The Dr. Fauci of South Texas
Laredo cardiologist Ricardo Cigarroa is on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis, making house calls and “dealing hard doses of truth.”
Eric Benson began writing for Texas Monthly in 2014 and joined the magazine's staff as a senior editor in 2018. He has covered scientists in Houston, imams in Dallas, boxers in San Antonio, and citizen journalists in Reynosa, Mexico. His cover story on immunologist James P. Allison won best profile at the 2017 National City and Regional Magazine Awards.
Articles by Eric Benson
Texas Officials Were Warned Six Years Ago to Prepare for a Pandemic. They Didn’t.
And they've been dangerously slow to respond to the coronavirus.
“It’s Going to Be Three Months of Purgatory—If We’re Lucky”
An interview with Dell Medical School's William Tierney on getting the National Guard to deliver groceries and the fear of “crying wolf."
Is Houston’s Jonny Rhodes the Most Subversive Chef in the Country?
Rhodes was an unproven 27-year-old chef when he launched Indigo, a tiny restaurant with a radical concept in a low-income Houston neighborhood. Now it's one of the hottest kitchens in the country.
A Whiskey Expert’s Five Texas Picks
Radio host Kristopher Hart's dream flight shows the range of what’s possible from Texas whiskey distilleries.
The Great Texas Whiskey Boom
A decade ago, there was no Texas whiskey. Today, the state’s craft distillers are making world-class bourbons and single malts—and slick imitators are trying to stake a claim.
Congressman Will Hurd on His Surprise Retirement, Whether He’s Running for President, and the GOP’s Big Problems
Will Hurd is exactly the kind of politician the Republican party’s establishment once dreamed about being their future. In March 2013, the Republican National Committee, reeling from defeat in the 2012 elections, published a postmortem report laying out an agenda for a new kind of…
NASA Pioneer Poppy Northcutt Reflects on Her Role in the Apollo Program
New PBS space-race documentary ’Chasing the Moon’ highlights her challenges as the only woman in Mission Control.
The Supreme Court’s Census Citizenship Question Decision Helps Texas—But the Real Work Lies Ahead
Without state funding for census outreach, communities across Texas are trying on their own to make sure everyone gets counted.
Was Apollo 11 a Beginning or an End?
Fifty years after man walked on the Moon, mankind is still stranded on Earth. That’s not the way it was supposed to be.
Who Counts?
Texas stands to lose a great deal if the 2020 Census doesn’t include every Texan—including congressional seats and billions in federal funding.
New HBO Documentary Offers an Intimate Look at Beto O’Rourke’s Senate Run
A Q&A between filmmaker David Modigliani and Texas Monthly's Eric Benson, who followed O'Rourke for the 2018 'Underdog' podcast.
New Comedy Central Series ‘Klepper’ Wrestles With PTSD in Killeen
In the series’ debut episode, a trio of military veterans from the Valhalla Club invite comedian and TV host Jordan Klepper into the ring.
Can Betomania Keep Up Its Momentum?
The strengths of Beto O'Rourke's senate candidacy have been cast in a harsher light now that he's a presidential contender.
Will Hurd Has Defied Both Liberals and Donald Trump. Is He the Future of the GOP or a Party of One?
The outspoken congressman left a promising career in the CIA and became a rising Republican star. But his political balancing act is dicier than ever.
Buc-ee’s: The Path to World Domination
Beaver Aplin built the quirky convenience chain into a Texas empire. Will his tactics translate outside the state?
If Beto Runs for President, Where Does That Leave Texas?
John Cornyn may be vulnerable and 2020 looks even better than 2018 for Democrats—but who will run?
The Power Issue: Beto O’Rourke Came Closer Than Anyone Could Have Expected
The El Pasoan who would be senator isn’t done yet.
Meet the Flamboyant, Fame-Seeking Heavyweight Champ of Texas Personal-Injury Law
Is Thomas J. Henry an unrepentant huckster, or is he a righteous warrior for the little guy? Can he be both?
Jim Allison Can’t Believe He Actually Won the Nobel Prize
It’s the greatest honor the Houston-based cancer immunologist can imagine—even more than playing onstage with Willie Nelson.
A Brownsville Cop Was Charged With Smuggling Her Undocumented Boyfriend. She’s Been Acquitted. He’ll Likely Be Deported.
Brownsville police officer Valerie Rivas was charged with smuggling her undocumented boyfriend. She’s been acquitted. He’s likely to be deported.
How Chinese Baseball Came to North Texas
The AirHogs were a small-time professional team of ex-minor- and major-leaguers in Grand Prairie. Then the Chinese arrived.
Author Ben Fountain Thinks the Revolution Is Coming
In his latest book, the author doesn't pull punches with either political party.
Augustine Frizzell Is ‘Never Goin’ Back’
In her twenties, Dallas filmmaker Augustine Frizzell was a single mom and struggling actor. Now 39, she’s poised to conquer Hollywood.
The Zellner Brothers Are Ready for the Big Time With ‘Damsel’
David and Nathan Zellner have made it as indie filmmakers in their own under-the-radar way. Now they’re going mainstream (sort of), with the Robert Pattinson–starring western ‘Damsel.’
Beto O’Rourke Is Looking for Answers on Family Separation Too
The Democratic Senate candidate led a march to the new Tornillo facility holding immigrant children, but he doesn't have a full picture of what's going on inside.
All the Texas-Related Movies You Should Watch This Summer
From a breastaurant to a thriller featuring puppets, here are eight movies from Texans to watch this summer.
‘Hap and Leonard’ Offers an Increasingly Relevant Message During the Trump Administration
The rural noir, in which working-class investigators tackle in-your-face racism in East Texas, may be on the verge of cancellation.
Will Johnny Manziel’s #ComebackSZN Work?
The former Texas A&M star tries to move beyond his past in a scrappy Austin development league.
The Reporter That Waco Destroyed Has No Regrets
Observing the ATF’s disastrous assault on David Koresh and the Branch Davidian compound should have made John McLemore’s career. Instead, it ruined it. Maybe that was for the best.
At Bible Study With David Koresh’s Last Followers
Branch Davidians Clive Doyle and Sheila Martin lost almost everything in the Waco fire, but not their faith.
The Violence Was the Message
The Austin bomber's unknown motive is part of a larger pattern by those who commit violence.
The FBI Agent Who Can’t Stop Thinking About Waco
A quarter century after 82 Branch Davidians and 4 federal officers died outside Waco, retired FBI agent Byron Sage still can't stop thinking—and arguing—about what happened.
Scenes From the Texas Film Awards
The night was packed with Hollywood luminaries who have a soft spot for Texas.
Does Beto O’Rourke Stand a Chance Against Ted Cruz?
The El Paso congressman is waging a long-shot campaign to prove a Democrat can win in Texas.
Taylor Kitsch Gets in Touch With His Inner David Koresh in ‘Waco’
Texas football made the former ’Friday Night Lights’ actor a heartthrob. Will a Texas tragedy make him a bona fide star in 'Waco'?
As Harvey Devastated Victoria, Guerrilla Gourmet Kept On Serving Stew
Serving up smoked-kimchi-and-chicken stew in the middle of the storm.
Inside the Texas Quarterback Factory
Texas used to be a quarterback wasteland. Now the state turns out more ace QBs than any other state. Here’s how.
The Not-So-Secret Life of Terrence Malick
The world’s most private director turns his lens on the place where he’s always been most public: Austin.
Flush With Power
You’ve probably heard about the bathroom bill—and you’re going to hear a lot more—but here’s a behind-the-scenes look at the legislature and the politicians, lobbyists, agitators, and donors who really run the show.
Beyond the Wall
Talking with former U.S. ambassador Antonio Garza about what Trump means for Mexico—and Texas.
Up Against the Wall
Congressman Filemon Vela had always kept a low profile—until he told Donald Trump to stick his border fence you-know-where.
The Iconoclast
Jim Allison has always gone his own way—as a small-town-Texas kid who preferred books to football, and as a young scientist who believed the immune system could treat tumors when few others did. And that irreverence led him to find a potential cure for cancer.
Faith and Hope
The country’s largest group of Muslims live in Texas, yet many of them don’t feel welcome here. A few young and progressive leaders—like Irving imam Omar Suleiman—are working to change that.
City of Hope?
After the Kennedy assassination, Dallas became known as the City of Hate. After the 7/7 shootings, how will it be judged?
Hap and Leonard: From East Texas to Hollywood
A brief oral history of the television show based on Joe R. Lansdale's books—and how Hollywood learned to love the Nacogdoches native.
Darkness on the Edge of Town
How the kindest, gentlest family man in Nacogdoches began writing some of the creepiest, grisliest fiction in the country.
The Hangover
Chip Tate built Balcones into one of the country’s most innovative whiskey distilleries. But last year he lost the company in a bitter clash with his investors. Now he’s starting from scratch—again.