The Texanist: How Do You Pronounce All Those Weird Texas Town Names?
A Dallas man is flummoxed by Quitaque. And Danevang, and Jiba, and Study Butte, and Zuehl . . .
A Four-Day, 65-Mile Walk Along the Texas Coast
As the state started shutting down, one man took to the coast in search of a different kind of solitude. And seashells.
The Texanist: What’s So Great About the Shape of Texas?
A Boerne woman wonders if other Americans are as smitten as we are with the outlines of their states.
The Texanist: Can We Put El Paso Back in the Central Time Zone?
A West Texas man seems to be tired of living on Mountain Standard Time.
The Texanist: To Pop or Not to Pop Fire Ant Bites?
How to handle the zit-sized pustule that those evil little @$*!%*#@%&!s leave behind.
Snap Judgment
Raise a Pearl beer to our ten greatest college football plays. Ever.
The Texanist: What Would the World Be Like if Willie Nelson Had Never Happened?
An Austin man ponders the unthinkable.
The Texanist: Has There Ever Been Any Violence at the Texas Capitol?
The recent, terrifying events in Washington have an Austin man wondering about mayhem closer to home.
The Texanist: Tell Me About This Magical Thing Called Texas Toast
A New York man wants to know everything there is to know about Texas toast.
298 Articles
Texas Icons
January 17, 2023
The Texanist: What Will Texas Look Like Fifty Years From Now?
Some tasty lab-grown barbecue and a Dallas Cowboys postseason appearance may be in our distant future.
Texas Icons
January 17, 2023
The Texas Beer Industry Is Bubbling Over
We still love our Shiner, Pearl, and Lone Star, but our options are now bubbling over, thanks to hundreds of craft breweries across the state.
The Texanist
December 13, 2022
The Texanist: Will We Get Relief From the Drought Anytime Soon?
A Johnson City man is worried that life is starting to resemble Elmer Kelton’s ‘The Time It Never Rained’ once again.
The Texanist
November 15, 2022
The Texanist: How Do You Become an Honorary Texan?
A Plano man wonders how the likes of Bob Dylan, Sarah Palin, and John Wayne qualified for this prestigious designation.
The Texanist
October 18, 2022
The Texanist: Do We Really Want Texas to Be “Wine Country”?
A Lubbock woman isn’t sure the state’s wildly successful vineyards fit with our Wild West image.
Tacos
October 6, 2022
The Great Hard-shell Taco Debate
Two Texas Monthly writers go head-to-head on the merits and inferiorities of tacos made with crispy shells vs. soft tortillas.
By
David Courtney
![David Courtney's Profile Photo]()
and
Michael Hall
![Michael Hall's Profile Photo]()
The Texanist
September 13, 2022
The Texanist: Why Have the Six Flags Disappeared?
An Amarillo man is unhappy that the iconic banners no longer fly in front of the Texas Travel Information Centers.
The Texanist
August 16, 2022
The Texanist: Does a Texas Musician Need Three Names to Succeed?
A Fredericksburg man wonders how Willie Nelson ever prevailed in a state that brought us Ray Wylie Hubbard, Jerry Jeff Walker, and Jimmie Dale Gilmore.
The Texanist
July 29, 2022
The Texanist: Why Do Texans Call a Pig in a Blanket a Kolache?
A Lone Star State native living in Chicago insists that only small pastry squares filled with cooked fruit deserve that name.
The Texanist
July 19, 2022
The Texanist: Would a Real Man Wear a Pink Guayabera?
A Houston woman is miffed by her boyfriend’s reaction to a thoughtful gift.
The Texanist
June 21, 2022
The Texanist: How Much Should You Tip at a Barbecue Joint?
An Austin man wonders if the people who stand behind a counter and take our orders deserve the same remuneration as the waiters and waitresses of the world.
Travel & Outdoors
June 21, 2022
Paddling Down the Rio Grande in the Shadow of a Drought
My dream of navigating through Big Bend’s stunning canyons finally came true. I just had to start a little farther downstream.
The Texanist
June 6, 2022
The Texanist: Would There Be a ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Without Texas?
Moviegoers have returned to theaters in droves to see the long-awaited sequel—and we have Texas to thank.
The Texanist
May 17, 2022
The Texanist: Will Fancy Italian Cowboy Boots Hurt My Texan Bona Fides?
An Austinite living in Washington, D.C., worries about the consequences of sporting pricey designer footwear.
The Texanist
April 12, 2022
The Texanist: Why Is El Paso Known as El Chuco?
A San Antonio man wonders how Sun City got its other nickname and learns about the nicknames of many other Texas cities.
The Texanist
March 16, 2022
The Texanist: What’s the Difference Between a Ranch and a Farm?
A New Braunfels man isn’t quite sure that he has a firm grasp on this fundamental aspect of Texas rural life.
Texas History
February 16, 2022
The Story Behind the Story: “The Coming of Redneck Hip,” November 1973
A pair of Texas Monthly writers chronicle an emerging scene that would end up defining a city and changing American music forever.
The Texanist
February 16, 2022
The Texanist: What Movies Get Texas Really, Really Wrong?
As it turns out, even the best films and TV shows about the Lone Star State have their share of gaffes. (Yes, even ‘Lonesome Dove.’)
The Texanist
January 18, 2022
The Texanist: What’s the Difference Between Tex-Mex and Mexican Food?
A transplant from California wades into an age-old culinary debate.
The Texanist
January 6, 2022
The Texanist: Why Doesn’t Texas Have an Official State Pastry?
A Fort Worth woman wants to know why we honor the bluebonnet and the pecan tree, but not the strudel or the sopaipilla.
The Texanist
December 6, 2021
The Texanist: What’s the Best Texas Christmas Song?
An El Paso woman is looking for the finest example of Lone Star holiday musical jollity. But can there only be one?
The Texanist
November 4, 2021
The Texanist: Where Did All These Bright Green Parrots Come From?
A longtime San Antonio resident is thrilled—but puzzled—by the presence of monk parakeets in her hometown.
The Texanist
October 15, 2021
The Texanist: Is Freezing Brisket a Mortal Sin?
An Arlington man wonders if his penny-wise buddy is being barbecue-foolish.
Being Texan
September 24, 2021
Big Tex on State Fair History, His Favorite Fried Foods, and His Size 96 Boots
A conversation with the big guy himself.
The Texanist
September 17, 2021
The Texanist: If You’re Not a Fan of Fruitcake and Canned Chili, What’s So Great About Corsicana?
A man now living in Fredericksburg wonders if his hometown really has anything to brag about.
The Texanist
September 7, 2021
The Texanist: Now That the Longhorn-Aggie Rivalry Is Back, Can UT and A&M Alums Stay Friends?
Two Texas buddies stationed at an Air Force base in Qatar wonder if their bond can survive the SEC’s recent expansion.
The Texanist
August 12, 2021
The Texanist: Is It Okay to Wear Cowboy Boots With Cuffed Trousers?
A Eulogy man wants to make sure that his footwear and pants-wear choices are compatible.
The Texanist
July 28, 2021
The Texanist: Is It OK to Bring a Gun to a Dinner Party?
A Plano woman doesn't think pistol-packing goes with pasta primavera.
The Texanist
July 14, 2021
The Texanist: How Do You Pronounce All Those Weird Texas Town Names?
A Dallas man is flummoxed by Quitaque. And Danevang, and Jiba, and Study Butte, and Zuehl . . .
The Texanist
July 6, 2021
The Texanist: Am I the Only Person Seeing a Lot More Bugs This Summer?
A very wet spring has a San Antonio woman looking for some relief from an arthropod invasion.
The Texanist
June 14, 2021
The Texanist: Is There a Formula for Picking Out a Cowboy Hat That Doesn’t Make You Look Like a Fool?
A Houston man wants to get the width of his brim just right.
The Texanist
May 26, 2021
The Texanist: What Should I Do About My Rain-Hating Boyfriend?
A Brady woman isn't sure her new relationship will survive a fundamental disagreement about the weather.
The Texanist
May 12, 2021
The Texanist: Why Do I Get So Many Robocalls From Small Texas Towns?
A Houston woman wants to know why the fine folks in Granger just won't leave her alone.
The Texanist
April 26, 2021
The Texanist: Might I Be Related to One of the Most Famous Figures in Texas History?
A Fort Worth resident wants to know if the stepson of a descendant of Moses Austin can call himself the great-great-great-great-great-step-grandson of the Father of the Father of Texas.
The Texanist
April 12, 2021
The Texanist: Do You Miss the Texas County That Is Now Part of Oklahoma?
A man from the Sooner State has a question about the other Red River Rivalry.
The Texanist
March 28, 2021
The Texanist: Is Wichita Falls the Only Place Where People Put Tomato Juice in Their Beer?
A Waxahachie man is trying to gauge the popularity of the "red draw."
The Texanist
March 15, 2021
The Texanist: Wait, Is Tennessee Suddenly More Popular Than Texas?
A Kansas woman is puzzled by some recent data about the Volunteer State and the Lone Star State.
The Texanist
March 8, 2021
The Texanist: Why Are Mexican Restaurants in San Antonio Charging for Chips and Salsa?
A River City man isn’t happy about paying for what used to be free.
The Texanist
March 1, 2021
The Texanist: Can We Put El Paso Back in the Central Time Zone?
A West Texas man seems to be tired of living on Mountain Standard Time.
The Texanist
January 17, 2021
The Texanist: Has There Ever Been Any Violence at the Texas Capitol?
The recent, terrifying events in Washington have an Austin man wondering about mayhem closer to home.
The Texanist
January 7, 2021
The Texanist: My Daughter Moved to Texas More Than a Year Ago. Why Hasn’t She Visited the Alamo Already?
A Maryland man is worried that his progeny may never become a true Texan.
The Texanist
December 18, 2020
The Texanist: How Can Whataburger Say That It’s Still “Family Owned and Operated”?
An Austin man is skeptical that a company held by a Chicago investment firm can claim that distinction.
The Texanist
December 7, 2020
The Texanist: Is There Really Only One Place to Go Trout Fishing in Texas?
An Oregon transplant is hoping he can find a few places to cast a line in his adopted state.
The Texanist
November 16, 2020
The Texanist: I Love Tamales. But I Live in Northern Ireland. Help!
A Belfast woman is looking for a few good corn husks.
Music
November 1, 2020
Jerry Jeff Walker, Remembered by Lyle Lovett, Lucinda Williams, Dan Rather, and Many, Many Others
The New York–born singer-songwriter got to Texas as soon as he could—and spent the next five decades changing the lives of seemingly everyone he met.
By
David Courtney
![David Courtney's Profile Photo]()
,
Michael Hall
![Michael Hall's Profile Photo]()
,
Andy Langer
,
Jeff Salamon
![Jeff Salamon's Profile Photo]()
,
John Spong
![John Spong's Profile Photo]()
,
Katy Vine
![Katy Vine's Profile Photo]()
and
Christian Wallace
![Christian Wallace's Profile Photo]()
The Texanist
October 26, 2020
The Texanist: Bears Are Making a Comeback in Texas. How Scared Should I Be?
A Midland woman wonders what to do if she meets a member of the family Ursidae in the wild.
The Texanist
October 8, 2020
The Texanist: What Would the World Be Like if Willie Nelson Had Never Happened?
An Austin man ponders the unthinkable.
The Texanist
October 5, 2020
The Texanist: What Old Texas Games Can I Get My Screen-Addicted Kids to Play?
A Houston mom has had it with Minecraft.
The Texanist
September 12, 2020
The Texanist: Do Texans Have a Beef With Alberta, Canada?
A resident of “The Texas of Canada” is having second thoughts about retiring to the Lone Star State.
The Texanist
August 17, 2020
The Texanist: Why Are People Putting Cilantro in Everything?
A Texas transplant to California is unhappy about the ubiquity of the “nasty and repugnant weed."