The Empress of Fort Worth

Anne Bass married one of the richest men in America. With his money and her ambition she became an important cultural force in Fort Worth and New York. Life was perfect. Then her husband left her.

by John Davidson

The Nuevo Frontier

On a map the border between Texas and Mexico is a precise demarcation. In the real world the border is a country all its own.

The Last of the Border Lords

In his dream to create a dynastic empire along the Rio Grande, Chito Longoria went against the wishes of his family and the values of his native land.

by Dick J. Reavis

Madonna of the Maquiladora

While U.S. businessmen and Mexican bureaucrats see her as the answer to their economic prayers, factory worker Graciela Fernandez just tries to get by—on about 66 cents an hour.

by Mimi Swartz

The Prophets

The border’s self-appointed problem solvers promise new industry, more jobs, and better schools. So why won’t anyone listen to them?

by Tina Rosenberg

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Will deprivation, humiliation, and confrontation lead the way to a better, more confident you? A new self-help craze sweeping Texas wants you to think so.

by Kathy Lowry

Texas Primer: The Rose Window

The secrets of love seen through a glass, clearly.

by Mimi Swartz

Undertakers of the Oil Patch

The death of an oil well keeps an oil-field service company alive.

by Paul Burka

Momus to Remember

The god of merrymaking spends Mardis Gras in Galveston.

Photography by Janice Rubin

Behind the Lines

The Real Estate Stomach

by Gregory Curtis

Food

Burger Joint Venture

Want to eat fast and cheap? Fast-food kiosks are the answer. Here’s how these diminutive drive-throughs stake up.

by Patricia Sharpe

Books

The Apple Version

Walt Disney, Howard Johnson, and Margery Post Merriweather have one thing in common: they’re all trapped inside Max Apple’s new novel.

by Jan Reid

Popular Music

You Can’t Get There From Here

From Houston’s Miss Molly to San Antonio’s Claude Morgan, Texas is full of local music heroes. Does their road to success have to pass through Austin?

by Jody Denberg

Reporter

Texas Monthly Reporter

The City That Works isn’t working like it used to. Plus Amazing Cars of Texas #2, revolutionary folk art, and Topic A—what everybody can’t stop talking about.

by Alison Cook

Roar of the Crowd

Dress for success.

Touts

Grading on the curve.

by Patricia Sharpe

The National Tour of Texas

The view from the Great Freeway: I-35 is two things, the speediest drive from Dallas to the Valley and the clearest division of Texas into West and East.

by Dick J. Reavis

The Quidnunc

Hunting down ZZ Top imposters; staying dry with party-giver Frances Billups; test-driving fine art in Beaumont.

by Mark Seal

Puzzle

The Hole Truth

State Secrets

A winning ticket for the lottery; the oil bust is a boon for parks; doom and gloom at the Legislature; an early test for Jim Wright.