Ten tunes by Texas artists to jingle your bells.

Before Elvis Presley became an overweight entertainer in a rhinestone jumpsuit, there was a brief, more innocent time when he wore khakis as an Army private in Central Texas. It was his last chance to be a normal human being. And to be happy.

His election was historic for many reasons, not least because he embodies the stifled hopes of generations of his countrymen. Still, the obstacles he faces when he assumes the presidency on December 1 are considerable. Will he be able to deliver?

When we asked chef Bruce Auden of San Antonio's Biga on the Banks to create a festive holiday feast, he served up a menu with some delicious twists on tradition.

Back when I was a hippie pacifist in Northern California, I never thought I'd kill an animal for sport. Then I married into a South Texas ranching family, and in time I managed to pull the trigger and bag a buck. My emotions were decidedly mixed, but I knew that I had become a Texan at last.

Attention, holiday shoppers: Time's a-wasting (but help is on the way). This quirky compilation of Texas-made goodies—from mesquite dominoes to mohair throws—should have something for everyone on your list.

Kitschy calendars that say "Feliz Navidad."

It was a modern-day horror story: a little girl hidden away in rat-infested squalor for most of her life. When the authorities took her away from her mother and grandmother, the nine-year-old had never been to school or played outside.

After twenty years Albany's Old Jail Art Center has become the best small-town museum in the state— and maybe in the nation.

Clearing the air about pollution politics.

Confessions of a Washed-up Sportswriter (Including Various Digressions About Sex, Crime, and Other Hobbies.)

An old cemetery. A deserted crossroads. A ghostly reflection—or a figment of our imagination? On the trail of a West Texas mystery.

Coming soon to a radio near you: El Paso's At the Drive-In, the best new rock band in America.

The Dallas Mavericks have a new owner and a new attitude, but they have no real plan to make themselves the kings of the court. I do.

How Hockley's Fred Whitfield lassoed his place in pro rodeo history.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas: Families jump at the chance to see The Nutcracker; music lovers snap to the Christmas beat; theaters stage big holiday to-dos; cities light the way for merry revelers; and artisans craft the perfect shopping day.

Colorado governor Bill Owens joins the party.

Heidi Grant Murphy hits a high note.

Whose picture did Sam Rayburn always hang in his office?

The campaign against the mayor of Wichita Falls.

Three ways to fix the prison system.

Sweet designs for Christmas cookies from Penny's Pastries of Austin.