Our September cover was a hit on Facebook, where it received hundreds of shares and likes—and generated a raging debate between those who thought the photo was adorable and those who felt that the children should have been more covered up. “First of all, can they put some clothes on them?” went one response. “We don’t let our little Texans walk around in diapers.” An Aggie chimed in: “Put a maroon T-shirt on them and they will be just fine!!” Said another: “Clothes are a good thing. This is Texas, not Arkansas!” But our art direction had its fans as well. “Oh, good grief. There is nothing wrong with a baby in a diaper! Lighten up, folks. :)” Or, as another fan wrote, “For many years that was my summer attire. Heck, bout the only thing that has changed between now and then is the size of the shorts and boots.”
Agents of Change
I have to say, your revamp of the magazine is a breath of fresh air. The new layout and text make it easier on the eyes, and the quantity of various and sundry stories makes turning all those pages less of a distraction. Keep up the good work.
Glen Horne
Gainesville, Georgia
Tiny type, bad positioning of elements, even less clarity between what’s editorial and what’s advertising, and change for the sake of change do not make for a successful launch.
Doug Beich
Grand Prairie
It must be a burden on magazine publishers to stay abreast of the most current design developments. Mostly you guys do it pretty well, but this business of stacking page numbers in the lower-left and -right margins of the book is most unhelpful to a reader who is trying to follow a story on a later page. Rethink this practice, please.
Tom Doyal
via email
Kid Cuties
I loved your latest cover, but I raised my little Texans to wear cloth diapers, not plastic ones, just like my momma raised me!
Amber Bass Patterson
Dripping Springs
September’s articles left me laughing, tearing up, and proud to be native-born! I am always dismayed to find people—even native Texans—who have not the slightest idea of what Texas is or what it means and have not ventured out of their little bubble to explore and travel this wonderful land called Texas.
Jerry T. Moore
Wimberley
Head of the Class
Loved the article “Confessions of a Seventh-Grade Texas History Teacher.” Reminds me of my seventh-grade history teacher, Mr. Bailey. Best class I had all year. He found an old schoolhouse that I believe was slated to be destroyed and had it moved to campus to help teach about the period. He always got students engaged in what was, and is, a very interesting subject. Keep up the good work, history teachers.
Mark Trevino
Augusta, Georgia
This is WONDERFUL! I wish every Texan, and non-Texan for that matter, could read about this man.
Amy Fennell Lovell
Via Facebook
Minor Miracle
Just read “I Shall Never Surrender or Retreat . . .,” and I am laughing my backside off. Dude, you have captured the body language and mind-set of a teenager! I have a fifteen-year-old son, and I so get your article. Thanks! You have made my day!
Terri Reese
Henrietta
Dudes Ranch
“The Boys of the Dipper Ranch” was wonderful. I read it twice just because it made me feel so good to think that there are still families out there like the Kleins.
J. W. Seward
Cleburne
I am a longtime subscriber and reader. Over the years, I have read many fine articles, but I don’t think I have enjoyed any as much as “The Boys of the Dipper Ranch.” The Kleins know how to be parents, and their boys know how to be kids.
Charles Foree
Lexington, Kentucky
I admire the difficult but rewarding lifestyle the Kleins have chosen. The boys seem to be well-adjusted and enjoying their upbringing. Kudos to the entire family, as it has to be a rough and tough life, but they are living it well.
J. Lynn Solomon
San Angelo
Good Eats
After reading Courtney Bond’s account of making Frito pie [Vittles], I was not sure if I should have sent my concern to you or the Texanist. After having Frito pie in my diet for some 58 years, I can honestly say I have never split the bag down the front. Everyone knows you split the bag along the side, allowing it to serve as an envelope to secure all the chili and other goop added. It is a much cleaner, greener way to eat Frito pie. A tree will not have to be sacrificed to supply the napkins.
Carl Hall
Rockport
This is my dinner tonight . . . Heaven in a sack.
Joshua Smith
Via Twitter
The Frito pie photo and story brought tears to my eyes. For years I’ve shared stories with my wife and daughters about eating Frito pie from actual Frito bags, but I’m not sure they believed me. You’ve given me the evidence I needed to prove the value of this 25-cent concession-stand staple at junior high football games in the sixties in Sherman. Thank you!
Philip Poole
Hoover, Alabama
Ramblin’ Man
Andy Langer’s article on the reinvigoration of Waylon Jennings’s legacy [“Not Fade Away”] was as stirring a journalistic piece as Jennings’s music itself. Seamlessly synthesizing the roles of reporter, reviewer, and fan, Langer’s writing was at once informative, melodic, and emotive. As a surprisingly wonderful accompaniment to my Saturday morning migas and coffee, I found it pure prose.
Victor Viser
Galveston Island
