Who Made the Cut?

On LPs spurred by the MTV limelight, Timbuk3 blends street beast with witty wordplay, the True Believers combine six-string moxie with striving vocals, and the Tail Gators pack a sonic wallop.

by Jody Denberg

Reporter

Texas Monthly Reporter

Will the beaches of Boca Chica become sand traps? Will hard-core punkers perform on Dallas’ favorite kiddie show. Peppermint Place? Will Texas Republicans shell out for their Great Hispanic Hope.

by Joe Nick Patoski