Film & TV
March 14, 2024
Jesse Plemons’s 13 Most Unforgettable Roles
Martin Scorsese, Kirsten Dunst, and other collaborators on what makes the Texas-born actor so in demand.
Arts & Entertainment
Film & TV
March 13, 2024
Border Pundits Need to Watch ‘The In Between’
The Eagle Pass–set documentary is a thoughtful meditation on nostalgia, grief, and what life really looks like on the border.
Film & TV
March 13, 2024
A New Film Says Goodbye to an Austin Legend and the Austin of Legends
‘Faders Up: The John Aielli Experience’ pays homage to the longtime KUT radio host and the city that embraced him.
Music
March 13, 2024
Terry Allen Doesn’t Care What the Smithsonian Wants
At eighty, the musician-artist-playwright is still doing things his way. (He is worried about the year 4024, though.)
One by Willie
March 13, 2024
John Leventhal on Willie Nelson’s Tight Grip on Timelessness
The six-time Grammy-winner discusses “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” and why Willie’s guitar-picking makes him think of Picasso.
Film & TV
March 12, 2024
A Rennie’s Guide to HBO’s Texas Renaissance Festival Documentary
‘Ren Faire,’ a three-part “docu-fantasia,” is ‘Succession’ meets Dungeons and Dragons.
Film & TV
March 11, 2024
Is It Still ‘Road House’ If the Plot Makes Sense?
Amazon’s remake, which premiered at SXSW, swaps Patrick Swayze’s soulfulness for a more coherent script—but is that a good thing?
Sports
March 8, 2024
For These Veterans, Jiujitsu Helps Ease the Psychic Toll of War
At former Green Beret Alan Shebaro's North Texas gym, U.S. military veterans create community and find support through jiujitsu.
Music
March 6, 2024
A Texas Music Lover’s Guide to Every New Album Coming This Spring
Beyoncé, Kacey Musgraves, and Khruangbin headline a packed season.
One by Willie
March 6, 2024
Susan Tedeschi on Willie Nelson and the Singular Joy of Playing in a Family Band
The Grammy-winning blues singer and guitarist on why she and her husband cover Willie almost every night with their Tedeschi Trucks Band—plus why she thinks Emmylou Harris is a Jedi.
Music
March 5, 2024
Besame Mucho Austin Was Not Quite the Festival Fans Deserved—and We Loved It Anyway
The music fest brought Grupo Frontera, Bobby Pulido, and El Tri onto one jaw-dropping bill. Despite organizational hiccups, the day was “historic.”
Sports
March 1, 2024
Following Kim Mulkey at Baylor Was a Daunting Test. Nicki Collen Passed With Flying Colors.
“I guess I’m fearless,” said women’s basketball coach Nicki Collen, who has the 22–6 Bears ranked number 21 in the nation.
Sports
February 28, 2024
How Dallas Teams Integrated Professional Sports in Texas
First came an already integrated NFL franchise, which moved from New York in 1952. The same year, Texas League baseball would follow.
Music
February 28, 2024
Cigarettes After Sex Is More Addictive Than Ever
The indie band, fronted by El Pasoan Greg Gonzalez, has transcended TikTok stardom and built a following with songs of love, longing, and heartbreak.
One by Willie
February 28, 2024
Bruce Robison on What Willie Nelson’s Saddest Songs Taught Him About Songwriting, Love, and Life
The Americana stalwart discusses Phases and Stages, Willie’s lost winter in Bandera, and covering his songs with big stars like Margo Price, Sheryl Crow, and Nathaniel Rateliff.
Sports
February 26, 2024
Everyone Johnny Manziel Blames in His Interview With Shannon Sharpe
Turns out, everyone from former Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin to the ghost of Mickey Mantle helped cause Johnny Football’s downfall.
Music
February 22, 2024
Can Beyoncé’s ‘Texas Hold ’Em’ Save Lives? A Texas Monthly Investigation
According to medical experts, the beat of Beyoncé’s new single is just right for performing CPR (and perhaps dancing).
Film & TV
February 22, 2024
What ‘God Save Texas’ Gets Right About the Border
El Pasoan Iliana Sosa, who directed a border-themed episode of the HBO documentary trilogy, speaks with Texas Monthly about the unique challenges of capturing “in-betweenness.”
Books
February 21, 2024
Less Than 2 Percent of Children’s Books Feature Indigenous Characters. Heartdrum Wants to Change That.
The HarperCollins imprint, curated by Cynthia Leitich Smith, is on a mission to ensure that Native kids “see themselves as heroes of their own life stories.”
One by Willie
February 21, 2024
Pulitzer Prize Winner Lawrence Wright on the Existential Quality of Watching Willie Nelson and Trigger Grow Old Together
The acclaimed Austin author talks pigtails, hero statues, and “Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die.”
Sports
February 20, 2024
Texas’s Top High School for Hoops Has Eleven Students, and They’re All on the Basketball Team
For Dynamic Prep, the North Texas academy founded by NBA retiree Jermaine O’Neal, training future college and pro athletes is the mission.
Critters
February 20, 2024
Meet the Beetles on Graham Reynolds’s New Album Celebrating the Sounds of Insects
The composer worked with Texas scientists to draw attention to both the beauty of arthropods and the threats they face.
Arts & Entertainment
February 19, 2024
Four Reasons March Is a Great Month in Texas Culture
A Latin music festival in Austin, Houston’s Renée Elise Goldsberry in something other than Hamilton, an “unknown” Texas artist in the spotlight, and a new way into Freedmen’s Town.
Film & TV
February 14, 2024
‘Reality Bites’ Is Thirty Years Old. Is It Dated, or More Relevant Than Ever?
The concept of “selling out” at the heart of the film feels like an artifact from another time. But it may be that we’ve just stopped talking about it.
One by Willie
February 14, 2024
Booker T. Jones on Why He Recorded Willie Nelson’s ‘Stardust’ in Emmylou Harris’s Living Room
The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer discusses “Georgia on My Mind”—and the highly improbable pairing and production that gave birth to Willie’s quintuple-platinum masterpiece.
Arts & Entertainment
February 13, 2024
Palo Duro Canyon’s ‘Texas’ Is More Than a Musical
A visit to the long-running outdoor stage production reveals how members of the cast and crew are connected to the show in personal ways.
Arts & Entertainment
February 13, 2024
Under Kelvin Sampson the Glory Days of Phi Slama Jama Are Back
The coaching legend has lifted the University of Houston men’s basketball team from irrelevance to greatness. Now all he wants is a national championship.
Music
February 12, 2024
Our Hopes, Dreams, and Predictions for Beyoncé’s Most Texan Release Yet
With two new singles, Bey is planting a flag squarely in country music—and we have a feeling she’s about to school us on the genre.
Sports
February 8, 2024
How Rashee Rice Became One of Patrick Mahomes’s Top Targets
Rice, the rookie from North Texas and former SMU star, has emerged as a key facet in the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl ambitions.
Best Thing in Texas
February 7, 2024
A Texas Photojournalist Is Honored for His Heart-wrenching Portraits of Grief
Tamir Kalifa has received the 2024 American Mosaic Journalism Prize for his work documenting the aftermath of the Uvalde shooting.
Art
February 7, 2024
The Houston Artist Helping Her Neighbors Send Nudes
An initiative by Art League Houston and artist Nyssa Juneau aims to make the historic art form of naked portraiture safe for the digital age.
One by Willie
February 7, 2024
Whoopi Goldberg Wants to Have Willie Nelson Over to Her Place for Dinner
The famed actor, author, and raconteur on why she loves “Stardust,” Leon Russell, Ray Charles, and Willie’s wife, Annie.
Film & TV
February 6, 2024
Why a German First-time Filmmaker Spent a Decade Making a Comedy About Willie Nelson
For ‘Willie and Me,’ Eva Hassmann enlisted an Elvis impersonator, Peter Bogdanovich, and Willie himself to tell a story of how Willie’s music crosses cultures.
Music
February 5, 2024
Kacey, You in Danger, Girl
Ms. Musgraves, the beloved Texan country star, teased her long-awaited new album . . . at the worst possible time.
Sports
February 2, 2024
New Conference? No Problem for the Houston Cougars
The 19–2 Houston Cougars have looked outstanding in their debut season in the Big 12. Now bring on Kansas!
Sports
February 1, 2024
The Story: Inside the Von Erich Family, From the Pages of Texas Monthly to the Silver Screen
The Von Erichs' story is about tragedy—but also about a survivor. Writer John Spong reflects on why ‘The Iron Claw’ family still resonates with audiences.
Sports
February 1, 2024
The GOAT of Texas High School Football Coaches Is Back
After a two-year retirement, seven-time state championship head coach Todd Dodge took over at Lovejoy High School, in the Dallas suburbs.
Art
January 31, 2024
An El Paso Art Exhibit Attempts, Somehow, to Make Sense of the Border
The Border Biennial/Bienal Fronteriza, a group show of artists from the border, has gotten even more relevant since its debut in 2008.
One by Willie
January 31, 2024
Nick Offerman Believes Willie Nelson Is One of the Finest Americans Who Ever Lived
The ‘Parks and Recreation’ star on “Buddy,” Farm Aid, and how a hippie like Willie became Ron Swanson’s favorite poet.
Sports
January 30, 2024
Get Ready for the Biennial Texas High School Football Feeding Frenzy
On Thursday, schools across Texas will learn what districts they’ll play in for the next two years. Then, the scheduling madness begins.
Sports
January 25, 2024
TCU Women’s Basketball Turned a Nightmare Scenario Into a Fairy Tale
Last week, an injury-depleted TCU squad held open tryouts to replenish its roster. This week, it returned with four new walk-ons and a win.
Art
January 24, 2024
A Marfa Art Fair Has Landed in a Financial Hole. Will a New Sculpture Be Enough of a Distraction?
Marfa Invitational has suffered IRS troubles and board member shuffling, but founder Michael Phelan is counting ‘Sleeping Figure’ a victory.
Sports
January 23, 2024
The Cotton Bowl Gets Messi
Fans braved near-freezing temperatures and frigid rain to catch a glimpse of soccer icon Lionel Messi on the pitch against FC Dallas.
Books
January 23, 2024
The Checklist: Three Books Worth Reading This Month
In this trio of novels, the past and present—or, in one case, the near-future—intertwine in a revealing manner.
Film & TV
January 23, 2024
How a West Texas Cowboy Ended Up in ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’
Ty Mitchell has been a Navy sailor, a saloon owner, and a rancher. He’s also a scene-stealing part of Martin Scorsese’s Oscar-nominated epic.
Film & TV
January 23, 2024
Seven Texan Stories at Sundance 2024
Texan talent has descended on Park City. Here’s our guide to the Texan entries in this year’s film festival, and how to watch from home.
Music
January 19, 2024
Texans Are Conquering the Summer Music Festival Circuit
Judging by the fest lineups, Texans such as BigXthaPlug, Charley Crockett, Khruangbin, and more are about to enter music’s A-list.
Sports
January 18, 2024
Will a Civil Rights Landmark Golf Course Be Gobbled Up by Austin Developers?
NAACP head Derrick Johnson visited Austin to support preservation efforts at Lions Municipal, the first public links in Texas to desegregate.
Books
January 18, 2024
The Letters
In this original short story, a San Antonio divorcé receives a series of missives from his elderly mother that hint at a past he never knew about.
Sports
January 16, 2024
Take a Bow, Jerry—the Dallas Cowboys Flamed Out Again
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones wants all the control over America’s Team—even when it means taking credit for another dreadful playoff exit.