Articles

This Documentary Understands the Stakes of the Energy Business

Rachel Bonyton's film "Big Men" follows Dallas oilman Jim Musselman as he contracts with the government of Ghana to find and develop the first oil field in that country.

Spotlight Asia: Cocktails and Cultural Fusions

On April 4, Asia Society Texas Center lights up the night again with their third annual event in Houston. Visit asiasociety.org to learn more.

The Return of Mike Judge

The Office Space director, often considered “ahead of his time,” couldn’t have timed the premiere of his new show, Silicon Valley, any better.

When Puppies Go to Prison, They Stay Good for Life

Inmates at two women's prisons in Texas train service dogs for veterans through Patriot Paws, a Rockwall-based nonprofit.

A Shindig for Alamaniacs

Every March, Alamo obsessives—including historians, re-enactors, and collectors—flock to Joan Headley's annual Alamo party, now in its 17th year.

The Lodge Resort & Spa in Cloudcroft Sweepstakes

Winner will receive the Enchantment Package from The Lodge Resort & Spa in Cloudcroft, which includes a two-night stay in a luxury suite, breakfast and chateaubriand dinner for two, couples massage, a premium bottle of sparkling wine, and a welcome gift.For complete rules and regulations, click

Sweepstakes Rules: The Lodge Resort & Spa in Cloudcroft

Winner will receive the Enchantment Package from The Lodge Resort & Spa in Cloudcroft, which includes a two-night stay in a luxury suite, breakfast and chateaubriand dinner for two, couples massage, a premium bottle of sparkling wine, and a welcome gift. RULES & REGULATIONS FOR THIS CONTEST: ENTRY

Sweepstakes Rules: The Lodge Resort & Spa in Cloudcroft

18 (More) Things to Know About Rob Thomas and Veronica Mars

A guide for first-timers and Marshmallows alike before the film's release on March 14.

Sweepstakes Rules: Houston International Festival

Prize package includes: -Four (4) Global Passport Lounge tickets -Each Passport ticket includes admission to the festival on all four festival days (April 26, April 27, May 3 and May 4) -Access for (4) to the Passport Lounge each day of the festival -A seated, shaded area with a great

12 Texas Bands to Watch at SXSW

Of the 2,200 acts playing 110 stages over six days, nearly 450 are from Texas. Here's who to watch.

Old News: An Illustrated Look at Curious Headlines From a Bygone Era

In this installment, the missus of a sheep farmer visits Waco—as a mister.

The Texas Housing Boom

Infographic illustration by Luke Shuman. Click to enlarge.April may be the cruelest month, but not for the housing market, which always picks up this time of year, as families try to settle in to new homes before the fall semester. And this year’s real estate season

Moontower Comedy Fest Sweepstakes

   Winner will receive two FAN Badges, which include:-One 4-day pass to the festival -Downtown parking at One American Center every night of festival -Access to artist/VIP lounge every night of fest -Access to Festival Kick-off Party -Access to Festival Wrap party -Access to Moontower sponsored after-show

Sweepstakes Rules: Moontower Comedy Festival

Winner will receive two FAN Badges, which include: -One 4-day pass to the festival -Downtown parking at One American Center every night of festival -Access to artist/VIP lounge every night of fest -Access to Festival Kick-off Party -Access to Festival Wrap party -Access to Moontower sponsored after-show mix and mingles

Case Study

An epic year of reporting.

Press Start to Begin?

It’s taken more than a decade, but Texas has established itself as a major hub for the video game industry. But how big a player can the state become?

The Younger Years of the Church Elders

Sean Morris and Ryan Ringnald, both in their late twenties, are leaders of the conservative, 90-person Church of Wells, which many consider to be a cult. This doesn't come as a surprise to a number of peers who knew them during their college years at Baylor.

Home Making

The lonely, calloused, plaster-caked ballad of the do-it-yourself renovator.

Is SXSW’s Technology Festival Too Big to Be Truly Interactive?

Some South by Southwest Interactive participants say the event has become more of a celebrity affair than a technology conference.

Let’s Discuss “Downton”

"Manor of Speaking" unpacks each new episode of the critically-acclaimed Masterpiece Classic series and has quickly become Houston PBS's most popular locally-produced show.

This Minor League Basketball Team From the Valley Is Going to Transform the NBA

If there’s ever a tamal shortage in McAllen, it might be the Rio Grande Valley Vipers’ fault. The Houston Rockets’ minor league affiliate has always made a fair amount of three-point shots, so before the current season, local institution Delia’s Tamales sponsored a promotion: any time the Vipers hit

The Best Little Magazine Party in Texas

  A rare live episode of the Longform Podcast with all three hosts—Aaron Lammer, Max Linsky and Evan Ratliff—interviewing a trio of legendary Texan magazine writers. Longtime Texas Monthly executive editors Pamela Colloff and Mimi Swartz were both recipients of National Magazine Awards from ASME last year. (Read Pam’s winning

Sweepstakes Rules: Sugar Land Wine & Food Affair

Prize package includes 2 VIP Passes valid for the Sugar Land Wine & Food Affair valid for: -The Grand Tasting, April 25 -Sip & Stroll at Imperial, April 26 -Bistro Brunch, April 27 Winner will also receive a two-night stay at the beautiful Sugar Land Marriott hotel. Each event features

Home-Grown Fine Dining

Texas restaurants are some of the hottest in the country, and also some of the most down-to-earth. Literally.

Coming to Our Census

Former state demographer Steve H. Murdock is back, with a book that should be required reading for all 26,060,796 of us.

Agate Ranch + Marfa

Making jewelry, one rock at a time.

The Generation Gap

Was deregulating the Texas electricity markets a colossal mistake?

A High-Profile District Attorney’s Second Act as a Television Personality

Kelly Siegler uses the skills she honed in a two-decade-plus career in the Harris County district attorney’s office to solve cold cases on the TNT show “Cold Justice.”

What’s the Next Chapter for the FLDS Ranch?

If the church doesn’t appeal a ruling that allows the seizure of the 1,600-acre ranch in Eldorado, it could become property of the state. What will Texas do with the infamous compound?

The Lone Survivor Helps Vets Carry On

This year, Marcus Luttrell's Lone Survivor Foundation will offer more therapy-intensive retreats to help vets transition to post-military life than ever before.

When Prisoners Read Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment, It’s Pretty Powerful

The deeper politics of the novel still resonate—especially with inmates—nearly 150 years since it was published.

Bernie Returns!

Bernie Tiede, the Carthage man whose story of shooting the town's richest widow inspired a movie, may be walking free next week.

A Glimpse Into Michael Brown’s Collection of Oddities

Hundreds of people pawed through an extensive collection of guns and taxidermied animals owned by the infamous hand surgeon, who killed himself last year. It was just another spectacle in the long-running circus that defined Brown's life—and death.

Sweepstakes Rules: Tucson

Prize package includes a two-night stay in the luxurious Mt. Vista guestroom at Omni Tucson National Resort, breakfast for two, and golf for two on one of two championship golf courses.RULES & REGULATIONS FOR THIS CONTEST: ENTRY DEADLINE: February 24, 2014Rules & Regulations 1) You do not need

For Deborah Murphey, Free Living Is Hard Living

Six years ago, the State of Georgia sent U.S. marshals to Murphey’s home in Frankston, Texas, to take her back to the prison she’d escaped from 33 years earlier. That didn’t work. But now the state has another plan.

Exoneree Anthony Graves Asks the State Bar to Discipline the Man Who Prosecuted Him

Graves will formally ask the State Bar of Texas to take action against Charles Sebesta, the former district attorney who sent him to death row.

When Writers Write About Writers

In his new book, James Magnuson, the head of the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas at Austin, skewers (lovingly) the people who attend programs like the one he directs.

My First Willie

Somehow I lived in Texas more than twenty years without seeing Willie Nelson. This had to end.

Ten Ways Caring for a Parent Is Like Raising a Toddler

If you have kids, being a caregiver to an elderly parent may feel a bit familiar.

Sinners in the Hands

Twenty-seven-year-old Catherine Grove is a member of a small, insular, and eccentric church in East Texas. Her parents think she’s being brainwashed. She insists she’s being saved.

Dreaming in the Dark

Nearly everything about moviegoing has changed since I first fell in love with the big screen as a kid. But my ardor remains.

High-Fiber Duet

The competition between Google and AT&T to bring ultra-high-speed Internet to Austin is not exactly what it seems.

Listen Up: Seven New Albums to Ring in 2014

Don't miss these new releases by Texas recording artists.

Keeping Lawsuits “Friendly”

The oil boom is back, so it stands to reason that other affectations of Oil Patch abundance wouldn’t be far behind. Like the “friendly lawsuit.”

14 Predictions about 2014

What’s Ahead for Rick Perry, Ted Cruz, George Strait, Jerry Jones and other Texans.

Why Was This Prosecutor Never Punished?

Anthony Graves was wrongfully convicted of capital murder in a trial where the prosecutor, Charles Sebesta, withheld evidence that could have helped prove Graves’s innocence. So why hasn’t Sebesta been held accountable for his egregious misconduct?

Cutting Classes

How budget cuts are affecting the number of open teaching positions in our public schools.

Texas Caviar

A tasty way to bring good fortune.

The Ring and I

The lessons of a family heirloom.