ON THE COVER: Fess Parker as Davy Crockett
November 1986
Table of Contents
Features
Davy Crockett, Still King of the Wild FrontierHe was a master of tall tales and a genius at self-promotion. But was he anything more? The Ballad of Fess ParkerHe was the definitive Davy Crockett, and with good reason. Why Inman LeftThe departure of MCC’s chief signals a new beginning for the company—and an end to Austin’s high-tech boom. The Long, Lonesome RoadFred 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. |
Moments of GloryTexas Medal of Honor winners remember the day when they were invincible. Texas Primer: Frito PieA rhapsody of the perfection of corn chips, chili, cheese, and onions, mixed in a bag. Shadows in the GardenA splash of lace, a sultry drape—what could be more romantic than a long black dress? |
Columns
Behind the LinesThe unknown enemy. ShoppingNo Commercial InterruptionsYou can buy almost anything on shopper’s TV, if you have the patience to sit and watch it. MoviesBall of GlitterTechnologically, 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. |
ArtAnimal MagnetismMelissa Miller’s lions and tiger confront demons, dance under the moon, and reflect the ambiguity of the modern world. BooksForty-two Per Cent PotentIn 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. Popular MusicWho 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. |
Reporter
ReporterTexas Monthly ReporterWill 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. |
Miscellany
Roar of the CrowdAppreciation of the desert; recognition of a leader among women; development of Grand Prairie. The QuidnuncSizing up Phyllis Diller; foiling Esquire’s great expectations; hopping continents with honeymooners Lloyd and Joanne Davis. ToutsPorgy and bass. |
PuzzleBreaking up is hard to do. State SecretsWho’ll follow Fred Akers at UT? Environmentalists and sportsmen team up to black a dam; two congressional races are political barometers. |
Web Exclusives
On the Menu: Earl Abel’sEarl Abel’s is closed. |
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