Photograph courtesy of Tony Stone Images
June 2001
Table of Contents
Features
On the Water FrontSummer’s blast furnace is firing up. Luckily, Texas is a paradise of spring-fed pools, sparkling beaches, and more. Here are our picks for the best places to chill out, get wet, and go off the deep end. Plus extra web-only information! To Hell and BackAfter he was shot by a Mexico City cab driver—and told that he might be paralyzed—Jan Reid was flown to Houston, where Dr. Red Duke and a team of therapists literally got him back on his feet. In an excerpt from his forthcoming memoir, The Bullet Meant for Me, Reid reconstructs the grueling nine weeks of recovery before he and his wife, Dorothy, finally headed home to Austin. The Killing of AlydarIn 1990 the legendary Thoroughbred was put to sleep after his leg was brokenan accident, it seemed, until a tenacious prosecutor linked his death to a Houston bank scandal. |
Good-bye to All ThatAustinites thought the high-tech boom wouldn't change them, but it turned their city into something that more closely resembled Houston or Dallas in the golden eighties. Now they're paying the price. Tex Education, Part 2In 1883, being caught with what everyday object could have gotten you killed? Find out the answer, along with 24 other equally fascinating tidbits, in the second installment of my Texas-literacy test. The Assassination in MeThis month my second novel about JFK's murder will be published. Why do I keep returning to Dealey Plaza and the events of that fateful day? Because I can't help myself. |
Columns
SportsThe Cash MachineTexas Tech didn't hire Bobby Knight to win gamesit hired him to make money. He should score big as long as he doesn't choke. TexanaIndependence DayHow Juneteenth, a nationwide celebration of the end of slavery, got its start in Texas. |
HealthKiller BugsI learned a shocking lesson when I visited San Antonio's "hot lab," where some of the world's deadliest microbes are studied. The germs are winning. Food and DrinkMercury RisingWhat's it like to be the chef at one of the state's top restaurants? The words "pressure cooker" come to mind BooksWest Meets EastIn Sarah Bird's finest novel to date, she goes halfway around the world for down-home inspiration. MusicThe CollectorBeing a corporate lawyer pays Dean Blackwood's bills, but running an obscure record label keeps him in tune with his true passion. |
Reporter
The Filter
Pat’s PickIsland Hopping |
Miscellany
Web Exclusives
Texas Old-Time Restaurants and CafesTexas Old-Time Restaurants and Cafes Texas TidbitsDo you know where your water comes from? Texas History 101How some hogs turned things into a mess between the Republic of Texas and France. Happy TrailsHead to Del Rioand south to Ciudad Acuñafor a fun summer jaunt and a taste of the border. Water LogSenior editor Joe Nick Patoski, writer-at-large Suzy Banks, and others tell the story behind this month's cover story, "On the Water Front." Shooting StarsFor nearly thirty years, photographer Burton Wilson has never found himself without a camera when he needed one. A new book captures his view of the Austin music scene. |
Testing, TestingMore Texas-trivia questions, ranging from musical and military to historical and hysterical. Spong, Texas WriterMy fifteen minutes of fame. A Q&A With Dame EdnaDame Edna Everage (who some claim is actually Australian character actor Barry Humphries) appears in Houston June 5-10 and in Dallas July 24-29. Down UnderYou don't have to travel far to see treasures in the sea. They're right here. Dive Into SummerWill van Overbeek, who has been taking photos of Barton Springs for more than ten years, talks about the best pool in Texas. |
Recipes
Boursin-Cheese-and-Snail RavioliThere is more to do with escargots than serve them in garlic butter, as this delicious recipe proves. Incidentally, one of these large pasta packets is plenty for an appetizer portion. If you wish, you can substitute portobello or other mushrooms, briefly sautéed in butter, for the snails. |




