Girl Gone Mild

After spending her adolescence largely out of view (except for a few scrapes with restaurant and bar employees), presidential spawn Jenna Bush is emerging as a public person in her own right. But her return to private life can’t come soon enough.

by Skip Hollandsworth

Keep Out!

Which is worse: looking the other way as millions of illegals stream across the border or building an unconscionably expensive and impractical fence that few in the Valley (a) want or (b) believe will make a difference?

by Karen Olsson

The Day Oscar Wyatt Caved

In the right light, the ornery octogenarian oilman’s guilty plea can be seen as a victory: After all, he won’t spend the rest of his natural life in jail. But the fact is, he couldn’t beat the rap—and he knew it.

by Mimi Swartz

The Old Man and the River

Fifty years after the mythical trip on the Brazos that was the basis for John Graves’s classic book, I followed in his wake. Literally.

by S. C. Gwynne

The Glorie of Defeet

What Samir Patel learned in five years of not winning the national spelling bee (other than the root words of “eremacausis”).

by Katy Vine

“This Isn’t Hell, You Bloody Yobs. This Is Only Texas.”

Exclusive: The first three chapters of Custer’s Brother’s Horse, the new novel by Edwin “Bud” Shrake.

by Bud Shrake

Michael Ennis

Modern Problems

What Dallas has in common with Beijing—and why their shared vision of the twenty-first-century world must carry the day.

Behind the Lines

43 Skiddoo

Exit George W. Bush. Enter . . . change.

by Paul Burka

Kinky Friedman

Reform Follows Function

When I ran for governor, I saw firsthand everything that was wrong with our state’s political system. That’s why I know how to fix it.

Prudence Mackintosh

A Dog’s Life

My adventures with Mr. Brown.

Topic A

Fed Up

The pall over Dallas City Hall.

by Brian D. Sweany

The Horse’s Mouth

Producing a TV Talk Show

Bill Geddie, co-executive producer of The View.

Interview by S. C. Gwynne

The Cheap Seats

Above the Norm

Why Norm Hitzges matters.

by Bryan Curtis

The Working Life

Rodney Schott

Taxidermist.

As told to John Spong

Faith Bases

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Silverlake Ward, Pearland

by William Martin

The Texanist

Offering fine advice since 2007

Can you park in your friend’s front yard?

by David Courtney

Hollywood, TX

Blood Brothers

The Coen brothers do Cormac.

by Christopher Kelly

Go

One-track Mind

Houston by train.

by Suzy Banks

The Manual

Field Dressing

How to field-dress a deer.

by Andrea Valdez

Texas Monthly Talks

Joel Osteen

Can Joel Osteen get an “Amen”?

Interview by Evan Smith

Music Review

Home

Reviewed by Jeff McCord

Music Review

In the City of Lost Things

Reviewed by Jeff McCord

Music Review

Mescalito

Reviewed by Jeff McCord

Pat’s Pick

Trio

by Patricia Sharpe

The Filter: Dining

New and Noteworthy

Casa Colombia, Austin and Grooves Restaurant And Lounge, Houston

by Patricia Sharpe

Jordan's Pick

Fashion at The Park

by Jordan Breal

The Filter: Events

Hallowed Ground

El Paso

Contributors

Karen Olsson, Kenny Braun, and Edwin “Bud” Shrake.

Roar of the Crowd

Portrait of a Lady

Editor’s Letter

The Center Holds

by Evan Smith

A Man and a River

Executive editor S. C. Gwynne talks about running the Brazos River just as legendary author John Graves did fifty years ago.

Interview by Kyle Adams

Bill Cunningham

Inspired by the popularity of a panel on Texas crime literature hosted by the Southwestern Writers Collection in 2004, editors Bill Cunningham, Steven L. Davis, and Rollo K. Newsom have compiled Lone Star Sleuths: An Anthology of Texas Crime Fiction, with thirty excerpts from the likes of Rick Riordan, David Lindsey, Mary Willis Walker, and Joe R. Lansdale.

Interview by Mike Shea

Star Power

Tennis great and celebrity Anna Kournikova talks about retirement, working with kids, and coming to Texas.

Interview by Kyle Adams

Me and Tommy Lee

No Country for Old Men is Tommy Lee Jones’s new movie. I don’t think he’ll be granting me an interview anytime soon.

by Skip Hollandsworth

Net Gains

Texas Monthly Intern Kyle Adams talks to A&M Coach Mark Turgeon and UT Coach Rick Barnes about what fans can expect in the upcoming season.

Interview by Kyle Adams

Fashion at The Park

by Jordan Breal

Grazing Across Texas: Rod, Gun & Ranch Cooking

Reviewed by Kyle Adams

Being There: The Brazos River

Inspired by John Graves, S.C. Gwynne takes a canoe trip down the Brazos River.

Girl Gone Mild: Video

Skip Hollandsworth discusses how the president’s daughter went from party girl to serious author.

The Glorie of Defeet: Video

Samir Patel is the world’s most famous speller and he’s never won the national spelling bee. Katy Vine tells us why.

Girl Gone Mild: Podcast

Listen to Skip Hollandsworth read this month’s cover story on Jenna Bush.

43 Skiddoo: Podcast

Listen to Paul Burka read this month’s column on George W. Bush’s exit.

Goodbye to a River: Podcast

Listen to author John Graves read his favorite chapter from Goodbye to a River.

Reform Follows Function: Video

The former candidate talks with Evan Smith on Texas politics, and why he may run next time as a Democrat (if he runs).

Crab Fondue

Recipe from Trio, Austin