The Bucket List

Driving the River Road, in far West Texas; having a drink at the Mansion on Turtle Creek, in Dallas; fishing for bass in Caddo Lake; eating a chicken-fried steak in Strawn; searching for a lightning whelk along the coast; and 58 other things that all Texans must do before they die.

by Nate Blakeslee, Jordan Breal, Paul Burka, Gary Cartwright, Pamela Colloff, David Courtney, Don Graham, S. C. Gwynne, Michael Hall, Stephen Harrigan, Skip Hollandsworth, Stacy Hollister, Charlie Llewellin, Patricia Busa McConnico, Katharyn Rodemann, Jeff Salamon, Patricia Sharpe, Jake Silverstein, John Spong, Mimi Swartz, Brian D. Sweany, Andrea Valdez and Katy Vine

Alex Jones Is About To Explode

Does the country’s most popular conspiracy talk radio host really believe that 9/11 was an inside job? That global warming is a plot cooked up by the World Bank? That an elite cabal wants to kill most of the people on the planet (including you)? Two million listeners think so—and they’re hanging on his every word.

by Nate Blakeslee

Hook’d

The Longhorns may have lost the BCS National Championship on the hallowed field of the Rose Bowl, but they gained something almost as important: a long-lost fan.

by John Spong

Three Chords and A Station Wagon

In the years before anyone had heard of Woodstock or Altamont, teenagers across Texas started bands in their parents’ garages, banging out earnest rock songs on cheap equipment and hoping to hit it big at the local skating rink or VFW post. For some, those dreams won’t fade away.

by Michael Hall

Behind the Lines

Center of Gravity

Who can challenge Republicans on the State Board of Education? A different kind of Republican.

by Paul Burka

Letter From Houston

Out and About

Annise Parker, the newly elected mayor of Houston, is ready to discuss any of the challenges facing her city. That will happen as soon as everyone else is ready to stop talking about her sexuality.

by Mimi Swartz

John Phillip Santos

Two Burials

Today my grandfather is buried in a family plot in Laredo. But to understand who he was and what his family was like, you have to know the story of his first burial, seventy miles away and nearly twenty years earlier.

The Texanist

The trouble with black beans, an unnatural attachment to Texas license plates, the perils of striking up a conversation in the restroom, and the discomfort of two men riding together on the same Harley.

by David Courtney

The Horse’s Mouth

Being a Rodeo Cowboy

Trevor Brazile on being a rodeo cowboy.

Interview by Betsy Ellison

The Working Life

Andrew R. Espinosa Jr.,

Process server.

As told to Adam Risman

The Manual

Tying a Texas Rig

How to tie a Texas rig.

by Andrea Valdez

Object Lesson

Michael Hsu’s Garage

Michael Hsu’s garage.

by Kristie Ramirez

Hollywood, TX

Action Heroes

Four filmmakers to watch in 2010.

by Christopher Kelly

Book Review

Next

Book Review

Asleep: The Forgotten Epidemic

Author Interview

A Q&A with Robert Perkinson

The author of Texas Tough on the state's criminal justice system.

Music Review

Be Brave

Music Review

Bare Knuckle

Artist Interview

Augie Meyers

Street Smarts

Amarillo

On (and off) Route 66, Amarillo.

by Jordan Breal

Pat’s Pick

Branch Water Tavern

Houston

by Patricia Sharpe

The Filter: Dining

New and Noteworthy

Tillman’s Roadhouse Fort Worth and Canopy Houston

by Patricia Sharpe

Editor’s Letter

Cover Me

by Jake Silverstein

Roar of the Crowd

DeLayed Reaction

Contributors

Nate Blakeslee, Dan Cosgrove, and Lauren Greenfield

Runway or Another

From her hometown of Lake Jackson to the Big Apple, Kalyn Hemphill, the winner of Models of the Runway, takes it all in stride.

by Jessica Hamilton

Read It and Weep

The closings of bookstores in San Antonio and Laredo leave a void that can’t be filled with a Kindle.

by Jennifer Michelle Warner

Psychic Friends Network

A prayer for trust in God’s timing (and the occasional fortune teller).

by Donna Xander

Texas Nuggets

The secret history of garage rock in the Lone Star State.

Produced by Pamela Hastings

Orange Crush

A slide show of images featuring die-hard Longhorns fans, celebrities, and students getting into the spirit of things at the Rose Bowl.

Photographs by Lauren Greenfield/Institute

Short Cuts: Episode IV

All about Republican gubernatorial candidate Debra Medina, in under two minutes.

Texas Sound Bites

Twelve garage rock songs you must hear before you die.

Save Our School

Scenes from the University of Texas at Austin campus during a rally against tuition hikes.

Photographs by Dylan Clement

Mussels Steamed in Riesling With Grilled Country Bread

Recipe from David Grossman, Branch Water Tavern, Houston

Monument Cafe Eggplant Soup

Recipe from Chef Rusty Winkstern, Monument Cafe, Georgetown