The Wildest Insurance Fraud Scheme Texas Has Ever Seen
Over a decade, Theodore Robert Wright III destroyed cars, yachts, and planes. That was only the half of it.
Executive Editor Katy Vine joined the editorial staff of Texas Monthly in 1997 and became a staff writer in 2002. She has written dozens of features on a range of topics including rocket scientist Franklin Chang Díaz, hip-hop legend Bun B, barbecue pit masters, cult leader Warren Jeffs, refugees in Amarillo, dirty cops in McAllen, the moon landing, the Kilgore Rangerettes, bass fishing, a three-person family circus, chess prodigies, and an accountant who embezzled $17 million from a fruitcake company. Her stories have been anthologized in Best American Sports Writing and Best Food Writing. Her feature story about a West Texas sting operation was the inspiration for the 2012 television series The Client List.
Articles by Katy Vine
Do You Have What It Takes to Be a Master Auctioneer?
Eight days inside America’s Auction Academy, learning the secrets of “the dynamo from Dallas.”
14 Resources for Teaching Your Kids About Racial Injustice
Recommendations from the creators of Texas’s new African American Studies elective.
A Houston Health Care Executive on the Challenges Facing Her Walk-up Coronavirus Testing Clinics
Katy Caldwell, CEO of Legacy Community Clinics, talks to Texas Monthly about medical supply shortages, staff safety, and financial woes.
A Group of Texas News Veterans Aim to Revolutionize How Women Are Covered in Media
Emily Ramshaw and Andrea Valdez discuss their vision for the 19th*, a nonprofit venture where politics, policy, and gender will converge.
How to Buy Cowboy Boots
A guide to finding the perfect pair, whether you're working cattle, two-stepping, or presenting a TED talk.
On the Town With Miss Lavelle White
The 90-year-old blues legend currently holds down three weekly residencies in Austin.
Can Bee Stings Treat Lyme Disease?
Treatments for chronic Lyme disease are controversial and expensive. As a last resort, some patients are pursuing this unproven and painful alternative.
Texans and Their Boots: Reflections From a Few of Our Favorite People
The stories, the traditions, and the deeper meanings of the boots in their lives.
Paul Tough on the Problems With College Today
The author of "The Years That Matter Most" spent a lot of time at UT-Austin—where he saw reason for hope.
From the Archives: Can a New Generation of Texans Revive the Dream of Space Exploration?
With NASA’s ambitions trimmed, private space companies come to Texas, dreaming of Mars.
She Couldn’t Go to Space Because She Was a Woman. But She Hasn’t Given Up On Her Dream
Nearly sixty years ago, Funk and twelve other women proved that they could be astronauts too. But they never got to walk on the moon.
Tobe Nwigwe Is a Visionary Hip-Hop Missionary
How the groundbreaking Nigerian-Houstonian rapper has gone viral—and why his art matters.
Grupo Fantasma on Their Latest Album and Being Pigeonholed As “Latin Music”
The Grammy-winning jazz-funk-rockers are back with American Music: Vol. VII, their first album in five years.
Behind Every Painting, a Desperate Kid: The “Uncaged Art” of Tornillo’s Detained Migrant Children
A new exhibit at UT-El Paso displays works by young people held last year at the immigration detention center.
As Texas Privatizes Child Protective Services, Will the Horror Stories Go Unheard?
Critics of the forthcoming transformation of the state’s child welfare system worry about the new model’s lack of transparency. Legislators are running out of time to introduce greater safeguards.
Why Are Separated Families Told They Must Use a Tiny Georgia Travel Agency to Reunite?
No one can explain why. Not even Southwest Key, the nonprofit shelter that keeps telling refugees they have no other choice.
U.S. Practice of Deporting Migrants at Night Threatens Their Safety
The situation has become so dangerous that Mexican police escorts have been discontinued after sundown.
Meet the Would-Be Inventors of Texas’s Next Big Idea
At the Texas Inventors' Association, you'll find plans for the contraptions and gadgets of your dreams. Just don't tell anyone your idea.
Corpus Christi’s Chicas Rock Might Bring Us the Next Selena
Cecy Treviño started her girls' music school to provide a safe space for self-expression. But the bands are getting booked all over town.
A Portrait of the Artist As an Old Man
James Surls has a storied legacy as one of Texas’s greatest living sculptors. But at age 75, the eccentric artist is far from finished.
Fort Worth’s Music Scene Is Finding Its New Groove
Two of the city’s veteran musicians talk us through its ongoing auditory transformation after the departure of Leon Bridges—and why some uncertainty is a good thing.
Andrew Bujalski on the Breastaurant Industry and ‘Support the Girls’
We talked to Austin-based director Andrew Bujalski about his latest film, 'Support the Girls,' starring Regina Hall.
Charles Foster on the Immigration Conundrum
The solutions to our current crisis on the border are relatively simple, says Houston immigration expert Charles Foster. But our politicians don’t have the nerve to make them happen.
Putting Asylum-Seeking Immigrants in Impossible Positions
Rio Grande Valley attorney Jennifer Harbury explains the nightmares facing immigrants today, whether they gain entry or are turned away.
A Pediatrician’s View Into a Border Patrol Processing Center
Dr. Marsha Griffin, co-chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics special interest group on immigrant health, tells us what she's seen and what separation traumas could mean in the long term for immigrant children.
What’s Really Happening When Asylum-Seeking Families Are Separated?
An expert on helping parents navigate the asylum process describes what she's seeing on the ground.
Kam Franklin: Create Space for Female Acts
"Sometimes a festival rep will say they don’t want acts that are too similar. Could you imagine telling a man, 'Sorry, we can only have one indie rock band, you're all wearing Levi's and that's pretty overdone so we can't have that'?"
Katie Mehnert: Foster Industry Communities to Promote Women
"We need more women to tackle the energy transition and tackle the biggest challenges we face: climate change, energy poverty, and good infrastructure."
Mary Beth Rogers: Put Women in Positions of Power
"I think there is a true opportunity right now for women—even more significant than when I was in state government. We’ve got so many running for public office now. Once they win and their numbers grow, we’re bound to move beyond 'me too' to something better."
Wendy Davis: Get Involved—Even If It’s In a Small, Persistent Way
"I disagree with those who say the #MeToo movement could go too far. That sentiment exhibits itself anytime there is an effective and active push for change, that somehow you're going to cause the unintended impact of actually hurting the cause."
Not Your Grandfather’s Conjunto
Rapper Marco Cervantes, who performs as Mexican Stepgrandfather, and Álvaro Del Norte, founder of the accordion-powered punk rock band Piñata Protest, discuss their inspirations.
Our San Antonio Playlist: Music That Captures the City in Its 300th Year
From Tejano to punk and hip-hop, there's so much great music coming out of San Antonio today.
Rob the Original’s Hair Designs Are the Real MVPs
San Antonio barber Rob Ferrel on the origins of his famous hair designs.
Through the Looking Glass at Sonic Ranch
Tony Rancich has created a weird, wonderful, and world-class musical oasis amid his family's 3,300-acre operating pecan orchard.
The Raid on YFZ Ranch, Ten Years Later
A decade after the largest custody battle in U.S. history, some of those involved speak about their memories.
The Astronaut Who Might Actually Get Us to Mars
As an eighteen-year-old immigrant to the U.S., Franklin Chang Díaz dreamed of becoming an astronaut. Now, decades after tying the record for most spaceflights, he might be the best bet to get us to Mars.
Listen to the Ultimate Texas Music Playlist
We set out to hear what our state sounds like. We brought back the latest and best of Texas music—so listen up.
Exploded Drawing Keeps Electronic Music Pure in Austin
The Live Music Capital of the World isn't all guitars.
Astronaut Scott Kelly Talks About His New Book and What He Missed in Space
Scott Kelly on what freaked him out—and what drove him crazy—during his record-setting year on the International Space Station.
Why Victor Emanuel Weekends on the Bolivar Peninsula
The Bolivar Peninsula is for the birds. Literally.
Get the Picture?
A filmmaker’s effort to share stories from her home turf, one female-directed movie at a time.
Shinyribs Has Got Your Medicine
Shinyribs' Kevin Russell sits down with us to talk about his new album, 'I Got Your Medicine,' out February 24.
The Art of Speed-painting
Franco Mondini-Ruiz entrances Houston's upper-class with fast brushes and playful barbs.
Lost and Found
They have fled war-torn countries, given up livelihoods, and left behind possessions and family for the safety of a foreign world of cowboy hats and Walmarts. But the refugees who land in Amarillo’s Astoria Park have an ally who understands their confusion and loss: a 64-year-old former teacher named Miss Evelyn.
Fame in the Abstract
Dorothy Hood was one of Texas’s greatest artists, yet her work remains largely unknown. Now, sixteen years after her death, can her fans bring her the acclaim she never received in life?
Law Enforcement
Cops and Robbers
They were some of the toughest narcs on the border, known for busting smugglers, staging raids, seizing cartel cocaine—and being dirty.
#SpoilerAlert
To whom will the Bachelorette’s final rose go this season? Blogger Steve Carbone makes it his business to know—and tell his 1.5 million readers.
Remembering John Morthland
He was a pioneering music journalist at 'Texas Monthly,' but he was also so much more.
Just Desserts
Sandy Jenkins was a quiet accountant at the Collin Street Bakery who felt overlooked and dreamed of living the good life. He found it (for a while) by embezzling nearly $17 million from the famed fruitcake maker.