Austin

Stories about Austin

The Walking Deadline

For decades, the state’s big urban newspapers helped bind together the inhabitants of our major cities. Now those papers are threatened by a rapidly evolving (some might say collapsing) business model. Is there hope for daily journalism in Texas?

Horsemen, Goodbye

Thoughts on the gradual march of civility and urban sprawl across the lost frontier.

Where to Eat Now

And the year's best new restaurants are . . .

A Capital Time

Midland's Tom Craddick shares a few memories from his forty-plus years in the Legislature.

What’s With Austin’s Traffic?

Two questions for Ginger Goodin, of the Texas A&M Transportation Institute.

An Ode to Mount Bonnell

Taking Austin in from the city's most iconic summit.

What Nobody Says About Austin

Is Austin the state’s most segregated city?

All Grown Up

Austin is booming with jobs, condos, festivals, traffic, hipsters, joggers, and high-concept dive bars (anyone for Lone Star and seared foie gras?). Does that mean it’s no longer Austin?

Green Is Good, Green Is Right

The founder of Whole Foods Market on conscious capitalism and eating healthy.

Primary Targets

Michael Quinn Sullivan is the most powerful (and feared) activist at the Capitol. So who is he?

The 2013 Bum Steer Awards

Now with special advice from the Texanist!

On the Money

As the Eighty-third Legislature gears up at the Capitol this month, will lawmakers be penny-wise and pound-foolish? Or just plain foolish?

Editor’s Letter

Trigger

The life of Willie Nelson's guitar.

Ghost Riders

The tough road of a cyclist who insisted on racing clean during the era of Lance Armstrong and doping.

The Innocent Man, Part Two

Michael Morton spent 25 years wrongfully imprisoned for the brutal murder of his wife. How did it happen? And who is to blame?

The Red Hooded Stranger

Is Willie Nelson Santa Claus? We asked him that, and a few other things—like what it's like to get busted and get along with Pat Robertson and Snoop Dogg.

Editor’s Letter

Why Mack Brown Won’t Lose His Job

Because DeLoss Dodds, the University of Texas's athletic director, has a long memory.

Jacqueline Kelly Returns to the Willows

The Austin-based writer's love of Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows inspired her to write a sequel to the 1908 classic.

Travaasa Austin, Austin

Hotel Saint Cecilia, Austin

Swine Time

Going whole hog at Austin's Salty Sow. 

Six Degrees of Will Johnson

A new album from the Centro-Matic front man—and indie rock's one-man social network.

The Innocent Man, Part One

Michael Morton came home from work one day in 1986 to find that his wife had been brutally murdered. What happened next was one of the most profound miscarriages of justice in Texas history.

Making an Austin City Limits Debut

Terry Lickona, the television show's executive producer, talks about some of the acts that will step on the Austin City Limits stage for the first time, including Radiohead and Kat Edmonson.

The Thrill Isn’t Gone

How Gary Clark Jr. is reclaiming and reinventing the blues for the hip-hop generation.  

The Last Liberal

As Jan Reid's new biography makes clear, Ann Richards was one of the most magnetic politicians of the past thirty years. So why didn’t she leave much of a legacy?

Bus Driver

“When someone doesn’t say hi, it bothers me. I start to wonder why they didn’t.” 

Storming the Ivory Tower

For the past four years, a group of passionate reformers has been steadily trying to remake how higher education works in Texas—over the screams and howls of many professors and school presidents. Last year the battle came to UT. And the bombs are still flying.

Mother Knows Least

I was thrilled when my daughter began learning a second language at day care. But what was I supposed to do when my three-year-old started engaging in conversations I couldn’t understand?

The Governor’s Mansion Renovation Has Some Preservationists Wringing Their Hands

The recent renovation to the state's most historic home left some preservationists worried that the changes to the mansion would be too significant.

The Big Test

Before Robert Scott stepped down as the state’s education commissioner in July, he told anyone who would listen that high-stakes standardized exams were ruining the public schools. But is it too late to learn from his lesson?

Why Johnny Can’t Learn

Can education reform save a declining Austin high school?

Amy Cook

On her new album, Summer Skin, and more.

Willie Nelson Statue, Austin

Shelly Roper-McCaslin, 46

Shelly Roper-McCaslin, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders recruiter.

New + Noteworthy

Swift's Attic and Sustenio.

Sibling Revelry

Are Jay and Mark Duplass too productive for their own good?

Jon Dee Graham

On his new album, Garage Sale, and more.

Meat, My Maker

When Dallas’s very own Marvin Lee Aday—that’s Meat Loaf to you—optioned one of my screenplays, he didn’t just offer me a glimpse of paradise by the dashboard lights. He also helped me write a novel.

Shawn Colvin’s Survival Story

The Austin-based singer-songwriter talks about her new autobiography, Diamond in the Rough, and her sixth studio album.

The Indie Film Scene of Dallas

The city is home base for a growing community of young filmmakers, who are making their mark on the independent film scene.

Five New Albums You Shouldn’t Miss

Including new sets from Alejandro Escovedo, Rhett Miller, and more.

Big Station

A new album by Alejandro Escovedo.

New + Noteworthy

Chicken Scratch and Papi Tino's.

Offering Fine Advice Since 2007

Violent mockingbirds, farm-to-market roads, football versus lacrosse, and the incredible nerve of storekeepers who charge for spit cups.

Jennifer Walden, 40

Jennifer Walden, plastic surgeon

Finding Peace and Joy in Austin

How a rare statue in an unassuming temple made the capital city a place to seriously study Buddhism.

A Tribute to Mr. Bojangles

Todd Snider's latest album reflects his deep-seated admiration for Jerry Jeff Walker's free-spirited style.

New + Noteworthy

Elizabeth Street Cafe and Underbelly.

Tejano Monument, Austin

The Most Trusted Freshman in America

Long before Walter Cronkite was the voice of the news, he was just a kid from Houston at the University of Texas, chasing girls, acting in school plays, and drinking cheap beer. Yet Douglas Brinkley, whose new biography of Cronkite will be released this month, argues that it was in Austin that the seeds of one of the greatest careers in American journalism were sown.

Bill Collings, 63

Bill Collings, luthier.

New + Noteworthy

Bliss and Olive & June.

General Admission

Will Fisher v. The University of Texas at Austin help the U.S. Supreme Court decide affirmative action once and for all? Not likely, which is why it's time to let public universities make their own decision about which students to accept.

Notable Openings and Closings

What you need to know about dining in Texas this week.

Way Down Low

A new album by Kat Edmonson.

A Q&A With John Spong

The senior editor on writing about outlaw country, hearing Jerry Jeff Walker tell stories, and listening to good music.

That 70’s Show

Forty years ago, Willie, Waylon, Jerry Jeff, and a whole host of Texas misfits grew their hair long, snubbed Nashville, and brought the hippies and rednecks together. The birth of outlaw country changed country music forever.

9 Texas Bands That Could Make an Impact at SXSW

Though South by Southwest is bringing big names like Bruce Springsteen and Jay-Z this year, here are picks from showcasing Texans, from the obvious to the relatively obscure.

SXSW: Where to Eat

The definitive guide on where to grab a hangover taco, a soul-satisfying plate of ’cue, a beautiful piece of sushi, a see-and-be-seen table, a killer margarita, and more.

SXSW: The Top 10 Places to Eat on South Lamar, Barton Springs, and Down South

The gotta-have-it list of restaurants you simply must hit.

SXSW: The Top 10 Places to Eat on South Congress

The gotta-have-it list of restaurants you simply must hit.

SXSW: The Top 10 Places to Eat on the East Side

The gotta-have-it list of restaurants you simply must hit.

SXSW: The Top 10 Places to Eat in Downtown ATX

The gotta-have-it list of restaurants you simply must hit.

SXSW: The Top 10 Places to Eat in Central ATX

The gotta-have-it list of restaurants you simply must hit.

SXSW: Where to Eat on South Lamar/Barton Springs

A culinary guide for navigating your way through the city, from a famous live music joint to a frozen banana food cart.

SXSW: Where to Eat Up North

A culinary guide for navigating your way through the city, from a beautiful hacienda to a hipster coffee bar.

SXSW: Where to Eat on South Congress

A culinary guide for navigating your way through the city, from a Hawaiian shaved-ice stand to a romantic Italian spot.

SXSW: Where to Eat on the Water

A culinary guide for navigating your way around and outside the city, from a tropical waterfront cafe to a barbecue joint with a deck.

SXSW: Where to Get Away to Eat

A culinary guide for navigating your way around and outside the city, from a rustic barbecue joint to a sunset-watching venue on the lake.

Notable Openings and Closings

What you need to know about dining in Texas this week.

SXSW: Where to Eat on the East Side

A culinary guide for navigating your way through the city, from a hipster hangout to a vegetarian grocery.

SXSW: Where to Eat in Downtown ATX

A culinary guide for navigating your way through the city, from a late-night taco truck to a modern tequila bar.

SXSW: Where to Eat Down South

A culinary guide for navigating your way through the city, from a funky French Vietnamese spot to a local hangout for people-watching.

SXSW: Where to Eat in Central ATX

A culinary guide for navigating your way through the city, from a casual Ethiopian spot to a classic burger joint.

See Jane Shop

Style blogger Jane Aldridge on where she likes to go in Texas to get her goods.

Somebody Up There Likes Bob Byington

The Austin-based writer and director's new film, which is premiering at the South by Southwest film festival, may soon find mainstream embrace.

SXSW: Where to Eat Vegetarian

A guide to the city's best restaurants that offer vegan tacos, gluten-free options, smoothies, and fresh alternatives to beef, chicken, and the other white meat.

SXSW: Where to Get Trailer Food

A guide to the city's best mobile eateries that are cranking out everything from Italian street food to funky gourmet doughnuts.

SXSW: Where to Eat Late Night

A guide to the city's best places to go when when you get out of a show—or just have the munchies.

SXSW: Where to Find Cheap Eats

A guide to the city's best restaurants that won't blow your wad.

Get Cooking

Recipes from the ten top restaurants in Texas.

Notable Openings and Closings

What you need to know about dining in Texas this week.

For the Love of Music

A slide show of images of Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and the rest of the folks who shaped outlaw country.

Playing the “National Game of Texas”

The Texas State Championship 42 Domino Tournament is in Hallettsville  this weekend, and members of the Austin 42 Club, the largest league in the state, prepare for the big game.

Texas Food Lovers

Twenty chefs and restaurants make the James Beard semifinals.

Contributors

Mark K. Updegrove, S. C. Gwynne, and Nicki Longoria.

Handling the Texas Flag

What every Texan should know about handling the Texas flag.

Where to Eat Now 2012

White tablecloths. Street food. Small portions. Lots and lots of innards. The only thing the ten best new Texas restaurants have in common is a willingness to prove that there is no such thing as a “Texas restaurant.” But when the escargots with fennel purée are this good, who cares?

Notable Openings and Closings

What you need to know about dining in Texas this week.

Future Forum: Guilt, Innocence, and the Death Penalty

A panel discussion featuring Anthony Graves with Pamela Colloff, Michael Hall, Kelly Siegler, and Nicole Cásarez.

Notable Openings and Closings

What you need to know about dining in Texas this week.

A Cook’s Tour

A slide show of scenes from the ten restaurants you should be eating at right now.

A Q&A With Patricia Sharpe

The senior editor on beer gardens, communal dining, and escargots.

Ben Kweller Makes Some Noise

The Austin-based musician talks about his new album, his record label, and making viral videos with Jason Schwartzman.

Did It Their Way

Austin filmmakers David and Nathan Zellner prove that Sundance still embraces their type of idiosyncratic, shoestring-budgeted work.

Preview: Of Meat and Men

An early look at the cover—and the cover story—of our February issue.

Ben Kweller

The musician and former front man for Radish on moving to Austin, pretending to be a label mogul, and getting his electric guitars out again.

Animal Joy

A new album by Shearwater.

Arrow

A new album by Heartless Bastards.

Melanie Steele, 38

Melanie Steele, wig master.

Performing Sketch Comedy

Shannon Sedwick on using the F-word, playing Ann Richards, and pulling things out of her dress like pipe wrenches and saws. 

Mappily Ever After

Once again, redistricting has devolved into a bitter, partisan, confusing, chaotic mess. But take heart, voters! There is a better way.

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes

Contributors

Wyatt McSpadden, John Phillip Santos, and Skip 
Hollandsworth.

Offering Fine Advice Since 2007

Learning to speak Texan, postprandial bed-sharing, how to start a fire, and a barber shop conundrum.

Of Meat and Men

John Mueller was the heir to one of the great Texas barbecue dynasties. Aaron Franklin was an unknown kid from College Station who worked his counter. John had it all and then threw it all away. Aaron came out of nowhere to create the state’s most coveted brisket. Then John rose from the ashes.

A Q&A With Katy Vine

The senior editor on writing about Aaron Franklin and John Mueller, eating brisket five days in a row, and mastering a barbecue pit.

Six Must-See Museums and Collections

Six members from Women for the Arts share which museums, collections, and venues travelers should not miss.

Why We Chose Rick Perry as Our 2012 Bum Steer of the Year

From Screening Movies to Releasing Them

Alamo Drafthouse founder Tim League starts an independent film distribution company, but can he make it work?

The Man Who Knows Too Much

Cyberpunk pioneer Bruce Sterling speculates that the worst is yet to come.

Craig Finn

The lyricist and lead singer for the Hold Steady on recording his first solo album in Austin, working with producer Mike McCarthy, and writing a song a day.

Lyman Hardy’s Editing Bay

The composer and sound-maker shows us some of his tools.

Unsolved Mystery

It has been twenty years since four teenage girls were murdered in a north Austin yogurt shop—and still no answers.

Need Some Gift Ideas?

We got you covered. Representatives from three independent record stores in Texas recommend recent releases from local artists to give as gifts to music fans.

Magda Sayeg’s Bedside Table

The yarn bomber shows us some of her personal possessions.

Building a Gingerbread Capitol

Amanda Naim on baking her first batch of cookies, molding each piece of the dome, and having a steady head. 

Up in the Air

No state has defied the federal government’s environmental regulations more fiercely than Texas, and no governor has been more outspoken about the “job-killing” policies of the EPA than Rick Perry. But does that mean we can all breathe easy?

Diffee Does the Texas Monthly BBQ Fest

What one man overheard at this year’s celebration of the best pitmasters in the state, righteous smoked meats, and passionate ’cue lovers.

Narrating the Night Sky

San Antonio's Sandy Wood has been the voice of StarDate for twenty years.

A Q&A With Patricia Sharpe

The executive editor on eating out for breakfast, scrambling eggs, and discovering syrup.

Bed, Breakfast, and Beyond

From tranquil lodging in the middle of bustling Houston to candle-lit breakfasts near the beach, these five B&Bs are guaranteed to please.

Game Over

A slide show of images of the fierce rivalry between Texas A&M and the University of Texas.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Contributors

Annette Gordon-Reed, Jason Sheeler, and Dagoberto Gilb.

Left Behind

Rick Perry’s stumbles on the national stage have inadvertently highlighted the weakness of his opposition back home—Texas Democrats.

The Strange Boys

Singer-songwriter Ryan Sambol on the band's new album, Live Music, and more.

Being a Hollywood Extra

Jesse Heiman on signing up at Central Casting, working with Leonardo DiCaprio, and still not paying his own phone bill.

Farmers Flight!

Texas A&M’s announcement that it was bolting the Big 12 for the SEC signaled the end of a passionate rivalry with the University of Texas that has defined the two schools for more than a century. But what does the end of Aggies versus Longhorns mean for the rest of us?

The Big Bend Theory

Tiny and remote Marfa is poised to be a rock-star magnet.

Big Ranch, Big City

Louis Lambert on the origins and culinary experiences behind his debut cookbook.

Behind the Lineup

Who is Amy Corbin? Oh, just the person who booked Stevie Wonder—and all the other bands you're stoked to see—for ACL.

The Eyes of Texas Aren’t Upon It

As questions swirl about the future of UT and the Big 12, the Longhorn Network is now on the air. Sort of.

Pioneer Up

The roots of Rick Perry’s frontier style.

New + Noteworthy

Kushi Yama and El Alma.

BC Tavern

Austin

Rancho Alto

A new album by Jason Boland & the Stragglers.

Old Mad Joy

A new album by the Gourds.

The Art Lover’s Companion

More than sixty art insiders gave us their list of favorite works of art to see in Texas. So grab your notepad, sketchbook, or iPad and take the ultimate tour of must-see art in Texas.

Offering Fine Advice Since 2007

The Drop Everything List

The Go-Gos, LBJ's Birthday, Houston Theater District Open House, and the Hot Sauce Festival. . .

SECession?

Texas A&M is fixin' to get out of the Big 12. Good news for Texas?

The Rookie

Two and a half years ago, the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum asked me to organize an exhibit about high school football. Did I mention I'm not a curator?

Freddie’s Song

Is the Freddie Steinmark saga the greatest story ever oversold?

Phantoms

A new album by Ume.

Charlie Jones’s Kitchen Counter

The concert promoter shows us his other passion.

The Great Campaigner

After eleven contested elections dating back three decades, Rick Perry remains undefeated. Is he brilliant? Lucky? Ruthless? We asked the people who know best—his vanquished opponents.

Because Mack Brown Has Something to Prove

Admit it, non-orangebloods. You took some pleasure in the collapse of the vaunted UT program last season. Well, guess what? Now it’s time for the empire to strike back.

Successful Formula?

Even in this year of massive budget cuts, Texas will likely spend $25 million to help bring a Formula One race to a newly constructed track in Austin’s backyard. Why?

21st-Century Slacker

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Slacker, a couple of dozen filmmakers remake Richard Linklater's indie flick.

Dear Yankee

You didn’t ask, but here’s some free advice for you and the rest of the national press corps as you prepare to write about Rick Perry.

Noodling

What every Texan should know about noodling.

Hall of Fame

Since 1973 we've picked two hundred best legislators. We asked ten of our favorites to weigh in on how the Capitol has changed and where the state is headed.

20 Sessions

A brief history of every Legislature we’ve ever covered.

Read Aloud

Author Sarah Bird discusses her book The Gap Year.

New + Noteworthy

Contigo and Alto Pizzeria.

The Usual Suspects

Contributors

Courtney Bond, Sarah Bird, and Jan Jarboe Russell.

Out on a Limb

Terrence Malick: Brilliant or pretentious? Discuss.

Giving a Tour of the Capitol

Richard Poland on giving tours of the Capitol.

Do I Dare to Eat a Peach?

As a kid I was the pickiest eater you have ever seen, and family meals gave new meaning to the words “food fight.” But I gritted my teeth and overcame it—one disgusting tomato at a time.

The Margarita Variations

On the rocks or frozen? Salt or no salt? And what tequila is best? So many questions, but these four recipes make it easy for you to shake up the best margaritas around.

The Best & Worst Legislators 2011

For the Eighty-second Legislature (our twentieth at the Capitol), everything old was new again: the state faced a budget deficit; the governor harbored presidential ambitions; the members of the Best list were hard to find; and the names on the Worst list picked themselves.

Postcard to Lance

Some more advice in the wake of Tyler Hamilton’s interview on 60 Minutes.

Contributors

Charlie Llewellin, Roberto Parada, and Matt Diffee.

Life Is Yours to Win

An excerpt from Chapter One.

Richard Linklater

The 2011 Texas Monthly Short Film contest. Shoot what you know. Deadline June 1.

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.

Barley Swine

Austin

D

A new album by White Denim.

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.

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

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

For the Birds

Explore nature with Victor Emanuel as he takes a tour of Hornsby Bend, his favorite birding spot in Austin.

A Conversation With Stephen Harrigan

One of Texas’s most acclaimed writers talks about his new novel, his process, and what he really thinks about e-readers.

A Q&A With Katy Vine

The senior editor on embracing enthusiasm, going birding with Victor Emanuel, and wading through tall grass.

Talkin’ About an Education

Less Than Hero

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

I Am Very Far

A new album by Okkervil River.

Karen Hughes’s Kitchen Island

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

Chris Treviño, 41

Chris Treviño, tattoo artist.

Offering Fine Advice Since 2007

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

The Birdman of Texas

Victor Emanuel can find you a hooded warbler, a horned guan, or maybe even an Eskimo curlew. But his real genius is that he can get you to really look at a grackle.

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, please?

Grilled Ribeye

Smoked Brisket

How Not to Cook Like a Texan

Old College Try

Rick Perry's quiet war on higher ed.

Apocalypse

A new album by Bill Callahan.

Joe Straus’s Desk

The Speaker lets us into his office.

Taste of Texas

Read a Q&A with Patricia Sharpe.

Smoked Brisket

Think you know how to cook like a Texan? Pitmaster Aaron Franklin shows us how it’s done.

Grilled Ribeye

Think you know how to cook like a Texan? Chef Larry McGuire, of Lamberts Downtown Barbecue, shows us how it's done.

Kitchen Confidential

Josh Watkins, the chef at the Carillon, in Austin, on Dana Cowin, doughnut holes, and what makes a perfect dish.

Kitchen Confidential

Shawn Cirkiel, the chef-owner of Parkside, in Austin, on hot dogs, skinny chefs, and Paula Deen.

151–175

From the construction of the state’s first public university in College Station to the swearing in of Governor Rick Perry for a third full term in Austin

151–175

From the construction of the state’s first public university in College Station to the swearing in of Governor Rick Perry for a third full term in Austin

Street Food

At a time when trailer food is all the rage, a few Austin restaurateurs are making the shift from mobile to brick and mortar—and lovin’ it.

Scandalous

A new album by Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears.

Congress

Austin

Action Heroes

Four filmmakers to watch in 2011.

The Capitol of Texas, Austin

H. W. Brands tours the Capitol and remembers the many events that have transpired where our political leaders set policy and make laws.

Power Company

As we head into the most critical legislative session in decades—maybe ever—the question is not just, Who are the people with the most clout at the Capitol? It’s also, What do they want?

In the Kitchen at Uchiko

Patricia Sharpe goes to the best new restaurant in the state, where chef-owner Tyson Cole shares a few tips and prepares a golden beet salad.

Future Imperfect

Stratfor’s George Friedman peers into the future.

Where to Eat Now 2011

Jalapeño sausage–stuffed quail, lemon-pepper-marinated fried chicken: The trend for most of the best new restaurants last year was comfort food with pizzazz. But then along came Uchiko to wow us with its mouthwatering take on Japanese fusion. Who says you can’t buck a trend?

A Cook’s Tour

Patricia Sharpe goes into the kitchen at Uchiko, the number one restaurant of the year.

Shooting a .22

How to shoot a .22.

David E. Hilton

On his new novel, Kings of Colorado, and more.

Coming Clean

Texas celebrities such as Lyle Lovett, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Erykah Badu, Matthew McConaughey, and Owen Wilson urge folks to stop littering in some of the early public service announcements for the "Don't Mess With Texas" campaign.

Talking Trash

More anecdotes from the "Don’t Mess With Texas” campaign.

The Manual 2.0

Watch the experts teach Andrea Valdez how to cook chili.

Patterns

A new album by the Black and White Years.

7 Walkers

A self-titled new album.

Life After Death

It’s time to halt executions in Texas.

For the Record

How Alan Lomax rebelled against—and saved a few—Texas traditions.

Steer Pressure

Best Western

The Coen brothers deliver a truer, grittier True Grit.

Soleil

Austin

Marion Jones’s Backpack

The athlete shows us what she carries along on the road and to the gym.

Between the Lines

Ah, redistricting—that partisan, vengeful, hazardous battle for domination the Legislature fights every decade. Here we go again.

Litter Did We Know

A tidy look back at 25 years of “Don’t Mess With Texas”— the most successful anti-littering campaign in world history.

The 2011 Bum Steer Awards

It was a year of appalling analogies, bare-naked Badu, collapsing Cowboys, dim-witted Daughters of the Republic of Texas, egregious Ethics Commission, felonious fishermen (not to mention frisky firefighters), G-rated (not) guards, hilarious headlines, imperial incumbents, jackass judges (as always!), klutzy kat rescuers, legendarily lame and losing Longhorns, mind-boggling menus, noncompliant Nugent, outré overtimers, pajama-clad politicians, queso quarrels, rude representatives, scuffling strippers, toilet paper–free Texas A&M, unacceptable uniformed urination, vent-escaping vipers, woefully wrongheaded wide receivers, X-asperated Xanax-heads, yuk-yuk yeggs, and zealous Z-cups.

Cooking With Iliana de la Vega at El Naranjo

Patricia Sharpe goes into the kitchen with Iliana de la Vega to make shrimp tacos.

¡Una Cerveza, Por Favor!

A Mexican beer pairing guide.

La Maestra

A lesson with Diana Kennedy.

Let’s Have Mex-Tex

Where’s the best place to get a perfect plate of enchiladas? A chile relleno to die for? A salsa you’ll never forget? Come along on our tour of the fifty greatest Mexican restaurants in Texas, from Hugo’s, in Houston, to Tacos Santa Cecilia, in El Paso. This is not your father’s Tex-Mex.

Couldn’t Stand the Weather

A two-disc reissue of the second album by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble.

Not By Design

Brian Crumley hopped on a plane to Europe to find the expressive voice he thought he had lost. The photographer spent three months traveling from city to city, soul-searching. Little did he know a purchase of two scarves would forever change his life.

The Gospel According to Blind Willie Johnson

Watch Austin musician Steve James play the slide guitar and discuss the incomparable Blind Willie Johnson, who we think was born in Pendleton, just outside Temple.

Bush v. Perry

Comparing Rick Perry's 2010 campaign to George W. Bush's 1998 reelection campaign.

Join Texas Monthly at the Texas Book Festival

LiveStrong, TellTruth

An open letter to the greatest cyclist ever.

The Laziest Girl In Town

A new album by Elizabeth McQueen.

Teaching Children About Music

The Biscuit Brothers on teaching kids about music.

Dear Lance

Michael Hall offers his unsolicited advice to Lance Armstrong.

Austin City Limits

To mark the thirty-fifth anniversary of the longest-running popular music series in American television history (take that, Yo! MTV Raps!), the University of Texas Press has just published a gorgeous coffee-table book, Austin City Limits: 35 Years in Photographs. 

The Texas Monthly Barbecue Festival

Scenes from the City Terrace at the Long Center for the Performing Arts, where more than one thousand people sampled the best barbecue in the state while listening to live music, watching cooking demos, and enjoying the views of downtown Austin.

Contributors

Christopher and Kathleen Sleboda, D. J. Stout, and Paul Burka.

Big State, Small Screen

Is Friday Night Lights the best TV show ever made about Texas? Or just the first one (sorry, J.R.! Sorry, Hank!) that’s tried so hard to get the details right?

Good Friday Night

John Spong talks about unearthing the history of TV’s portrayal of Texas through the ages and how Friday Night Lights changed it all.

Zandunga Mexican Bistro

Austin

The Manual 2.0

Watch the experts at Russ and Company Salon, in Austin, teach Andrea Valdez how to do big hair.

Buddy Miller

On working with Robert Plant and more.

Phosphene Dream

A new album by the Black Angels.

Big Hair

How to style big hair.

Short Cuts: Episode VI

The governor’s race in under three minutes, featuring profiteering, shady land deals, stormtroopers, treehuggers, and the president.

The Manual 2.0

Watch Andrea Valdez cook barbacoa.

La Sombra Bar & Grill

Austin

Arms Race

We used to be known for running backs, but all of a sudden, we’re famous for producing some of the country’s best passers, from Drew Brees to Colt McCoy. What turned our high school football programs into quarterback factories?

J. D. Cronise

The Sword's singer-guitarist on the band's new album, Warp Riders, and more.

El Underachiever

Robert Rodriguez is our most prolific filmmaker. But is he selling himself short?

Jackie Hopper, 41

911 Call Operator

A Tomato Feast With Chef Josh Watkins

Celebrate summer with a delicious tomato-fennel soup with vodka gelle and olive oil crema.

Street Songs of Love

Short Cuts: Episode V

Catching up on the governor’s race—taxes, coyotes, NASCAR, and pool houses—in under three minutes.

The Story of Us

Had the Texas myth become a straitjacket?

Walking the Ground

Austin

Homeward Bound

Temple

We’ll Always Have Austin

In the late sixties, the Capital City was just as thrilling, drug-addled, pompous, and aimless as you’ve heard. Especially if you came from the provinces.

Jake Silverstein, Editor, Texas Monthly, and Author (Thursday, April 29th 2010)

Jake Silverstein joined Texas Monthly in 2006, and was named Editor in 2008. He arrived there by way of some interesting places: Zacatecas, Mexico, where he spent time as a Fulbright Scholar; Marfa, where he worked as a newspaper reporter; and UT’s Michener Center for Writers, where he earned an MFA. He joins us to talk about his not-so-new job and his very new book, Nothing Happened and Then It Did: A Chronicle in Fact and Fiction.

Mystic Rivers

Where does the Pecos River originate? How long is the Devils River? What river in Texas is used to cool nuclear reactors? Everything you wanted to know about some of our state's waterways.

Diverse Works

Celebrating culture and traditions at the South Asian New Year Festival in Austin.

Colorado River

Paddle around while avoiding the ill-tempered swans in this lovely stretch of water.

The State Board of Ed’s Final Exam

Our quiz shouldn’t be hard, so long as you’ve been paying attention. You have been paying attention, right?

Go With the Flow

Throw a canoe on the roof or a tube in the trunk and head for the Llano, the Brazos, the Pecos, the Trinity, the Guadalupe, or any of the other rivers on this list of the twenty best trips to take on Texas waterways this summer.

Carrie Rodriguez

Cecile Richards, President, Planned Parenthood Federation of America (Thursday, April 8th 2010)

Cecile Richards joined Planned Parenthood in 2006, after work that included organizing low-wage workers, founding the Texas Freedom Network and serving as deputy chief of staff for Nancy Pelosi. Richards is also known to many as the daughter of Governor Ann Richards, and worked side by side with her mother to elect Sarah Weddington to the Texas Legislature. We talk with her just after the new health care legislation is signed into law.

The Skinny on Eating Healthy

Everything is bigger in Texas, including our belt size. Find out how to slim down and still enjoy a brisket sandwich or two.

SXSW 2010

The SXSW Festival in 2010 once again flooded Austin with technological innovators, film icons, and music shakers. This convergence of creativity attracts commercial promoters, dedicated followers, and wanna-be acts alike, and the result is a spectacle experienced nowhere else in the world. See a glimpse of the festival from a street-side view.

Liz Carpenter, Journalist, Author and LBJ staffer (Thursday, January 27th 2005)

Liz Carpenter spoke with Texas Monthly Talks in 2005, sharing stories of a very rich life. Join us to hear her tales of six decades spent watching Washington, her passion for mixing humor with politics, her memories of the Kennedys and the Johnsons and the most famous 58 words she wrote.

Elementary Watson

After only two years on the job, he’s gotten Austin’s environmentalists and developers to work together. That’s why Kirk Watson is our first annual Best Mayor for Business.

Three Hot Texas Stocks

Three hot e-commerce stocks.

Rockonomics 101

Purely in terms of record sales, the Austin band Fastball hit a home run in 1998. But does that mean its members are going to get rich? Not necessarily.

Michael Dell

A Crystal Boot for Michael Dell.

Poetry in Motion

Bands inspire Thax Douglas. And, sometimes, he inspires bands.

I’m With the Band

Texas Monthly talks to four up-and-coming Texas bands looking to break out at SXSW.

Where to Go for the Late Night Munchies

Finding your way around the Capitol City.

The Best Places to Eat on the Cheap

Finding your way around the Capitol City.

SXSW 2010

Scenes from opening weekend at a film premiere and a concert. Photographs by Jamie Wiebe. Captions by Sarah Collins. 

Where to Eat in Austin

Navigating the crowds and lines at SXSW can be tiresome and frustrating. To make life a little easier, we've put together a list of some of our favorite places to eat in the Capital City. Bon appétit.

Dear Carole

Advice for the new state comptroller from the old one.

A Wild Ride

You’re a casual investor with a little money to burn. Should you spend it all on Vignette, pcOrder, or another Texas Internet stock? Not unless you have a strong stomach, and maybe not even then.

Save Our School

Scenes from the University of Texas at Austin campus during a rally against tuition hikes.

The Top Ten Places to Eat on South Congress

Finding your way around the Capitol City.

The Top Ten Places to Eat in Central Austin

Finding your way around the Capitol City.

The Top Ten Places to Eat in the South Lamar/Barton Springs Area

Finding your way around the Capitol City.

The Top Ten Places to Eat on The East Side

Finding your way around the Capitol City.

The Top Ten Places to Eat in Downtown

Finding your way around the Capitol City.

The Manual 2.0

Watch the experts teach Andrea Valdez how to take the perfect bluebonnet photo.

The Departed

They say you can’t go home again—especially when pretty much your entire family has moved away.

Fear Less

Can new research predict which soldiers will suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder—and which won’t?

Texas Sound Bites

Twelve garage rock songs you must hear before you die.

Short Cuts: Episode IV

All about Republican gubernatorial candidate Debra Medina, in under two minutes.

Augie Garrido, Baseball Coach, The University of Texas (Thursday, February 11th 2010)

Augie Garrido has more wins than any other baseball coach in NCAA history, taking his players to the College World Series twelve times and leading five national championship teams. The team starts this season with the top spot in a major preseason ranking.

Action Heroes

Four filmmakers to watch in 2010.

Center of Gravity

Who can challenge Republicans on the State Board of Education? A different kind of Republican.

Texas Nuggets

The secret history of garage rock in the Lone Star State.

Three Chords and A Station Wagon

In the years before anyone had heard of Woodstock or Altamont, teenagers across Texas started bands in their parents’ garages, banging out earnest rock songs on cheap equipment and hoping to hit it big at the local skating rink or VFW post. For some, those dreams won’t fade away.

The Manual 2.0

Watch Robin Kolton of Texas Parks and Wildlife teach Andrea Valdez how to tie a Texas rig.

Orange Crush

A slide show of images featuring die-hard Longhorns fans, celebrities, and students getting into the spirit of things at the Rose Bowl.

Hook’d

The Longhorns may have lost the BCS National Championship on the hallowed field of the Rose Bowl, but they gained something almost as important: a long-lost fan.

Alex Jones Is About To Explode

Does the country’s most popular conspiracy talk radio host really believe that 9/11 was an inside job? That global warming is a plot cooked up by the World Bank? That an elite cabal wants to kill most of the people on the planet (including you)? Two million listeners think so—and they’re hanging on his every word.

The Bucket List

Driving the River Road, in far West Texas; having a drink at the Mansion on Turtle Creek, in Dallas; fishing for bass in Caddo Lake; eating a chicken-fried steak in Strawn; searching for a lightning whelk along the coast; and 58 other things that all Texans must do before they die.

The Illusionist

For more than thirty years, artist Damian Priour has crafted beautiful sculptures made of limestone, metal, wood, bronze, and glass.

Good Eats

A slide show of images featuring our state’s top ten restaurants, from Il Sogno, in San Antonio, to RDG + Bar Annie, in Houston, to Samar by Stephan Pyles, in Dallas.

Perla's With Chef Larry McGuire

Barbecue Shrimp

Short Cuts: Episode III

Rick Perry's road to the White House in under three minutes.

He’s About A Mover

Country, jazz, blues, R&B, polka, and conjunto—the late, great Doug Sahm was a walking encyclopedia of Texas music. An exclusive excerpt from a new biography explores how he stirred it all together and found his own sound in his first great song.

Where to Eat Now 2010

You had to be brave to open a restaurant last year. Or you had to be a genius. Or, like Robert Del Grande, whose revamped Houston eatery tops our list of the ten best gastronomical debuts of 2009, you had to be both.

Right Place, Right Time

A year ago Rick Perry’s political future seemed to be in peril. Now he’s looking past the 2010 elections—and all the way to the White House. Think I’m kidding? How about a cup of tea?

Texas Tailgate

Longhorn spirit is alive and strong. And on game day, grilling and getting ready for the gridiron action has almost become as important as watching it. Almost.

Toy Story

From a Magic Garden crystal kit to a plastic replica of R2D2, the diverse offerings at three toy stores in Austin are right on—for any age.

Short Cuts: Episode II

The Texas governor's race in under two minutes.

Movie Madness

Watch a montage of clips from Zombieland, Ninja Assassin, and other films that were featured at Austin’s Fantastic Fest.

The Manual 2.0

Watch the experts at Central Market teach Andrea Valdez how to make Texas caviar.

Revenge of the Nerds

How did a small cadre of film geeks from Austin take an outsized role in determining what you see at the multiplex on Friday night? One dismembered body at a time.

Window To the World

A prayer (and a migas recipe) for the unemployed.

Capital Punishment

Scenes from the Capitol during a rally against the death penalty. Photographs by Andrew Lo. Captions by Anna Bleker. 

Sarah Bird: Podcast

Sarah Bird reads “Hedda Garbler.”

From the Hip

Fun Fun Fun Fest and its post-punk indie sound.

Short Cuts: Episode I

Everything you ever wanted to know about the Texas governor’s race—in under three minutes.

Finding Texas at the Film Festival

Texas doesn’t get a whole lot of screen time. But at this year’s Austin Film Festival, two smaller films seemed to capture the spirit of the Lone Star State.

Brain Storm

The role of the cerebellum and underlying brain abnormalities in autism.

Best of Austin: Dining

Where to find our favorite breakfast tacos, fajitas, rigatoni with spicy lamb meatballs, and lakeside views.

Rock of Underages

How to take five dozen girls and turn them into eleven rock bands in one week.

Last Rights

The tragic case of Lloyd and Kim Yarbrough raises an old question: Why doesn’t the decision to die belong to the person who is dying?

Exchange Rate

One Lebanese student’s experience in Austin, Texas.

Marfa

This out-of-the-way retreat turned West Texas hot spot still buzzes, thanks to new shops and old standbys.

G-L-O-R-I-A

When the legendary Liberty Lunch club closed in July 1999, senior editor and musician Michael Hall came up with a way to say goodbye to an era—play “Gloria” for 24 hours straight.

The Judgment of Sharon Keller

Her decision to close the door on a death row inmate’s final plea has earned the state’s top criminal judge lasting infamy and a misconduct investigation that goes to trial this month. But was she wrong?

The 50 Greatest Hamburgers In Texas

On our first-ever quest for the state’s best burgers, we covered more than 12,000 miles, ate at more than 250 restaurants, and gained, collectively, more than 40 pounds. Our dauntless determination (and fearless fat intake) was rewarded with a list of 50 transcendent burgers—and you’ll never guess which one ended up on top. Check out our Best Burger section.

Brewing Sweet Tea

How to make sweet tea.

This Film Is Not Yet Rated

Bob Hudgins, director of the Texas Film Commission, talks to Katy Vine about the “Waco” controversy, tax incentives, and how to get your movie made in Texas.

Sweater Weather

Yes, it’s summer in Texas. It’s the summer to end all summers (please, God), with record-breaking heat, triple-digit temperatures, and the uncontrollable urge to sit in your freezer, atop the Häagen-Dazs bars.

That’s the Spirit

Not that you’re looking for an excuse, but these five original cocktails concocted by Texas bartenders using local liquors are a thoroughly acceptable reason to pour yourself a drink. Or three.

Making The Scene

Location: Austin What You’ll Need: Ironic T-shirt, bed head

Mad to Play

Famed Texas-based guitarist Stephen Bruton was a man who knew how to count his blessings.

Game Over

Sure, sure, the newspaper business is dying, and this is bad for freedom, accountability, and democracy itself. But worst of all is what’s happened to sportswriting.

Kindergarten Cop-Out

The full-time pre-K bill seems like a slam dunk. The price tag: $300 million.

Dan Branch’s Bookcase

State representative Dan Branch’s bookcase.

Tyson Cole’s Kitchen Cabinet

Tyson Cole’s kitchen cabinet.

Let’s Talk About Sex

Ninety-four percent of Texas high school students receive abstinence-only education. More than half of these teens are losing their virginity. So what do the majority of Texans really want their kids to know about sex? 

Art in a Bottle

Yes, Virginia, there is some art in Austin.

Golden Oldies

Afghan artifacts in Houston; Texas Biennial.

Saturday Night

From a honky-tonk in Odessa to a Catholic church in Houston, there’s one night of the week when you’re guaranteed to find Texans at their snappiest.

Entrapped

How a high-profile member of Austin′s radical progressive community became an FBI informant.

Second Street District, Austin.

Second Street District, Austin.

The Texas Two-step

How to two-step.

Dancing Queen

The Houston Ballet; a Marcia Gygli King retrospective; Philip Glass.

Governor Perry Chooses License Plates

Proving his conservative credentials, Gov. Perry held a press conference with the Texas Alliance for Life to express his support for specialized “Choose Life” license plates.

Chad Jistel

Chad Jistel, locomotive engineer.

Working on a Presidential Campaign

Kenny Thompson on planning Obama’s campaign events.

What’s in Your Wallet?

If you decided that 2008 was the year for you to cut yourself off from society, shed all material belongings, live off the land, and grow your own food, then you’ve got a pretty good head start.

Speaker Up

Candidates for Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives tell us why they think they should hold the highly coveted gavel.

The Unusual Suspects

The arson of the Governor’s Mansion in June was as mystifying as it was heartbreaking. Could Austin anarchists have been to blame?

The Republic of Chad

Eight years ago, the closest presidential election ever was settled in a political street fight. In this oral history of the Florida recount, the victors recall the unbelievable twists and turns that put George W. Bush in the White House.

The Day After

Journalists and other notables to give us their reactions to the long campaign and the election of Barack Obama.

W. of Mass Destruction

I attended the premiere of Oliver Stone’s "W." at the Austin Film Festival. Hopefully I can spare you the same fate.

Suggested Reading

Texas Book Festival; Latin Grammy Awards; San Antonio Opera.

How Well Do You Know Your State Board of Education?

Find out by taking our quiz.

East Austin

Where hip meets history.

Out of Sight

For the 140 full-time, residential students lucky enough to be enrolled there, the Texas School for the Blind is “heaven,” “home,” and “the first place I had friends.”

Dallas, Our Dallas

Dallas in Austin; base ball in Buffalo Gap; gorging in Canyon Lake.

Interview with Sam Gosling

The Other Woman

Evan Smith talks with Sarah Bird about her new novel, How Perfect Is That, which chronicles the downfall of an Austin (one-time) socialite.

Sonidos Gold

Beautiful World

Bill Bishop

Abby McAfee Daigle

25, Wedding Planner

Ed Jurdi & Gordy Quist

Remains of the Day

The Texas State Cemetery, home to the final resting places of the celebrated and the notorious, is a walk through time, revealing all that is great, courageous, tragic, pompous, and absurd about Texas.

Faith, Hope, and Chastity

Texas receives more federal funding for abstinence education than any other state. But is teaching kids not to have sex the same as sex education?

Directions to See a Ghost

Holy Moly

The Big Sort

In a Lather: Podcast

Sarah Bird reads “In a Lather.”

Quantum Leap

University of Texas astonomers search for the origins of the universe.

Cane and Able

Evan Smith talks with Jan Reid about that fateful night in Mexico City—the night that changed everything.

Ice Age: Video

What could be more fun than hopscotch and burgers with Dad?

Held Hostage: Video

“If you even suspect that an individual is delusional, you don’t enter into their delusion. Because you’ll never win.”

The Final Frontier

Karl Gebhardt and Gary Hill, two astronomers from the University of Texas at Austin, are racing to solve one of the greatest mysteries in science: What is dark energy? How does it work? Can it explain the origins of the universe? There’s only one problem. Dark energy may not actually exist.

Contributors

Hope Rodriguez, Michael O’Brien, and Gary Cartwright

Gavin Tabone

Bombing Iraq

Hollywood loses the Iraq war.

Citizen Cane

Ten years ago I was shot in Mexico City by a street thug who wanted to kill me. Since then, I’ve endured unbelievable pain and learned how to walk again, and I’m thankful for what I have: a new outlook on life, time with my family, and a chance to step back into the ring.

Just Us Kids

Live Cactus!

In a Lather

My Petco encounter with a shampoo celebrity.

Sen. Clinton on Texas Monthly Talks

The full transcript of Evan Smith’s 25-minute TEXAS MONTHLY TALKS interview with presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, taped on February 22, 2008.

Rating the Major Dailies

Choosing the best features of Texas newspapers is a thankless job, hard on the spirit, and difficult for all the wrong reasons.

Bringing It All Back Home

Nashville inspired Willie Nelson—to leave.

Untitled Mike Flynt Project: Video

The full Mike Flynt story may not be quite so neat and tidy, but...aw, hell, roll cameras anyway!

Behind the Lines: Podcast

Paul Burka reads “The Democraddick Primary”.

Performance Anxiety

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

Long Time Coming

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

The Democraddick Primary

It’s the only election that matters.

Action Heroes

Action Heroes 2008.

Contributors

Kinky Friedman, Andi Beierman, and Brent Humphreys.

Wyatt’s World

Thirty years after he took his first photograph for us—of charming kook Stanley Marsh 3—contributing photographer Wyatt McSpadden looks back on his extraordinary career and tells the stories behind some of our favorite images.

Where To Eat Now 2008

Yes, the setting is ritzy and the food remarkable. But what really makes the state’s best new restaurant sizzle is something less tangible: the (Dean) Fearing factor.

Robotique Majestique

What Doesn’t Kill Us

The Flowers

Bryan Christian

Advertising Executive

Mark McKinnon

Mark McKinnon on John McCain’s comeback.

The Gritty Truth

A criminal justice reform activist in Texas on overcrowded prisons, Tulia, the Texas Youth Commission, and the criminalization of mental illness.

Third Grade Social Studies

They may only be kids in third grade, but you’re looking at the future of Texas.

MEET the DePRESSed

The digital natives are restless, and traditional journalism just won’t cut it.

Will to Power

After the Texas Youth Commission imploded last year, one of the state’s fiercest advocates for criminal justice reform was tapped to help rebuild. Inside his yet-to-be-completed slog.

2028: The Year in Sports.

Who’s Next

Who’s the next Willie? The new Selena?

All Your Movie Are Belong to Us

Geeks from Austin will destroy American cinema.

New and Noteworthy

Café Central, El Paso and Sagra, Austin

35 People Who Will Shape Our Future

Lance Armstrong tops our list of the dreamers and doers leading the way in science, sports, politics, music, art, food, education, and, of course, Dallas shopping.

The Class of 2017

The future according to third-graders.

Susanne Paul

41, semiconductor designer, Austin

Michael MacDougall

37, private equity potentate, Austin/New York

Tim and Karrie League

Both 37, cinemaphiles, Austin

Liz Lambert

43, hotelier, Austin

Charlie Jones

38, concert promoter, Austin

Susan Hovorka

55, geologist, Austin

Denise Fulton

37, video game producer, Austin

Pliny Fisk III & Gail Vittori

Pliny Fisk III, 63 & Gail Vittori, 53 green urbanists, Austin

Elizabeth Avellan

47, movie producer, Austin

Ha-ha! We’re 35!

Contributors

Andy Friedman, Eileen Smith, and Platon.

Tomorrow Never Dies

The perils of prediction.

Bruce Sterling

Fabric Softener

A quiltmaker’s musings on yards of fabric, windmill patterns, and the stories behind the quilts.

Home Groan: Podcast

Sarah Bird reads her January column.

Behind the Lines: Podcast

Paul Burka reads January’s Behind the Lines: The Capitol Press Corpse

The Devil and Bob Bullock: Video

Dave McNeely discusses his book on the former lieutenant governor.

Bum Steers: Video

Donkeys in the courtroom, sexy chicken, and holy pizzas make for one weird year. Sometimes the jokes just write themselves. But sometimes they need a little help.

Straight Strait

Strait talk; Fort Worth takes stock; MLK in S.A.

What a Crockett!

There should be no mystery about the latest artifact of “history.”

North

Austin

The Devil and Bob Bullock

Whatever else you could say about him, he was who he was. He enjoyed a drink or three in daylight hours and had a tendency to grope first and ask questions later. But he was as revered as any pol before or since.

Contributors

C. F. Payne, Cecilia Ballí, and Gregory Curtis

Live From Austin TX

Little Grey Sheep

The Struggle Continues

The Capitol Press Corpse

Is it really time to pronounce the body?

How Can I Talk If My Lips Don’t Move?

Home Groan

One year (okay, two days) of livin’ la vida locavore.

Dan Bartlett

Dan Bartlett is upbeat about Iraq and ’08.

Up the Creek

Everyone in Austin loves sparkling Barton Creek—especially the developers.

Motion to Dismiss

Sharon Keller must go!

Keep it Simple

While researching spelling-bee star Samir Patel for my story “The Glorie of Defeet,” I came across references to a group that called themselves the Simplified Spelling Society. One segment of the group that picketed the Scripps bee sounded like an art mob with an anachronistic flair. “Spell Different Difrent,” read one sign. The Society’s Web site offers up questions like “Why do ‘they,’ ‘say,’ and ‘weigh’ rime?”

Coach Royal Regrets

Does Texas’ greatest college coach miss football? Nope.

The Silver Lining

Age is a matter of mind. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.

The Bloody Billion

Oh, how our legislators are moaning and groaning as they try to cut the state budget. But we’ve slashed, chopped, trimmed, pared, and whittles our way through it—and save $1 billion. It wasn’t that hard. Really.

Laurens Fish III

Funeral director.

Rain of Terror

Rain, rain, go away.

Grounds for Suspicion

Conspiring minds want to know …

The Terror of Tarrytown

How the owner of the first shopping center in Austin is destroying it—one banned candy bar at a time.

An Interview With Tim League and Karrie League

The founders of the Alamo Drafthouse chat about how the indie movie theater got its start.

Affirmative Reaction

The Pickup Basketball Diaries

It has its own language, a distinct culture, and codes and standards that transcend race and national identity. uls it’s ebhilarating—even in the Texas heat.

Br-u-u-ce!

A cyberpunk writer’s sterling career.

Roads to Nowhere

The myth of the NAFTA superhighway.

Low Talk

Where Microsft wants to go today.

Alternative Weakly

Texas newspapers go to war.

Getting His Kicks

He scored big for UT and four NFL teams; now Raul Allegre is back in the game with his weekly Spanish-language football show.

Swami Dearest

In the Hill Country, what was once the hallowed ranch of Walter Prescott Webb is now the sacred site of a mammoth new Hindu temple—and the home of a controversial ashram called Barsana Dham.

Walker, Texas Writer

Mary Willis Walker’s mysteries aren’t exactly original, but she crafts real moments of tension. That’s why they sell so well and win so many awards.

Border Music

A veteran filmmaker’s new documentary looks at the rich history of tejano.

Texas Twenty: Dealey Herndon

Dome, sweet dome.

LaFave Rave

Jimmy LaFave’s great new CD might propel him from Austin to the big time—if that were what he wanted.

A Killer Sequel

Sorry, Bob Dole. Austin director Robert Rodriguez’s follow-up to El Mariachi may be violent, but it’s also art.

Fee, Fie

Call Me Clevio

I had everything it took to win the Mr. Romance Cover Model pageant—except for the looks and the body.

Barton Springs Celebrants, Austin, 1990

Tiger’s Beat

An Austin attorney tears into the government’s case against a suspect in the Oklahoma City bombing.

No Limits

For twenty seasons Austin City Limits has been the elite soundstage of American popular music. And it keeps getting better.

A Fan’s Notes

For sixty years, Austinite Raymond Daum befriended Hollywood’s biggest stars. Now he’s selling off his memories.

Entrance of the Zapatista Army into San Cristobal, 1994

Word of Mouth

Never mind the bullocks, here’s Sincola: An Austin band tries to live up to the hype.

Net Worker

When Susan Hadden was murdered, the country lost a visionary thinker on the information highway and the Internet.

Darkness Audible

Shawn Colvin, the latest pop émigré to land in Austin, sets the record straight on her long and difficult road to stardom.

Bummers

Moving Pictures

Ausin’s Mark Bristol has made a name for himself turning Hollywood scripts into art.

Great Mexpectations

How will the Mexxico bailout affect Texxas? Experts say it’s just what we needed.

Roky Road

After years in his own strange world, sixties music icon Roky Erickson has emerged to cut a striking new record.

Lee Harvey’s Legacy

Rachel Oswald did not kill John F. Kennedy, but for more than three decades she has struggled to make peace with the darkest day in Texas history.

Tuna Salad Days

After fourtten years, 2,5000 performances, and innumerable one-liners, the theatrical careers of Joe Sears and Jaston Williams are going swimmingly.

Breaking the Bank

Gambling became a way of life for young Josh Levine. When he got in too deep, he came to believe that only a holdup could get him out.

Is MCC Obsolete?

Twelve years and hundreds of millions of dollars later, the vaunted Austin high-tech consortium is still struggling to find its purpose.

Carlos Brown Is a Hero (No Matter What He Says)

My best friend from high school is no longer the uncool, baseball-card-collecting goofball he once was. He’s a Navy surgeon and commander, and for two horrific weeks I got to watch him calmly and bravely save lives in wartime—not just Americans’ and not just soldiers’—in one of the most dangerous cities in Iraq.

North Toward Dome

The best way to visit the Capitol, the state’s grandest public building, is to take the 45-minute guided tour. But there is much more to see if you know what to look for, and I’m going to tell you precisely that.

Where to Eat Now 2007

Well, first and foremost, Dallas, since four of the year’s ten best new restaurants—including the top three—are there. But if you’re hip and hungry in Houston, Austin, or San Antonio, my list won’t disappoint.

The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster

West

Tex-Mex and The City

You didn’t think the fight over Austin’s Las Manitas was about a restaurant, did you?

Rollergirl: Totally True Tales from the Track

Now That’s Funny

Senior executive editor Paul Burka on editing Bum Steers.

Power Play

Executive editor S. C. Gwynne on researching the energy industry and writing about coal plants.

Cibo

Austin

Passing Grades

Grading the quarterbacks.

Andrew Shapter & Joel Rasmussen

Fumble!

Dim the Lights.

The Permanent Campaign

Elections disappear into the history books, but the buttons and matchbooks and posters that exhorted us to vote for one candidate or another live on in our memories—and in the personal collection of the state’s biggest political junkie.

Par Excellence

The best golf holes in Texas, according to the legends of the game.

Here Comes Trouble

Dan Patrick is causing nervous breakdowns of various size and duration—and he’s not even in the Texas Senate yet.

St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church

St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Austin.

Being There

Cold, Cold World

Your Biggest Fan

Murder Among the OWLS: A Sheriff Dan Rhodes Mystery

Sunset Limited

Alternadad

Horn ’Em, Hookers!

Texas versus Iowa State versus me.

The Horror! The Horror!

How my lifelong dream of writing a novel turned into a nightmare.

You Can Go Home Again

Come home, Dixie Chicks.

William Wayne Justice

A tip of the hat to risk-taking, barrier-breaking, establishment-tweaking Texans.

The Good Book and the Bad Book

When parents at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, in Austin—where the Capital City’s moneyed elite have educated their kids for more than fifty years—rebelled against the teaching of Brokeback Mountain, it was, you might say, a learning experience for everyone involved.

Main Squeeze Blues

Saying good-bye to my dear Phyllis was the hardest thing I’ve ever done—and losing her so suddenly didn’t make it any easier. But I know I’ll see her again someday.

96 Minutes

At 11:48 a.m. on August 1, 1966, Charles Whitman began firing his rifle from the top of the University of Texas Tower at anyone and everyone in his sights. At 1:24 p.m., he was gunned down himself. The lives of the people who witnessed the sniper’s spree firsthand would never be the same again.

Being a Cable TV Pundit

Mouth Paul Begala talks about … talking.

My Life As an Illegal

You’ve heard enough from the politicians and the activists, the demagogues and the bleeding hearts. Here’s my story. I only wish I could put my name on it. By Immigrant X

Water, Water Everywhere

From kayaking on Town Lake to mountain biking around Joe Pool Lake, from bass fishing on Lake Fork to horseback riding on the shores of Lake Whitney, here are some of our favorite things to do in, on, and around Texas lakes.

The Beat Goes On

Coronary artery disease is an old and much-hated enemy of mine. The beast attacked me without warning in 1988 as I strolled with my Airedales along Austin’s Shoal Creek hike-and-bike trail. Last November—sacre bleu!—it got me again.

Cop-out

Why is it so hard for cities like Austin to hire a police chief?

Reneé O’Connor

Yule Love It

My Willie

Willie Nelson and I have been friends for years, so why did I decide only now to make him a character in one of my mystery novels? The plot thickens.

Business • Michael Dell

Still plugged in.

Self-Promotion • Eddie Wilson

Man equals myth.

Film • Renée Zellweger

Ready for her close-up.

Health • Eric Moon-shong Tang

Smoking out the truth.

Literature • Angela Shelf Medearis

Doing the write thing.

Multimedia • Chris Roberts

The name of the gamer.

Body of Evidence

Who was Jesse James—really? And where is he buried?

Royal Blue

For decades, Bobby Bland has personified the definitive post–T-Bone Walker Texas R&B style. Even at 67, no one can dethrone him.

Ennis Racket

Folks

The boom in “outsider” art that began in New York, Chicago, and Atlanta has finally come to Texas, driven by true visionaries whose images conjure worlds that may have never existed but are invariably inhabitedby penetrating psychological truths.

Filling the Shoes

Where are Texas politics headed? To 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

CD and Book Reviews

Quiz Show

The Best Worst Legislators 1997

From Bush’s good try on property taxes to Bullock’s grand finale, from savvy Sadler to weaselly Wohlgemuth, from Duncan’s beginning to Howard’s end: Our sorting of the session’s standouts—best, worst, and in between.

“Boom” Is a Four-letter Word

No one will admit we’re in the middle of one, even as the economy surges. How come? Because the last time we had it this good, bragging only hastened the arrival of another four-letter word: “bust.”

Israel Hernandez

Lights! Camera! No Action!

CD and Book Reviews

Shock Therapy

By employing stereotypes like Sambo and Aunt Jemima, Austin painter Michael Ray Charles hopes to master the art of racial healing.

Nothing To It

Bolstered by his favorite phrase, my son Mark faced life with grace, dignity, and good humor. I knew he’d face death the same way.

CD and Book Reviews

State Fare

From Austin’s Eastside Cafe come three soups that will bowl you over.

Artbeat

Charting the state’s museum-building boom.

Death and Texas

After its recent facelift, the state cemetery has Texas luminaries just dying to get in.

Mission Accomplished

Drawing Conclusions

Bill, Due

After more than two decades in the movie business—including star turns in Apollo 13, Twister, and now his own Traveller—Fort Worth’s Bill Paxton is finally getting what’s coming to him.

5,707 Schmoozers, 750 Bands, 29 Musical Cars, and 250 Gallons of Cream Gravy

That was the recipe for this year’s South by Southwest Music and Media Conference. Here’s how it all cooked up.

Jaci Velasquez

Katherine the Great

Indian Creek native Katherine Anne Porter is the finest author ever to come out of Texas. But only recently has her home state stopped writing her off.

Teen Idol

The career of Austin young-adult writer Rob Thomas is going through a growth spurt.

Milligan’s Island

With his resounding voice and striking appearance, Austin’s Malford Milligan stands out in a sea of Texas soul singers.

Not Much Left

The Texas Observer could be on its last legs (again).

Marathon Man

Let Them Read Shrake

Babes in the ’Hoods

Thought the competition between Texas cities was over? Until my daughter was born in Dallas and a friend’s was born in Austin, so did I.

Did You Hear the One About The New Aggies?

They overcame politics, poverty, isolation, and Old Aggies to make Texas A&M the state’s academic powerhouse.

Patrick Curry, Luis Borromeo, and Richard Worley

Bill Paxton

Kick-Ash

An Austin filmmaker hopes to be the next Sundance kid.

A Star Is Reborn

A year after Kris Kristofferson’s standout role in Lone Star, Hollywood is still marveling over his comeback. He is too. by Gary Cartwright

The Last Ride of the Polo Shirt Bandit

William Guess seemed to be an ordinary man: He had a wife and three children and owned his own business. So why did he become the most prolific bank robber in Texas history?

Texas History 101

LBJ’s most important election wasn’t the presidential race he won. It was the Senate campaign he lost.

Perfect 10

The reviews of the Vince Young show are in—and, of course, they’re all raves. Gary Cartwright and Bud Shrake argue that the Texas quarterback is the best ever but wonder if his throwing motion is an obstacle to NFL greatness. Plus: Mack vs. “Delbert.”

Ink Big

Social Problem

The killer cadets and a lack of respect. Plus: Weighing in on wildlife.

Hill  Bent

Mike Judge plays King of the Hill .

Guarded

Private prisons lock out the press.

True Believer

Few Austin musicians have been as close to stardom, and unable to reach it, as Alejandro Escovedo. But for him, fame has never really been the point.

Tex Rated

summary: What’s the best hotel in Texas? (Hint: It’s not the Mansion on Turtle Creek).

CD and Book Reviews

The Ice Bats Cometh

Even when they’re not winning games, minor league hockey teams like Austin’s are winning fans by the thousands. Who’d have thought skaters would score in Texas?

Vanity Farrah

All she did was walk into the bar, sit down, and smile. But I knew right away why, even at age fifty, Farrah Fawcett is still an angel.

Bob Schieffer

New Deli

It started as a hippie sandwich shop in Austin. Now, more than two decades later, Schlotzsky’s is finally kicking the competition in the buns.

Smokin’!

Sowing the seeds of the hemp craze.

War Stories

Lars Attacks!

Why Texas’ best-known homeless writer is back on the streets.

CD and Book Reviews

Disc Golf

Down on the Drag

Panhandling, digging through dumpsters for food, roaming the streets near the University of Texas campus: This is the life of Austin’s “gutter punks,” homeless kids with little money and even less hope.

Stephen Herek

Rock Star

Bob Ragan’s nationally renowned, intricately detailed stone carvings have a distinctly European look. Is it any wonder he lives in a place called Florence?

Beaming

Beaming over a new aircraft landing device.

Ball Player

Skip, a Beat

CD and Book Reviews

Proving Their Medal

Bread Winners

Upper-crust bakers in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin are turning out heavenly handmade loaves that make store-bought seem stale by comparison.

Blown Away

Ninety-four years after the Goliad Tornado killed 114 people, why do we still ignore the warnings until it’s too late? A reflection on Texas’ worst twisters.

Grander Tour

The Hill Country is in—but what’s in the Hill Country? Plus: Texas’ top drug lawyer in the court of public opinion.

The Hole Story

Austin’s Butthole Surfers have always been very strange. But these days, the strangest thing about them is their mainstream respectability.

Junior Achievement

Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Jerry Jeff Walker—and now Junior Brown? The former community college teacher is the latest outlaw to hijack Texas country music, and he may be the greatest.

Marcia Gay Harden

The Tort Tax

No high diving boards at public pools. No cameras in operating rooms. All this and more, thanks to lawyers.

L. T. Felty

Invisible Incas

Before my tortuous trek through the Peruvian Andes to Machu Picchu, I was told I’d be changed by the experience. And, indeed, the spirits moved me.

CD and Book Reviews

Signs of the Seers

The world-famous rock art of the Lower Pecos has long left scholars in awe—and in the dark. Now a group of Texas archaeologists has unlocked the sacred secrets of the ancient shamans.

The Great Texas Prison Mess

Something stinks in the Department of Criminal Justice, and it’s a lot more than VitaPro. A special report on the worst state scandal in decades.

Holy Cacao!

Introducing El Rey, the Venezuelan chocolate that is wowing chefs everywhere, thanks to the efforts of a Texan with a taste for treats.

Arlo Eisenberg

Mitch Pileggi

7th Heaven

What do Monty Python, the Lion King, Ace Ventura, and Howie Mandel have in common? They’re all part of 7th Level’s strategy to marry show biz with the computer-game biz.

Blow by Blow

The art of throwing punches, the science of skipping rope, and other reasons why boxing is a hit with me.

Right On

Primary color: Dole on a roll, a report card for the Religious Right, and other fallout from Election Day.

Fed Up

We take aim at five Texas militias.

The Far Right Stuff

Wyatt Roberts says he’s simply crusading against sin, but critics contend that the Christian activist is trying to usher in a new era in Texas: the anti-gay nineties.

The Buckle Stops Here

CD and Book Reviews

Death and Texas

Cool Hand Lukas

Austinite Lukas Haas is back on the big screen alongside Winona Ryder, Julia Roberts, and Jack Nicholson. For now, though, he isn’t letting Hollywood go to his head.

Wafer Madness

Inside a state-of-the-art semiconductor factory, a day’s work is never done, as technicians race to build smaller, faster, and more-powerful computer chips.

Buckle Up

The rodeo belt buckle is prized by cowboys and collectors alike. By the look of these handcrafted samples, it’s easy to see why.

Renée Zellweger

Don Baylor

Not a Pretty Picture

Dallas and Houston have done it; Beaumont and Corpus Christi have too. So why hasn’t Austin built a respectable art museum? It comes down to three things: money, management, and mission.

Crying Wolf

Who hated our stories on why we hate lawyers? Lawyers, of course.

Fishy

The Barton Springs salamander goes to court.

Spiel Burg

A Spielberg-backed cyberguide comes to Texas.

Seeing Stars

Nye Anxiety

His Time to Kill

He shone in Lone Star; now he’s thrilling ’em in A Time to Kill. How talent and timing made native Texan Matthew McConaughey Hollywood’s hottest leading man.

Stephen Stills

A Whitman Sampler

Thirty years later, the legacy of Charles Whitman’s shooting spree at the University of Texas still towers above us.

In God We Bust

Since the late eighties, dozens of big churches in Texas have put rapid growth ahead of financial health. Austin’s Great Hills Baptist is only the latest to pay the price.

Darrell Royal

What is Darrell Royal’s code name, and what does his middle initial stand for?

Law • Cheryl Hopwood

Sins of admission.

Education • Charles Miller

Head of the class.

Theater • Lou Diamond Phillips

It’s good to be King.

Food • John Mackey

Ace in the Whole.

Gruene Peace

A historic dance hall, the cypress-shaded Guadalupe, a couple of rustic inns: A great weekend getaway awaits you less than an hour from Austin and San Antonio.

Grand Parent

The Spin Doctor Is Out

Being a political consultant had its high points. I helped candidates win elections, traveled around the world, and worked side by side with James Carville and Dick Morris. But campaigns kept sinking to pathetic new lows, which is why I finally had to quit the game.

Reading Laura Bush

Thanks to her fight against illiteracy, the first lady of Texas is getting more attention than most of her predecessors— and much more than she’d like.

Beer Necessities

To survive at a time of heady demand for craft brews, the mid-sized Spoetzel and Celis breweries have partnered with major corporations. Still, they’re keeping their local flavor.

It Ain’t Over Till It’s Overbeek

The 1998 Bum Steer Awards

A year of altered antlers, bawdy broadcasters, comedian corrections, dining detectives, emancipated emus, fossilized felines, gullible Gore, hemline harassment, insatiable igniters, jazzed-up jewelry, Kay’s kennelwear, lottery loonies, metric madness, numerous nudes, 007 oenophiles, poultry protesters, questionable quizzes, revengeful revenuers, Spam slingers, tie tirades, unallowed uniforms, variant videotapers, warning! water, x-humed x-mascots, yanked Yvonne, and zodiac zombies.

Who killed the Texas Democratic party?

Primary Color

Handicapping the Republican primary: Will far-right might carry the day?

Toad Warriors

Banks a Lot

The Great, Late Townes Van Zandt

More than a year after his death, he’s still being remembered as the best Texas songwriter of his time. This month’s star-studded Austin City Limits tribute shows why.

The Pitch

To be a truly major player in the ad game, GSD&M needed a car account. When Mazda’s came up for review, the brash Austinites sprang into action.

Primary Cullers

CD and Book Reviews

The Contender

He may soon compete for the super featherweight championship of the world, but for now Austin boxer Jesus Chavez is in the fight of his life—with federal immigration officials.

Kid Stuff

My literary mentor warned me not to write about my children. So why did I? Because I had to.

Greg Germann

The Boosters—Nancy Schafer, Barbara Morgan, and Marsha Milam

Their film festivals are one of the state’s feature presentations.

The Subversive—Mike Judge

Could he be Texas film’s new king of the hill?

The Power Couple—Robert Rodriguez and Elizabeth Avellan

A match made in heaven and blessed by Hollywood.

The Fan—Harry Knowles

The studios’ inside info? He Knowles it all.

The Starlet—Sandra Bullock

Speeding toward her new life in Austin.

Hot Plates!

Recipe for a great new cookbook: Combine a celebrated chef, a veteran food writer, and an innovative approach to contemporary Tex-Mex; serve.

We Are the World

Want to see Kuwait, Iowa, and Washington, D.C.? Go to El Paso, Austin, and Houston.

Glory Days

Texas high school football may be in decline, but filmmakers still want to play.

Hooray for Hollywood, Texas

The players. The stories. A special report on our booming film business.

Family Values

Best Feet Forward

When Austinite Paul Carrozza says he doesn’t like a running shoe, the shoe companies listen- and so do hordes of running enthusiasts in Texas and around the country, who know him to be the sport’s newest guru.

Write On!

UT’s writing program achieves Texas-size success.

Pa Ferguson

Why was the former governor Pa Ferguson nicknamed Farmer Jim?

CD and Book Reviews

Hot CDs and Hot Books

Dove Shoot

Ten years after the filming of the miniseries Lonesome Dove, screenwriter Bill Wittliff shares his photographic memories of life on the set.

Plane Spoken

The man who runs Continental Airlines is a rough-and-tumble Navy ex who talks more like a maintenance man than a corporate chief-but Gordon Bethune knows what he’s doing, and he gets results.

Bond Plays On

The latest, unlikely inheritor of the James Bond franchise is Texan Raymond Benson, whose new book is out this month. Guess where it takes 007.

Situation Wanted

Aquaman

An Austinite’s aquatic adventure.

Radio Daze

Gary Mauro’s bad spell.

CD and Book Reviews

The Handmades’ Tale

These twelve Texas artisans herald the victory of man over machine, carefully crafting wood, metal, or stone into items for your home and hearth that are tomorrow’s heirlooms today.

Sci-fi Fo Fum

Texas is filled with giants in the science-fiction field these days, but none loom larger than Bruce Sterling and Michael Moorcock.

Off With the Show

An epilogue to Austin Stories: Why did MTV cancel the critically acclaimed slacker sitcom?

State Fare

Salads, they do get weary, wearing that same shabby dressing. And when they get weary, Thai Spice says, try a little tenderloin.

Slammin’

Poetry slammers descend on Austin.

Unconventional

From Lee Otis Johnson’s arrest to Ben Barnes’s ascent, 1968 was a hell of a year in Texas.

Less Is Mauro

Barring a miracle, Garry Mauro will lose to George W. Bush in this November’s gubernatorial election. So why is he acting like a winner?

Cecil Winzer, Eben Miller, Rex Staples, and Frank Livaudais

Watch Out

Advice for the new coaches of the Dallas Cowboys and the UT Longhorns.

The Bucks Stop Here

Who gave—and to whom—in this year’s big statewide races.

War Is Hell

Why the Austin American-Stateman’s film critic is under seige.

CD and Book Reviews

FASHION • Tom Ford

Man makes the clothes.

MUSIC • Shawn Colvin

Grammy came home.

WHISTLE-BLOWER • Jennifer Long

Auditing the IRS.

Lori Heuring

Success by Design

At Texas’ top industrial design firm, the old style-versus-substance debate is a nonstarter: Why choose when you can have both?

Scorched Earth

This summer’s hot topic? Weather.

CD and Book Reviews

Two for Texas

Candidates Rick Perry and John Sharp donÕt agree on much, but they both say the race for lieutenant governor is the most important one on the ballot this fall. They’re right.

Running Right

Forget about the hair (and the tattoos). Ricky Williams has his head screwed on straight, which is why he’s still playing football at the University of Texas.

Joel Coen

Richard Linklater

The prison affected me personally. I grew up parking cars at the prison rodeo. I had a stepfather who was a prison guard.

The Lost City

A few of the streets near what used to be downtown have familiar names, but Arlington has mutated into a disconnected clump of shopping malls, cul-de-sacs, and gated communities, faceless, soulless neighborhoods that give urban sprawl a bad name.

Embarrassment of Riches

At Westlake, even if your parents wouldn’t spring for Ralph Lauren, you could still work your way into the in crowd.

D.C. Dud

A former Austin, Dallas, and Houston official is under fire in the nation’s capital.

Folk Hero

He’s one of the most influential men in American music. So why haven’t you heard of Alan Lomax?

CD and Book Reviews

Luann Williams

The End

Serial killer Kenneth McDuff’s victims are unearthed, and he gets his due (we hope).

CD and Book Reviews

The Man Who Wasn’t There

Who gives a hoot about an owlish auteur with nary a directing credit in twenty years? All of Hollywood, that’s who—which is why Austinite Terrence Malick’s The Thin Red Line is the most anticipated film of the season.

Love Stories

Everything I Could Ever Tell You About Writing a Novel

A few novel ideas.

State of Dysfunction

Three Austin boys + the hatred and intolerance of their Boys State experience = a lesson in today’s democracy.

Familia Feud

In Laredo, a conservative revolution is upending the city’s old patronage politics.

Morris the Catch

Dick Morris’ other other woman.

CD and Book Reviews

King of Diamonds

The Race of His Life

When a world-class athlete like Austin’s Lance Armstrong gets cancer, it’s a shock—for him, and for every man who has ever considered himself invincible.

Border Bargains

We’ve found thirty shops just across the Rio Grande where you can buy everything from hand-carved furniture to whimsical walking sticks. The quality is high, the prices are right, and you don't have to pay in pesos.

Pace on Earth

If you’ve seen a Kiss concert, a truck and tractor pull, or Miss Saigon recently, you can thank Houston’s Pace Entertainment for the privilege—and for the price you paid.

Next of Kinski

CD and Book Reviews

The Eyes of Texas Are Upon Him

And why wouldn’t they be? As the head coach of the UT football team, Mack Brown is responsible for the way millions of Texans feel every day.

Color Commentary

With this year’s induction of Seguin native Smokey Joe Williams, one fourth of the Negro Leaguers in baseball’s hall of fame are Texans. Unfortunately, there may not be any more.

Speed, Queen

Austin painter Julie Speed is the latest ascendant to the ranks of art royalty. Talk about a brush with greatness.

His Fantastic Four

Meet the superheroes of George W. Bush’s campaign for the presidency: a quartet of brainy advisers who are helping him to refine and sell his ideas on the economy, foreign policy, and the like.

The Dominator

Remembering the real Bob Bullock.

“Friedman’s Just Another Word for Nothing Left to Lose”

The Kinky-for-governor circus pulls into Galveston.

Buy George?

The book (make that books) on George W. Bush.

Jake Andrews

The Johnson Treatment

Don Graham rereads The Gay Place.

Back to the Future

Forget the critically panned Instinct, which was “suggested by” his novel Ishmael. Houston’s Daniel Quinn wants you to know what he really thinks about the modern world.

Garden Variety

From antique benches to cast-iron planters, a selective guide to the yard art of your dreams.

The Spying Game

How the war in Kosovo turned an Austin online company into the Lone Star State Department.

Américo Paredes

Which Américo Paredes book was made into a movie starring Edward James Olmos?

Has Gramm Had His Phil?

Is Phil Gramm out of gas (and oil)?

CD and Book Reviews

CDs by the Jiménez brothers, the Old 97’s, and Lee Hazlewood; books by Joni Rodgers and Scott Zesch.

East Toward Home

The Town Lake soccer fields in Austin, shopping at Kathleen Sommers in San Antonio, sunsets in Big Bend: Good-bye to all that and (sniff) a whole lot more.

The W. Nobody Knows

He’s irreverent and unself-conscious, and that’s not all.

George, Washington

His days as a “loyalty thermometer” in the nation’s capital.

Not So Great in ‘78

How his one and only loss shaped his view of politics.

Go East, Young Man

What he learned about himself at Andover and Yale.

Rip Torn

Steady Shawn

Current Affair

Why electricity is a supercharged political issue. Plus: Who cares about the Democrats running for U.S. Senate?

Race Value

Rating our primary concerns.

Walser Across Texas

Beloved by bubbas and the Butthole Surfers alike, 350-pound yodeler Don Walser is country’s current cross-generational king of cool.

CD and Book Reviews

The best books and CDs from Texas.

Pen Pals

Dobie, Bedichek, and Webb were the leading Texas writers and intellectuals of their age. But as ribald raconteurs, they were ahead of their time.

Major Barbara

Barbara Jordan saw herself not as a black politician but as a politician who happened to be black—and that was one of the things that made her great.

Colum McCann

Texas Food Conquers the World!

How to cook up a culinary craze: Mix talented chefs, native ingredients, classical techniques, and good publicity. Name result “Southwestern.” Let spread across globe.

Johnny Angel

Little Boy Lost

From the moment he first held a guitar pick, Charlie Sexton was said to be on the road to stardom, but high praise and high cheekbones haven’t kept him from stumbling along the way.

Unreal Estate

Celebrity land deals—not.

Texas, Paris

Two mythic cultures, one great love affair: How France has taken us to heart.

Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson

Power to the People

With its cut-rate knockoffs of Apple’s Macintosh line, Austin’s Power Computing hopes to surpass Compaq and Dell as Texas’ top clone shop.

Walken Tall

Water Grab

Why farmers and big-city folk are at war over water. Plus: Jane Nelson for comptroller?

Long Shot

Feasting our eyes on a blind team roper.

Not Playing Around

Paving the way for girls in cyberspace.

Drag.net

When futuristic felons invade their midst, Austin’s computer firms know whom to call: the city’s high-tech police unit, which is building its reputation chip by chip.

Good-bye to a Friend

The 1996 Bum Steer Awards

A year of Anna’s antics, biker Barbara, capsized chiles, Davidians defined, expensive electricity, futile freebies, Gramm gossip, helpful hurricanes, insect ingestion, jousting jurors, king-size kindergartens, lottery litigation, Microsoft misprints, naughty nonagenarians, ostracized Oilers, punching princes, questionable quenching, romantic rhinos, sanctified shooters, topless trading, unfriendly unionists, vetoed vagrants, weird wine, X-posed X-presidents, yaklike yearnings, and zilched zoos.

Abra Moore

Pug

He asked me if I was going to be white my whole life. I was, of course. But because of our friendship, I’m no longer the clueless upper-middle-class kid I once was.

Me and Him

Once upon a time I thought it was cool to question God’s existence. Not anymore.

Whole Sales

CD and Book Reviews

Has Madalyn Murray O’Hair Met Her Maker?

Officially, the most famous atheist in the world is still missing. But the feds think she’s dead, and they think they know where her body is. They also think they know who’s responsible. And he says he didn’t do it.

This Year’s Remodel

After watching their business districts wither away as companies set up shop in the suburbs, Texas cities and towns are banding together to fight back.

What She Deserves

Ten years ago she was the Next Big Thing. She still is. Meet Kelly Willis all over again.

CD and Book Reviews

Lucinda Williams

Fix the Roof

A case for the parks.

Take Note

Texas-friendly tips for watching the Grammys

CD and Book Reviews

The Ex Files

Dan Rather Retorting

“My hope has always been, for all my flaws and weaknesses, that people will say this: ‘He wanted to be a reporter and he is.’ I think they know that I love this country.” And other reflections on retirement from the broadcast-news icon turned right-wing punching bag.

Star Woes

Chris Roberts shoots for a new set of stars.

He’s Daniel Johnston, And He Was Gonna Be Famous

He was, for a while, and look what happened: Today one of the great songwriters in the alternative-rock universe is a 44-year-old manic-depressive living with his parents in Waller. And the worst thing about it is, he’s about to be famous again.

CD and Book Reviews

CompuSoap

An Austin soap opera goes online.

Sign of the Times

The New York Times takes on Texas—again.

You Can’t Go Home Again

Folk singer Nanci Griffith thinks the Texas media have been mistreating her. The way she’s fighting back guarantees her trouble with the press isn’t going away.

Deep Dish

Which Hollywood legend is “the bitch of all time”? Which comedienne’s daughter was a dope addict by age fourteen and came to Houston to get unhooked? Texas’ top gossips tell all.

Dome Improvement

How I’ll change life at the Capitol as governor. (Hint: Spaying is involved.)

State Secrets

State Fare

Why does the grilled lamb loin at Austin’s Bitter End taste so good? Harissa explains it all.

Screen Gem

Austin’s most independent-minded director.

Rainpower

A rain windfall in the Hill Country

Quick-Change Artist

So what if consistency is the hallmark of the record business? As the chameleonlike career of Darden Smith suggests, you can go your own way.

He’s Nude, Dude!

The naked truth about Matthew McConaughey.

¡Bravo!

A new exhibit in San Marcos pays homage to Manuel Alvarez Bravo, the grandfather of Mexican photography, and the generations of fotógrafos who followed his lead.

Reality Bytes

Origin Systems founder Richard Garriott has sometimes lived his life like a computer game, but now that the multimedia industry is changing, he can’t play around anymore.

The Shot Not Heard Round the World

Elmo Henderson’s entire life story can be summed up in a single moment: when he stepped into the ring in San Antonio one night in 1972 and knocked out Muhammad Ali. At least that’s the way he tells it. And tells it.

Cutting Deep

A year after state legislators kicked tens of thousands of children off the taxpayer-funded health insurance rolls, our biggest public-policy problem has reached crisis proportions. And the bleeding shows no signs of letting up.

And Justice for Some

How the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals mistakes toughness for fairness—and gives the state a black eye.

One School Left Behind

Austin's Garza High is a rescuer of lost souls. Too bad President Bush's education-reform law considers it a failure.

Statues of Limitations

A bronze likeness of a Texas heroine will soon appear in downtown Austin—and with it, no doubt, an unnecessary controversy.

Road Warrior

"There were a lot of wild nights, people taking us in and offering us whatever they had. There were a lot of those 'offerings.'"

City Girl

"I moved to Austin in 1974, and it was this kind of magical place. The whole alternative culture controlled the town."

Spoon at a Fork

According to Time, the Austin rock-pop trio Spoon "just might be your next favorite band." But Britt Daniel and the boys have been burned by such pronouncements before, so this time they’re carefully considering their options—and, as always, putting their music first.

Happening

Where to Eat Now 2004

Now serving: the best new restaurants in Texas, including a glamorous international kitchen in Dallas, a hot sushi spot in Austin, and—the best of them all—a drop-dead room with a globe-trotting menu in Houston.

Duke of Dunbar

That would be 75-year-old Robert Hughes, who has amassed more victories while coaching in Fort Worth than anyone in high school basketball history. For most people, that would be enough.

Artistic Musings

Author Gregory Curtis talks about Paris, impressions, and the Venus de Milo.

Horns Aplenty

Will this be the year that the University of Texas Longhorns—the most talented college football team in the country—win their first national title since 1970? Yes. Hook ’em.

The Coming of Redneck Hip

Rock and Country music met in Austin. That friendship may make the state.

I, the Juror

As a "recovering" attorney with a mixed record at picking juries, I always wondered what made them tick. After receiving a summons this year, I'm still deliberating.

A Good Mango Is Hard to Find

Unless you’re Susana Trilling, who taught me how to prepare traditional Oaxacan dishes at her cooking school in Mexico. This month she’ll teach you too—right here in Texas.

Picture This

The Austin Museum of Art tries to right itself, again.

So What's the Truth About Dan Morales and Tobacco?

It's the question on everyone's mind now that the former attorney general is suddenly running for governor. The answer could determine whether his political prospects go up in smoke.

Bill Broyles, as Ever, at War

Baytown wunderkind. Officer in Vietnam. Founding editor of this magazine. A-list screen writer. With a resume this stellar, you'd think he'd be satisfied. Not even close.

Breaking Away

The story behind this month's cover story, "Lance Armstrong Has Something to Get Off His Chest."

Lance Armstrong Has Something to Get Off His Chest

As he readies himself for this summer's Tour de France, the two-time winner is battling allegations in Europe and elsewhere that he uses performance-enhancing drugs. He insists he is clean. But proving that is turning out to be one of his toughest challenges yet. He doesn't use performance-enhancing drugs, he insists, no matter what his critics in the European press and elsewhere say. And yet the accusations keep coming. How much scrutiny can the two-time Tour de France winner stand? A lot—which is a good thing, since he's heading back up that hill again.

Bum Deal

Executive editor Paul Burka and senior editor Anne Dingus tell the story behind January's cover story, "The 2001 Bum Steer Awards".

Video Killers

Why the state's programmers are voting for gore.

Poster Boy

Artist Frank Kozik has been called a "rock-poster genius," creating jarring, macabre images for bands like the Butthole Surfers and Sonic Youth. So why did he leave Austin for San Francisco seven years ago? He had his designs.

Hall of Justice

Although Texans from Scott Joplin to Jack Teagarden have made noteworthy contributions to the history of jazz, a music form that may be our country's greatest artistic achievement, they are all but forgotten now. It's high time Texas did something about that.

Under the Gun

Nine years after the brutal murder of four teenage girls in a yogurt shop rocked the city of Austin, the police say they have finally caught the killers. But they have no evidence and no witnesses—only two confessions that the defendants say were coerced. Which is why, when the case goes to trial in February, the cops will be on trial too.

Empathy Note

George W.'s endgame.

Unhappy Trails

Although they hate to let anyone get away with murder, Harris County detectives Harry Fikaris and Roger Wedgeworth are finding that cracking unsolved cases is no easy task.

Dabney Coleman

The curtain rises on Dabney Coleman.

Y2Kay

Is Kay Bailey Hutchison plotting a run for Governor? And other questions about Texas politics in the new millennium.

State Fare

A cake that gets to the heart of the batter from Austin’s Rather Sweet Bakery.

Hot Sauce

How the Stubb's barbecue empire outlasted the death of its namesake—and proved that spice guys sometimes finish first.