March 1996

Table of Contents

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Features

Big Feud at Cadillac Ranch

Since the day Stanley Marsh 3 finally went too far and locked up George Whittenburg’s son in a chicken coop, all of Amarillo has been abuzz about the bizarre battle between these intractable foes.

Major Barbara

Barbara Jordan saw herself not as a black politician but as a politician who happened to be black—and that was one of the things that made her great.

Where the Wild Things Are

One of the country’s top photographers traveled around his home state to capture these stunning portraits of exotic animals on display.

The Jones Gang

You know the real reason Texas Stadium has no roof? So Jerry Jones can get his head inside. (Or, how the Cowboys owner’s ego makes it hard to root for America’s Team.)

Pen Pals

Dobie, Bedichek, and Webb were the leading Texas writers and intellectuals of their age. But as ribald raconteurs, they were ahead of their time.

Canon Fever

Our selections for some of the best contemporary Texas books.

The Horse Killers

The shocking and sad story of the East Texas kids who beat a horse to death just for the thrill of it.

Columns

Art

The Mod Squad

Long mocked for making unrecognizable pieces of junk, Texas Modernists strike back in a superb exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Behind the Lines

Bookends

The conventional wisdom is that the independents are good and the national chains are evil—but don’t judge a bookstore by its cover.

Health

Pale by Comparison

“Michael Jackson’s disease” sounds like a punch line, but the pigment-robbing skin disorder is no joke. Just ask Dallas County commissioner John Wiley Price.

Music

Walser Across Texas

Beloved by bubbas and the Butthole Surfers alike, 350-pound yodeler Don Walser is country’s current cross-generational king of cool.

Texana

Tough Nuts to Crack

Marketing the Texas pecan like the California raisin seems to make good business sense. So why do small Texas growers think it’s a shell game?

Reporter

Reporter

Big Bend, R.I.P.?

Air pollution from Mexico has descended on Big Bend big time and while officials on both sides of the border dither, our last unspoiled frontier is slipping away.

Reporter

Race Value

Rating our primary concerns.

Reporter

Mr. Clean

Steve Earle feels alright.

Reporter

Slime Time!

An Addison snail breeder gets fresh with the world.

The Ex Files

Cyd Charisse

In The Studio

Steady Shawn

Hot Box

CD and Book Reviews

The best books and CDs from Texas.

Low Talk

Book ’Em!

Texas writers go Hollywood.

Miscellaneous

State Secrets

Current Affair

Why electricity is a supercharged political issue. Plus: Who cares about the Democrats running for U.S. Senate?