True Grit

Once upon a time, before the pundits and the politicians hijacked it for their nefarious ends, “cowboy” wasn’t a dirty word. The lifestyle and worldview it suggested was seen as completely in line with the very finest Texas values: hard work, independence, honesty, decency, valor. For the sake of today’s generation of ranch hands and cattlemen, it’s high time we steal it back.

by Elmer Kelton

Soldier

When I enlisted in the military in 2001, I never imagined my first day of basic training would be remembered for the worst terrorist attack on American soil in history. I never imagined I’d find myself, and lose myself, in service to my country and devotion to my comrades-in-arms. And I never imagined it would be so hard, once I returned home to Texas, to put my life back together.

by Matt Cook

Keeper of the Flame

Need someone to create a menu for the ultimate backyard feast? Paul Petersen, the executive chef at Marathon’s Gage Hotel, is ready, grilling, and able.

by Patricia Sharpe

You’re Rick Noriega. Do You Approve This Message?

Since the Republicans took over Texas, every plausible Democratic candidate for high statewide office has been the subject of an obligatory profile in Texas Monthly. Here’s yours—only it’s a bit different. It’s a memo containing loads of free advice—the kind you can afford—on how you can beat John Cornyn.

by John Spong

Behind the Lines

Mission Impossible

Why we should end the war in Iraq.

by William Broyles

Mimi Swartz

Tour de Farce

Only yesterday, it seems, my mother was taking me to visit colleges. A second later, here I am, enduring this rite of passage from the other side.

Don Graham

Please Go Away

Cormac McCarthy’s ubiquity problem.

Kinky Friedman

The Cable Guy

The match made in hell that is Bill O’Reilly and me.

In the Chute

Dallas, Our Dallas

Dallas in Austin; base ball in Buffalo Gap; gorging in Canyon Lake.

by Jordan Breal

The Horse’s Mouth

A Happy Marriage

Melvin and Minnie Lou Scott on a happy marriage.

Interview by Andrea Valdez

The Cheap Seats

A Loss for Words

Where have you gone, Yogi Berra?

by Bryan Curtis

The Working Life

Kevin Hutchison

Fly-fishing guide.

As told to Jessica Norman Dupuy

Faith Bases

Beltway Park Baptist Church

Abilene.

by William Martin

The Manual

Custom Hats

How to customize a cowboy hat.

by Andrea Valdez

Hollywood, TX

Porn Yesterday

A porn classic turns thirty.

by Christopher Kelly

Go

Water World

Athens is all wet.

by Suzy Banks

Texquisite Corpse

Twin Wells

Chapter Seven of “Twin Wells.”

by Ben Fountain

Texas Monthly Talks

Ricardo Sanchez

Ricardo Sanchez on what happened at Abu Ghraib.

Interview by Evan Smith

Music Review

La Conquistadora

Reviewed by Jeff McCord

Music Review

Forgiven

Reviewed by Jeff McCord

Music Review

Pinetop Perkins and Friends

Reviewed by Jeff McCord

Pat’s Pick

Feast

Houston

by Patricia Sharpe

The Filter: Dining

New and Noteworthy

Sage on West Alabama, Houston and El Chile, Austin

by Patricia Sharpe

Contributors

Matt Cook, Peter Yang and Beth Perkins.

Editor’s Letter

The War at Home

by Evan Smith

Roar of the Crowd

Cover Boy

Sichan Siv Interview

Interview by Mike Shea

The Cowboy Way

A slide show tribute to the Texas hero.

Cowboy Up

Novelist Elmer Kelton talks with editor Evan Smith about growing up in the world of the true working cowboy.

Coming Home

Matt Cook talks about his time in Iraq, his life here at home, and his new documentary benefiting disabled veterans.

Embedded in War

John Spong, who recently returned from Afghanistan, discusses reporting from war zones, and what it's really like on the inside.

Twin Wells Chapter Seven: Podcast

Ben Fountain reads “The hospitality of the county.”

Kinky Friedman: Podcast

Kinky Friedman reads “The Cable Guy.”

Swim

An award-winning documentary produced by Matt Cook and Chantz Hoover about two men swimming the Strait of Gibraltar to raise money and awareness for the war at home.

Leaving Death Row

Death row inmate Charles Dean Hood was scheduled to be executed in Huntsville on June 17. His death warrant was stayed at the last minute following a flurry of appeals.

Gauging the Gage

Grilled Romaine, Endive, and Tomato Salad

Grilled Sweet Potato, Chorizo, and Corn Hash

Spicy Grilled Shrimp and Scallops

Rum-Glazed Grilled Pineapple and Banana Split

Braised Rabbit with Port and Mushrooms