Photograph by Randal Ford.
May 2011
Table of Contents
Features
What Do You Think of the Rangers Now?The Rangers? Don’t look now, but after four decades of haplessness, the boys from Arlington are poised to make a run at something more than just another pennant. They might 
just be . . . America’s (new) Team.
|
The Peculiar MonumentIn this exclusive excerpt from a new novel by Stephen Harrigan, a sculptor meets a lonely rancher who has lost his son and needs something to remember him by.
|
Columns
Mimi SwartzOil Night LongAmid all the drink tickets, bikini-clad hostesses, and outrageous displays of wealth at the world’s largest expo for independent oilmen, I was determined to get some answers about the future of the business. Patricia Kilday HartNo Peña, No GainWas Aaron Peña’s defection to the Republican party a quixotic move that will cost him his political career or the start of a bad trend for Democrats? |
The TexanistOffering Fine Advice Since 2007Picking bluebonnets, pastry terminology, angling laws, and the best way to respond to a speeding ticket. Behind the LinesLess Than HeroThe worst deficit facing Texas right now is not the one in our budget: It’s the leadership deficit. |
Reporter
The Horse’s MouthBeing an Outlaw-Country LegendBilly Joe Shaver on being an outlaw-country legend. The ManualMaking Venison SausageObject LessonKaren Hughes’s Kitchen IslandStreet SmartsTylerFlower lovers drawn to the Rose Capital of the Nation will find snazzy frocks and spicy guisado de puerco amid the petals and thorns. |
Artist InterviewAmanda ShiresMusic ReviewI Am Very FarMusic ReviewI’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive |
The Filter
Pat’s PickAlma |
The Filter: DiningNew + Noteworthy |
Miscellany
Editor’s LetterTalkin’ About an Education |
ContributorsStephen Harrigan, John Burgoyne, and Patricia Kilday Hart |
Web Exclusives
Little HopeA Q&A with Pamela Colloff. Rare BirdA Q&A with Katy Vine. Play BallA Q&A with Bryan Curtis. A Conversation With Billy Joe ShaverThe outlaw-country legend on his recent acquittal, his songs, and his friendship with Willie Nelson. These Are a Few of My Favorite ThingsVictor Emanuel describes what he likes about these beautiful birds that can be found in Texas. Design for a Vulnerable PlanetAn excerpt from the introduction. Psychedelic SummitFifty-eight bands from around the world play Austin Psych Fest 4 April 29–May 1. Michael Hall sits down with the Black Angels, founders of the festival (and the “Reverberation Appreciation Society”) and rejuvenated psychedelic godfather Roky Erickson. Royal ChefDallas chef Darren McGrady on cooking for Princess Diana and her family, selecting the royal wedding menu, and making Prince William's favorite thing to eat. |
The Drop Everything ListThe Big Bend Open Road Race, Larry Joe Taylor’s Texas Music Festival & Chili Cook-off, Itzhak Perlman, and the Buc Days Carnival . . . Night of the Living Ed: The Complete TranscriptThe following is the complete transcript of a roundtable discussion on public education hosted by TEXAS MONTHLY and published, in edited form, in the May 2011 issue. Watergate Still Unfolding at UT’s Ransom CenterBob Woodward, Carl Bernstein and Robert Redford dished on All the President’s Men,contemporary journalism, and Watergate’s enduring legacy at the LBJ Library Thursday. He Lost a Good ThingHuey P. Meaux, one of the most successful and significant record producers in Texas history, died last weekend at age 82. He leaves a legacy marked by brilliant songs and some very bad decisions. The Drop Everything ListArcade Fire, the Texas State Surfing Championships, the Wings Over the Hills Nature Festival, and the Wiener Dog Races . . . The Drop Everything ListThe Texas Beer Fest, Lucinda Williams and Erika Wennerstrom, the Battle of Port Jefferson, and Railfest . . . The Drop Everything ListThe Golden Arm Trio, Texas Bound, the Tejano Conjunto Festival, and the 24-Hour Video Race . . . |
Multimedia
|
|
Recipes
My Library
