Burkablog »
And now a discussion that really matters (Fri Nov 20 at 5:02 PM)
In the Pink »
The Wrecking Coup (Fri Nov 20 at 1:33 PM)
Page Break »
Supreme Court to Rehear Exxon Case. Yes, That Exxon Case. (Sat Nov 21 at 1:45 PM)
Eat My Words »
Talking Tamales (Thu Nov 12 at 11:12 AM)
Alan says: I am in favor of limiting the governor to two consecutive terms. But blacklisting someone after eight years altogether, regardless of how good or bad they did their job, can needlessly force an effective public official out of public service. Many state governors throughout history have served well over eight years without their constituents regretting it. I would point out that such a system is wholly unworkable in twenty-first century America: we live in the era of the permanent campaign and the 24-hour news cycle. A governor facing re-election every other year would essentially do nothing but fundraise (which is close to what most do anyway even with four-year terms). (November 19th, 2009 at 11:09pm)
Stories on Essay
The Bernadette Babies »
A prayer for pagan souls and finding redemption in almond cake.
by Donna Xander [December 2009]
The C-List »
Finding a room of my own on Craigslist.
by Kaitlin N. Petersen [May 2009]
Dreams from My Father »
How my dad learned to stop worrying and love a Democrat.
by Eileen Smith [February 2009]
Confessions of a Working Mom »
Every once in a while, it all seems to bite me in the you-know-what.
by Patricia Busa McConnico [February 2009]
‘Twas the List Before Christmas »
And my favorite Christmas present of all time is...
by Eileen Smith [January 2009]
The Great Developer »
Trammell Crow made millions based on what he called hunches—warehouses, atrium marts, huge hotels—and amazingly, most of his deals he did on a handshake.
by Skip Hollandsworth [January 2009]
Crossing the Line »
The facts of this case are quite simple. Two Border Patrol agents shot at an unarmed man as he was running away from them. And then, they covered it up.
by Pamela Colloff [January 2009]
My Dog Days »
What I’ve learned from Moe, Oscar, Flannery, George, Odette, and Roscoe.
by Antonya Nelson [May 2007]
Rental Illness »
When people hear I’m a landlady, they tell me I should have my head examined. Yep.
by Suzy Banks [October 2005]
His Mickey Mouse Ways »
In a world full of evil dudes pretending to be good guys, Waylon Jennings was a good guy pretending to be an evil dude and never quite succeeding.
by Dave Hickey [June 2004]
My Heart Belonged to Daddy »
My father was a hard-hitting newspaperman, but he was also an old softy. That helps explain why until his death two years ago this month, he and I were members of a mutual admiration society.
by Prudence Mackintosh [June 2002]
Sober »
\More than a decade ago I wrote about the virtues of the drinking life and the comforts of what I called a “bar bar.” Then I hit rock bottom. It’s been eight years now since I took my last drink—and I’m finally ready to tell the rest of the story.
by Jim Atkinson [July 2001]
The Assassination in Me »
This month my second novel about JFK's murder will be published. Why do I keep returning to Dealey Plaza and the events of that fateful day? Because I can't help myself.
by James Ellroy [June 2001]
To Hell and Back »
After he was shot by a Mexico City cab driver—and told that he might be paralyzed—Jan Reid was flown to Houston, where Dr. Red Duke and a team of therapists literally got him back on his feet. In an excerpt from his forthcoming memoir, The Bullet Meant for Me, Reid reconstructs the grueling nine weeks of recovery before he and his wife, Dorothy, finally headed home to Austin.
by Jan Reid [June 2001]
Grand Designs »
A new Texas Monthly by design—and necessity.
by Evan Smith [April 2001]
Deer Prudence »
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.
by Michael DiLeo [December 2000]
Love and Death on the Third Floor »
She was the princess who wore Tiffany perfume. He was the middle-class guy who raced cars. But when they met on the cystic fibrosis wing of a Dallas hospital, romance bloomed.
by Skip Hollandsworth [February 1994]
A Stately House: A Photographic Portrait »
Even on her one-hundredth birthday, the Texas Capitol looks good in places other building don’t even have places.
Text by Paul Burka [May 1988]
The Silver Lining »
Age is a matter of mind. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.
by Liz Carpenter [March 1985]
