March 2008 Issue

Chuck It

How soon before the Harris County DA makes his exit? Not soon enough.

By Steve McVicker

Antonya Nelson

The Easier Life

My Mexican housekeeper’s son had the troubles of many American teens. If only I could have helped him more.

By Antonya Nelson

Bear Market

The historic showdown between Texas and California has been a cold war, a simmering ideological feud between two great powers. And the winner (for now) is . . .

By Michael Ennis

The Democraddick Primary

It’s the only election that matters.

By Paul Burka

Reporter

Travel & Outdoors

It’s Only Natural

A natural antidote to San Antonio sprawl.

By Suzy Banks

Robotique Majestique

Thomas Turner stands at a keyboard flanked by a stack of knobs and buttons resembling a cheesy set from TV’s Lost in Space. Donning a high-collared sequined cape, he produces a numbing series of New Wave drum machine beats and electronics. Aaron Behrens, alongside in tight jeans and long pigtails,

By Jeff McCord

What Doesn’t Kill Us

Guitar muscle, ferocious drumming, commanding vocals, and hook-laden tunes: no sophomore slump here. Austin’s What Made Milwaukee Famous took its time with the follow-up to its 2004 debut, and it was a wise move. The hardworking foursome has sculpted its sound on the road. What Doesn’t Kill Us

By Jeff McCord

Moment of Forever

Though he’d likely prefer a live afternoon session with his Family Band, Willie Nelson, to his credit, occasionally loosens his laissez-faire hegemony enough to let a producer take charge in the studio. The results, a far cry from his more casual recordings, are sometimes real successes (1993’s Across the

By Jeff McCord

Mudbound

The Jim Crow realities of a forties Mississippi cotton farm form a somber background for Mudbound, the long-awaited debut by Texas native Hillary Jordan. It’s a bitter tale of two World War II heroes, a bomber pilot and a tank commander, who return from the war to quite

Names on a Map

In his sixth novel, Names on a Map, Benjamin Alire Saenz writes about America’s hypercharged Vietnam era with the stoic calm that you might expect from a former priest (which he is). The war has crossed the Pacific to visit the Espejo family in their El Paso home:

The Flowers

Meet Sonny Bravo, the sweet but surly almost-sixteen-year-old who shrugs his way through The Flowers, Austinite Dagoberto Gilb’s first novel since 1994’s The Last Known Residence of Micky Acuña. At Los Flores— the East L.A. apartment building where Sonny lives with his mother, Silvia, and her redneck husband,

Terry Moore

In June 2007 the Houston artist, writer, and publisher wrapped up his Strangers in Paradise comic book series after a fourteen-year run. He writes Runaways and Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane for Marvel Comics, and he is now launching Echo, a new superhero series.Has Echo been percolating for a while?When

Business

Bryan Christian, Advertising Executive

Christian, who grew up in Waco and majored in English at Baylor University, is the senior vice president and general manager of Kolar Advertising and Marketing, in Austin, whose clients include Dell, 3M, and Subway.All during college, I thought I would graduate and go to seminary or something like that.

Art

Being an Art Critic

Dave Hickey on being an art critic.

By Katy Vine

Texquisite Corpse

Twin Wells

Chapter Three of “Twin Wells,” by David Searcy.

By David Searcy

Mark McKinnon

“I’m there for the honor of serving John McCain. I wanted to check that box in my life.”

By Evan Smith

Artist Interview

Bun B

As part of the rap outfit UGK—his partner was the late Pimp C—the Port Arthur rhyme veteran has earned many a peer admirer in the notoriously prideful hip-hop world. He is working on his second solo album, II Trill, and appears this month at Austin’s South by Southwest Music Conference

Hollywood, TX

Action Heroes

Action Heroes 2008.

By Christopher Kelly

Sports

Once More Unto the Breach

The miserable lives of Texas Rangers fans.

By Bryan Curtis

Faith Bases

Oak Hills Church

San Antonio

By William Martin

In the Chute

Long Time Coming

The Long Center performs; FotoFest flashes; Diboll gets husk-y.

By Jordan Breal

Web

Web Exclusive

Internet Sleuth

A Waco housewife tracks the Matt Baker case.

By Eileen Smith

Food & Drink

New and Noteworthy

Merchants Grand CaféSan Antonio You might wonder what this simple, white, “big box” space used to be. Then a local tells you it was a hardware store. Ah, that makes perfect sense. The Alamo Heights newcomer has a name chef at the helm (Jonathan Parker, from the River Walk’s

By Patricia Sharpe

Sen. Clinton on Texas Monthly Talks

Evan Smith: Senator Clinton, good morning.Hillary Rodham Clinton: Good morning.ES: Thank you very much for being here.HRC: I’m happy to be here.ES: Let me begin by asking you something about last night’s debate and the very eloquent and emotional comments you made at the end when you

By Evan Smith

Food & Drink

The Grove

How many downtown Houston restaurants look out on real, honest-to-God trees? Whatever the number—and I suspect it’s in the single digits—you can add another to the list: the Grove. I’ll get to the food in a minute, but first let me say one word about the Grove’s setting: wow.You stroll

By Patricia Sharpe

Art

Performance Anxiety

An interview with Cliff Redd—executive director of the Long Center

By Jordan Breal

Recipe

Deviled Eggs

Recipe from The Grove, Houston.12 eggs 1 anchovy 1 tbsp. champagne vinegar 3/4 cup mayonnaise 3 roasted garlic cloves, pureed 2 tbsp. heavy cream 1 tbsp. fish sauce 1/2 tsp. paprika 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper 2 tbsp. chopped parsley 1 link Spanish Chorizo cooked and sliced into 24 thin coins

Interview with Bun B

As part of rap outfit UGK—his partner was the late Pimp C—the Port Arthur rhyme veteran has earned many a peer admirer in the notoriously prideful hip-hop world. He is working on his second solo album, II Trill, and appears this month at Austin’s South by Southwest Music Conference and

By David A. Herron

Interview with Terry Moore

Recipe

Turkey Salad

1 head Romaine lettuce, chopped 1 bunch watercress, chopped 1 pound roasted turkey breast, diced 2 roma tomatoes, pulp removed, diced 1/4 pound sugar snap peas, blanched and shocked 1 avocado, diced 1/4 pound provolone cheese, diced 1/2 cup green goddess dressing (recipe below)Wash the lettuce and watercress. In a

Miscellany

Contributors

Kinky Friedman, Andi Beierman, and Brent Humphreys.

Editor’s Letter

I bet you’d like to know what’s going to happen on March 4, when Texas finally gets to have a say in the presidential race. Beats the heck out of me. Over the past twelve months, I’ve been asserting, with arrogant certainty, that the November combatants would be Clinton and

By Evan Smith

Roar of the Crowd

Bum Rap

Oy! It’s a pretty bad state of affairs, I say, when Texas Monthly—the arbiter of all things hip in the Lone Star State—botches a sneering slam as badly as y’all botched the “Guns Up! IQs Down!” Bum Steer [“The 2008 Bum Steer Awards,” January 2008]. If you’re going to