The 2008 Bum Steer Awards

It was a year of angry Aggies, Baptist bravado, confused Cheney, death row drollery, enemas in evidence, fetid feet, ghetto gobbledygook, helicopter hunts, insurance idiocy, jerk judges, kin kidnappers, lawbreaking Longhorns, meshuggener misfires, NASA nimrods, Oswald online, pooped-on presidents, quick quarrels, requested roaches, scrotum-scarring Sooners, taped teenagers, unhinged urinators, visible Virgins, weaselly Whole Foods, X-rated x-classmates, yuletide yikes, and zeroed-out zebras.

“I Think We Got Blown Up for Nothing”

What happened to the brave men of Bravo Troop is everything, writ small, that’s gone wrong in our nearly-five-year fiasco of a war in Iraq.

by Robert Draper

The Fabric of Our Lives

I know her as my mother, whose womb I emerged from more than fifty years ago. They—the million or so quilting fanatics, mostly women, who spend hours a day with needle, thread, fabric, and sewing machine—know her as a celebrity. She can’t believe it either.

by Michael Hall

The Unpublished Dan Winters

As one of the country’s top photographers, he’s captured on film hundreds if not thousands of people over the past quarter of a century. These ten portraits have never before been seen, but they’re among his favorites. Ours too.

The Devil and Bob Bullock

Whatever else you could say about him, he was who he was. He enjoyed a drink or three in daylight hours and had a tendency to grope first and ask questions later. But he was as revered as any pol before or since.

by Jim Henderson and Dave McNeely

Behind the Lines

The Capitol Press Corpse

Is it really time to pronounce the body?

by Paul Burka

Gregory Curtis

What a Crockett!

There should be no mystery about the latest artifact of “history.”

Cecilia Ballí

Bridge Game

What it used to be like to cross the border.

Sarah Bird

Home Groan

One year (okay, two days) of livin’ la vida locavore.

In the Chute

Straight Strait

Strait talk; Fort Worth takes stock; MLK in S.A.

by Jordan Breal

The Horse’s Mouth

Writing for a Newsweekly

Karen Tumulty on writing for Time.

Interview by Evan Smith

The Cheap Seats

The Old Bowl Game

I wish I were in the land of Cotton (Bowl).

by Bryan Curtis

The Working Life

Fred Garza

Tick Rider

As told to Karen Olsson

Pass/Fail

Town Slogans

Match 25 Texas towns with their slogans and you may win a prize.

The Texanist

Offering fine advice since 2007

How high is too high to jack up a truck?

by David Courtney

Hollywood, TX

Sorry, Charlie

Charlie Wilson’s warts.

by Christopher Kelly

Go

Taken for Granite

Llano rocks!

by Suzy Banks

Texquisite Corpse

Twin Wells

Chapter One: “A Stranger Comes to Town”

by Elmer Kelton

Texas Monthly Talks

Dan Bartlett

Dan Bartlett is upbeat about Iraq and ’08.

Interview by Evan Smith

Music Review

The Struggle Continues

Reviewed by Jeff McCord

Music Review

Little Grey Sheep

Reviewed by Jeff McCord

Music Review

Live From Austin TX

Reviewed by Jeff McCord

Pat’s Pick

North

by Patricia Sharpe

The Filter: Dining

New and Noteworthy

Rebecca’s Table, Fredericksburg and So Vino Wine Bar & Bistro, Houston

by Patricia Sharpe

Contributors

C. F. Payne, Cecilia Ballí, and Gregory Curtis

Editor’s Letter

Bum Rap

by Evan Smith

Roar of the Crowd

Twin Peaks

Jesse Dayton

An extended interview with Jesse Dayton.

Interview by Jeff McCord

Kathy L. Patrick

An extended interview with Kathy Patrick.

Interview by Mike Shea

International Quilting Convention

A look inside the world of quilting at the International Quilting Festival—the largest convention in Houston.

Bum Steers: Video

Donkeys in the courtroom, sexy chicken, and holy pizzas make for one weird year. Sometimes the jokes just write themselves. But sometimes they need a little help.

The Devil and Bob Bullock: Video

Dave McNeely discusses his book on the former lieutenant governor.

Behind the Lines: Podcast

Paul Burka reads January’s Behind the Lines: The Capitol Press Corpse

Home Groan: Podcast

Sarah Bird reads her January column.

The Mission

A glimpse into what the soldiers of Bravo Troop witnessed in Iraq.

Twin Wells Chapter One

“A Stranger Comes to Town,” read by Elmer Kelton.

Chopped Chicken and Gorgonzola Salad