April 2011

Life Is Yours to Win

An excerpt from Chapter One.

The Drop Everything List

The Texas Beer Fest, Lucinda Williams and Erika Wennerstrom, the Battle of Port Jefferson, and Railfest . . .

Psychedelic Summit

Fifty-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.

The Drop Everything List

Arcade Fire, the Texas State Surfing Championships, the Wings Over the Hills Nature Festival, and the Wiener Dog Races . . .

He Lost a Good Thing

Huey 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.

Watergate Still Unfolding at UT’s Ransom Center

Bob 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.

Night of the Living Ed: The Complete Transcript

The complete transcript of a roundtable discussion on public education hosted by TEXAS MONTHLY and published, in edited form, in the May 2011 issue.

The Drop Everything List

The Big Bend Open Road Race, Larry Joe Taylor’s Texas Music Festival & Chili Cook-off, Itzhak Perlman, and the Buc Days Carnival . . .

The Presidential Recordings: Lyndon B. Johnson

An excerpt from Volume 8.

Design for a Vulnerable Planet

An excerpt from the introduction.

Ceviche de Hongo

From Alma, in Dallas.

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

Victor Emanuel describes what he likes about these beautiful birds that can be found in Texas.

A Conversation With Billy Joe Shaver

The outlaw-country legend on his recent acquittal, his songs, and his friendship with Willie Nelson.

Cover Credit

Photograph by Randal Ford.

Contributors

Stephen Harrigan, John Burgoyne, and Patricia Kilday Hart.

Talkin’ About an Education

Talkin’ About an Education

The U.S. Constitution says nothing about public education, but all the state constitutions have clauses addressing it, and reading through them is a mildly inspiring way to spend half an hour. Arkansas: “Intelligence and virtue being the safeguards of liberty and the bulwark of a free and good government, the

Roar of the Crowd

Site SeeingWhile reading my March copy, with the “175 Years of Texas” headline and the beautiful, enticing scratch-and-sniff, it was only appropriate that I swell with pride, as I so often do with our family copy of the journal. Hell, the word “terquasquicentennial” at the top of the cover alone

New + Noteworthy

Francesca's at Sunset, San Antonio, and Saldivia South American Grill, Houston.

Alma

PICTURE YOURSELF ON A Mexican-tiled patio as sunlight filters through a rustic roof made of slender wooden latillas. A margarita stands at the ready, droplets of moisture condensing enticingly on the chilled glass. Within arm’s reach on your left is a cast-iron dish piled with chunky guacamole. On your right

Less Than Hero

The worst deficit facing Texas right now is not the one in our budget: it’s the leadership deficit.

Crockett Science

A new Crockett biography by Michael Wallis weighs in on how Davy died.

I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive

A new album by Steve Earle.

I Am Very Far

A new album by Okkervil River.

Amanda Shires

On her new album, Carrying Lightning, and more.

Tyler

Flower lovers drawn to the Rose Capital of the Nation will find snazzy frocks and spicy guisado de puerco amid the petals and thorns.

Karen Hughes’s Kitchen Island

The onetime presidential adviser gives us a glimpse of her home life.

How to Make Venison Sausage

Watching lawmakers bicker over the state budget in Austin reminds us of the old adage about what politics and sausage have in common. Fortunately for sausage, its approval ratings are through the roof. “It’s become easier to stuff sausage at home, since more places are selling small grinders and stuffers,”

Chris Treviño, Tattoo Artist

Treviño, who has been tattooing for more than twenty years, is the owner of Perfection Tattoo in Austin. He is known for his traditional Japanese designs, which have earned him an extensive client base in the U.S. as well as in Japan, where he travels four times a year. He grew up in

Being an Outlaw-Country Legend

Billy Joe Shaver on being an outlaw-country legend.

The Texanist: Can You Pick a Bluebonnet?

Picking bluebonnets, pastry terminology, angling laws, and the best way to respond to a speeding ticket.

No Peña, No Gain

Was 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?

Oil Night Long

Amid 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.

The Peculiar Monument

In this exclusive excerpt from Remember Ben Clayton, a new novel by Stephen Harrigan, a sculptor meets a lonely rancher who has lost his son and needs something to remember him by.

Night of the Living Ed

With public education facing an estimated $7 billion in cuts, the question on everyone’s mind is, Are Texas schools doomed? So we assembled a group of dinner guests (a superintendent, advocates on both sides, an education union rep, and the commissioner of the Texas Education Agency) to find out. Check,

What is there not to like?

I had a conversation with a lobbyist last night about the leadership (or lack thereof) in the House, and he had some interesting observations. “At the start of the session, I thought the divisions from the speaker’s race had really weakened Straus. I kept waiting for the meltdown. It never

State auditor criticizes governor’s office management of Emerging Technology Fund

What follows are the main conclusions and recommendations of the auditor's report, which was released yesterday. All text comes from the report. I have not altered anything. My comments are in italics. * The Emerging Technology Fund (ETF) should make significant improvements to promote greater transparency and accountability. * Issues

On the Lege video—Judith Zaffirini

This week we spoke to Senator Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, about Rick Perry’s proposed higher education reforms and the importance of research at Tier One universities.

R.G.’s Take: No budget joy in Mudville

Senate Finance Chairman Steve Ogden stands like Casey at the Bat, fully wanting to score. And nothing but a base hit, or a walk, perhaps, will get him to the floor. As this week ended with the scoreboard showing naught, Ogden admitted he lacked the stroke to bring his budget

04/28/11: Sand castles on the shore

The next time that the Texas House of Representatives draws a redistricting map, in 2021, Texas is going to be a very different state. As the House debated redistricting and fought over whether Republican cartographers had awarded Hispanics enough new seats, the clock was already ticking on the new Republican

Trailer Thursday: Cabrito burger with Japanese sweet potato fries at the Giggling Goat.

If I were the goat at the Giggling Goat gastro-trailer, I don’t know if I’d be giggling or grieving. On the one hand, the gourmet offerings, such as Japanese sweet potato fries and a lamb loin Greek salad, are mouth-wateringly delicious. On the other, the cabrito (i.e., goat) burger is

A moment of silence

I was standing outside the entrance to the House yesterday amid a score of lobbyists who were buttonholing members when suddenly the buzz of conversation evaporated into the air. The entire foyer became as quiet as a church. What was going on? Governor Perry had arrived. There was that last

Swingers in the Senate

Traditionally, swing votes are found in the middle of the political spectrum, but this session’s Anthony Kennedy in the state Senate may come from the far right. While all eyes have been on Royce West and Chuy Hinojosa, the two Democrats considered most likely to vote with the Republican caucus

Creationism materials said to be posted on the TEA Web site

This article is based on a release distributed by the Texas Freedom Network. The thrust of the release is that the State Board of Education could approve “newly proposed instructional materials that promote creationism.” I doubt that this will happen, for two reasons. One, the ideological composition of the

Redistricting and the speaker’s race

Make no mistake about it: We are about to see a reprise of the speaker's race in the redistricting debate. Redistricting has gone viral. Did you think it was strange the other day when TLR came out and endorsed the Solomons plan? I certainly did. Why would TLR be interested

Meat and Greet

Years ago, I was under the impression that every Texan knew what a salt lick was, loved the smell of hay in an old barn, and knew better than to request chocolate pie for dessert, lest one be handed a cow patty from the fields. But a dear friend of

Texas Conservative Review on the Budget

The Texas Conservative Review is the work of Gary Polland, a former Harris County GOP chair and state Senate candidate. This is TCR’s take on the budget situation, from its April 22 issue. The battle in Austin regarding balancing the next biennial budget continues. The Senate

Is Lloyd Doggett in jeopardy?

After the stunt he pulled with the Edujobs funding, damaging his home state, Doggett deserves to be defeated. The problem, for Republicans, is that getting rid of Doggett is easier said than done. The 2010 Republican tsunami exposed Doggett’s vulnerability, when an unknown Republican held him to just 52.82% of

Debate over Sanchez rages in Democratic circles

Considerable debate is taking place among Democrats over the suitability of General Ricardo Sanchez as a U.S. Senate candidate in the light of the abuses at Abu Ghraib that occurred during his watch. The following commentary appeared on a Houston Democratic web site. As a young officer I took an