November 2004
Table of Contents
Features
The Good WifeIs she a “saccharine phony”? A closet liberal? A foot soldier—or a rebel—in the culture wars? The truth about Laura Bush is that her ambiguity makes her a model first lady: a blank screen upon which the public can project its own ideas about womanhood. Stop Beating Around The BushHey, undecided voters: Time’s up. As unenthusiastic as you may be, you gotta go with one of these guys. Fortunately, we’re here to help you make up your mind. Life Is SweetRebecca Rather’s recipes for five tempting treats are our holiday gift to you. |
And Justice for SomeHow the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals mistakes toughness for fairness—and gives the state a black eye. Attack HereThe Houston Ship Channel is considered one of the top strategic targets in the U.S.—an enormous bomb waiting to be detonated by terrorists. But what happens if the bomb actually goes off? Brace yourself for a worst-case scenario of the sort the Homeland Security folks are modeling and simulating and staying up late worrying about. They Came. They Sawed.And they most definitely conquered. The inside story of how a ragtag bunch of hippies made the wildest Texas movie ever (and spilled no more fake blood than was absolutely necessary). |
Columns
Don GrahamAccentuate The NegativeTo read a Patricia Highsmith novel is to suspend one’s moral judgments. She irresistibly persuades us to side with killers and other amoral characters. |
Patricia Kilday HartLittle Did We Know.... . . that the 1994 governor’s race would have such far-reaching consequences. If George W. Bush hadn’t won . . . Anne DingusMentionablesFrom bullet bras to panties emblazoned with the Lone Star flag, a brief history of women’s underwear in Texas. |
Reporter
ReporterSects With StrangersHave you heard the one about the Mormon polygamists who descended on a tiny West Texas town? It would be funny if it wasn't so serious. (Okay, it's pretty funny too.) |
The Filter
Pat’s PickSaffron |
Pat’s PickYour Pad or Mine |
Miscellany
Texas Monthly TalksKay Bailey Hutchison“Texas is a huge, growing state on a border. We have some very basic issues that need addressing, and I don’t think they’re being addressed right now.” |
Web Exclusives
Heard the Buzz?Writer John Bloom, who wrote this month’s “They Came. They Sawed,” talks about slasher flicks and horror-movie audiences. Drawing on PoliticsIllustrator Steve Brodner discusses political satire and his new book, Freedom Fries. Yikes!Executive editor S.C. Gwynne on security at the Houston Ship Channel. She’s a LadyExecutive editor Mimi Swartz, who wrote this month’s cover story, “The Good Wife,” on biographers’ failure to capture Laura Bush. |
Court ReporterSenior editor Michael Hall talks about Ernest Willis, who was recently freed from death row, and the super-conservative Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. Texas TidbitsThroughout its 112-year history, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has been known for its tendency to overturn the rulings of lower courts on technicalities. Happy TrailsToday, it is hard to come by places like San Saba, with its hometown feel and emphasis on community. I’m sure glad I found it. Texas History 101While it can boast about the more than 6,300 ships that passed through its waters last year, the Port of Houston started out as a mere loading point for cotton on the way to the Port of Galveston. |
Recipes
Nopal FrittataAdapted from The Prickly Pear Cookbook, Carolyn Niethammer Books That CookRecipes From Historic Texas: A Restaurant Guide and Cookbook (Taylor Trade Publishing, 2003) |
