March 2001
Features
After twenty years as a reporter who gave politicians a hard time, I decided to run for the Dallas City Council. Now I’m the one getting the hard time—from my fellow pols, who don’t trust me, and my former colleagues in the press, who’ve got me in their sights. And I’m enjoying every minute of it.
Forty years after it was published, Billy Lee Brammer's novel about LBJ-era Austin is still one of the best ever written about American politics. Yet just as interesting is the story of Brammer himself.
The next statewide elections are twenty months away, but a pack of would-be candidatesfrom a Laredo oilman to the mayor of Austinare already running hard.
He's produced albums for the likes of Roy Orbison and Elvis Costello for years, but now Fort Worth's T Bone Burnett is writing songs again and composing music for movies and plays. At 53 he's on a creative roll and, as he says, "Never bored."
A passel of Texans invaded the nation’s capital in January, and the town may never be the same. A report from the inaugral front.
Have you gotten lost in the Big Thicket? Attended a South Texas pachanga? Whether you’re a newcomer or a native, following these suggestions will give you a crash course in all things Texas—and one heck of a good time.
Who exactly was Cabeza de Vaca? Why did Texas revolutionaries shout, “Remember Goliad”? Sharpen your pencils for Part I of my four-part Texas literacy test.
Columns
How are Texas' top two symphonies staying financially viable and relevant to young audiences? One concert at a time.
What did Gregg Popovich learn after he coached the Spurs to their first NBA title two years ago? One is never enough.
A collection of the letters of influential sociologist C. Wright Mills shows that his radical ideas were grounded in his Texas upbringing.
In today's stressful times, Buddhism's philosophy of peaceful detachment is resonating with more Texans than ever.
Miscellany
With stars ranging from Willie Nelson to Tommy Lee Jones, an Austin awards show gets top billing. Plus: The North Texas Irish Festival harps on its success; Houston has a weekend perfect for the kids; El Paso packs the house for the Siglo de Oro; and Dallas' Meadows Museum has visions of Spain.
How many people died in the New London school explosion of 1937?