July 2008
Table of Contents
Features
True GritOnce 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. Plus:The Cowboy WayA slide show tribute to the Texas hero. Cowboy UpNovelist Elmer Kelton talks with editor Evan Smith about growing up in the world of the true working cowboy. SoldierWhen 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. Plus:Embedded in WarJohn Spong, who recently returned from Afghanistan, discusses reporting from war zones, and what it's really like on the inside. SwimAn 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. Coming HomeMatt Cook talks about his time in Iraq, his life here at home, and his new documentary benefiting disabled veterans. |
Keeper of the FlameNeed 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. Plus:Gauging the GageOur web editor wines and dines at the Gage Hotel in Marathon, and finds out executive chef Paul Petersen’s favorite thing on the menu. 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. |
Columns
Mimi SwartzTour de FarceOnly 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. |
Reporter
The Filter
Miscellany
Roar of the CrowdCover BoyContributorsMatt Cook, Peter Yang and Beth Perkins. |
Editor’s LetterThe War at Home |
Web Exclusives
Multimedia
Leaving Death RowDeath 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. |
