October 2006

Table of Contents

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Features

Take a Hike

Travel by foot along these thirty carefully chosen routes—from the South Rim in Big Bend to Lost Maples near Vanderpool—and you’ll take in the sights, sounds, and smells of Texas in ways you never thought possible. Lace up your boots and go.

Plus:

Urban Hikes

Yes, there are ways to get in a fantastic hike without leaving the city limits.

Up and Away

New-media director Charlie Llewellin on hiking across Texas.

Free Richard Lafuente!

They say he ran over Eddie Peltier with his El Camino on a North Dakota Indian reservation in 1983. He says he didn’t do it, and the evidence is overwhelmingly on his side—yet the Plainview native has languished in federal prison for twenty years. It’s long past time for justice to be done.

Plus:

Set Him Free

Senior editor Michael Hall on talking to Richard LaFuente, who some believe was wrongly convicted of murder in 1986.

Dell Freezes Over

It’s not just the stock price. It’s not just the executive exodus. It’s not just the flaming laptops. It’s not just the lousy customer service. It’s not just the sagging employee morale. It’s all of these things—and it’s deadly serious. Inside the sudden decline of the world’s most powerful computer company.

Amazing Graciela

The stark beauty and powerful emotion of her photographs are undeniable. An excerpt from a new book celebrating the life and work of Mexico’s incomparable Graciela Iturbide.

Great Guns

In my 86 years I’ve come into the possession of an assortment of firearms: a Colt .32-caliber semiautomatic pistol that my grandfather bought at a hardware store in Cuero; a Remington Model 870 pump, 20-gauge shotgun that my Aggie uncle-by-marriage used to shoot birds; the Winchester Model 06 pump .22 rifle I got on my tenth birthday; and many others. And each one has a story.

Columns

Behind the Lines

The Year of Living Dangerously

Houston’s Katrina hangover.

Michael Ennis

All Shook Up

Independent candidates for governor won’t win this year, but they’ve certainly upended the established order. Democrats and Republicans, you have only yourselves to blame.

Patricia Kilday Hart

Why Juan Can’t Read

In 2006 Texas schools still can’t teach English to Spanish-speaking students. Here’s what we should do about that—now.

Sarah Bird

Going Private

Teen Boy’s sugar-free education.

Reporter

Topic A

You Can Go Home Again

Come home, Dixie Chicks.

The Horse’s Mouth

Traveling the Back Roads

Bob Phillips on the roads less traveled.

The Sports Authorities

Queens of the Court

Should the WNBA go away?

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch

Have you seen “Barnyard”?

A bull sale is like a wedding.

Faith Bases

Congregation Emanu El

William Martin reviews our places of worship.

Minister of Health

Under My Skin

The newest nightmare disease.

Cojones

William Wayne Justice

A tip of the hat to risk-taking, barrier-breaking, establishment-tweaking Texans.

Hollywood, TX

Fries With That?

Richard Linklater supersizes Fast Food Nation.

Buy This Now

Father Figures

The lights are shinin’ on a rhinestone cowboy.

Street Smarts

Sundance Square, Fort Worth

Sundance Square takes shape.

Texas Monthly Talks

James Baker

James Baker stays the course.

Previews+Reviews

Books

The best new books from Texas.

Previews+Reviews

Music

The best new music from Texas.

The Filter

Pat's Pick

Urban Bistro

Miscellaneous

Editor’s Letter

Dear John

Roar of the Crowd

Crime, Seen

Web Extra

Doubting Dell

Executive editor S. C. Gwynne on writing about computer giant Dell.

Web Extra

A Time to Remember

Articles editor Brian D. Sweany on spending an afternoon with John Graves.

Texas Tidbits

Head Coach

Kristy Curry has the eyes of the Lady Raider Nation upon her.

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Blogs
Food Anthology