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.
Katy Vine joined the editorial department of Texas Monthly in 1997 and became a staff writer in 2002. As a general assignment reporter, she has written dozens of features on a range of topics, including rocket scientist Franklin Chang Díaz, hip-hop legend Bun B, barbecue pitmasters, cult leader Warren Jeffs, refugees in Amarillo, the moon landing, a three-person family circus, chess prodigies, a woman who kidnapped the Kilgore Rangerettes director and her daughter, an accountant who embezzled $17 million from a fruitcake company, and a con man who crashed cars, yachts, and planes for insurance money. 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.
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.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
What pushed an East Texas mother to kidnap at gunpoint the director of the famed college drill team and her nineteen-year-old daughter?
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
Over a decade, Theodore Robert Wright III destroyed cars, yachts, and planes. That was only the half of it.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
John Mueller was the heir to one of the great Texas barbecue dynasties. Aaron Franklin was an unknown kid from College Station who worked his counter. John had it all and then threw it all away. Aaron came out of nowhere to create the state’s most coveted brisket. Then John
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
Brandon and Denise were not like other people. They were smarter, more introverted. They adored computers, playing games online at three in the morning with people in Finland. When they and other hard-core techies moved to Walden, a Houston apartment complex with the fastest residential Internet connection in the world,
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
The child custody battle between the State of Texas and a fundamentalist Mormon sect prompted many people to wonder how 437 kids could have been ripped away from their parents. When the criminal trials of a dozen sect members got under way this month, the question became, Was it really
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
When Warren Jeffs fired his attorneys and decided to represent himself in his sexual assault trial, many predicted, accurately, that he would fail miserably. Few realized just what a wild show he would put on.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
How a mild-mannered database analyst from Dallas became the undisputed king of extreme competitive deep-frying in Texas—which is to say, the world.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin made history as the first humans to set foot on the surface of the moon. Forty years later, the researchers, astronauts, engineers, scientists, and NASA officials who made the voyage possible remember the day the Eagle landed.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
Meet the 22-year-old hooker who, with her fellow “massage therapists,” scandalized Odessa
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
In Fort Worth, true crime–obsessed citizen detectives have banded together to dig up new evidence for their pet cases.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
With cloud-shaped pipes and rose-infused pre-rolls, these female small-business owners are catering to femme stoners.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
Friedrich Ernst’s missive portrayed Texas as a paradise. His wife and daughter begged to differ.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
Come to this East Texas city for the hot-air balloons. Stay for the gluten-free beers, natural wines, and impressive array of cuisines.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
Cat Cardenas’s 2021 essay made a poignant case about the mistakes Selena never got to make—and how they would have deepened our love for her.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
A longtime reporter makes some big decisions about what to listen to when you’re heading to Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Austin, Fort Worth, or the Big Bend region.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
The writer of an oddball 2016 crime story recalls emailing with an accountant who skimmed $17 million from Corsicana’s Collin Street Bakery.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
In reporting how Candy Montgomery came to murder her lover’s wife, the authors recall trying to capture a “time and place in Texas history.”
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
Sierra Juarez is a fact-checker at Texas Monthly.
For many legendary musicians, there was no finer guitar than one made by San Antonio’s Guadalupe Acosta and his sons. Their descendants are restoring their legacy.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
At Blanco’s annual gathering, ethnicities, genres, and styles mix and clash, but are united by a common instrument.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
Pamela Colloff reflects on her 2010 story about the shoddy police work and prosecutorial misconduct that put an innocent man on death row.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
Austin attorney Jamie Balagia, a.k.a. “the Dude,” thought that he’d finally hit the big time. Then everything fell apart.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
Celebrities, influencers, and high-end shoppers are among the throngs that descend upon the tiny town’s biannual antiques fair, which has flourished—even during a pandemic.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
The actor and writer’s one-man off-Broadway show, ‘Everything’s Fine,’ is about a series of bizarre events involving one of his junior high teachers.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
He’s made critics gush with his art-house dramas and howl with his stoner comedies. But for the director of ‘Halloween Ends,’ it’s all about experimentation.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
Mary Beth Rogers, who served as Ann Richards’s campaign manager and chief of staff, reflects on Texas politics in ‘Hope and Hard Truth.’
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
In the new Netflix series ‘Mo,’ created by Houston comedian Mo Amer, Bun B is a priest and Paul Wall is a security guard. But it’s not all laughs.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
Kimberly Garza’s coastal debut, ‘The Last Karankawas,’ draws on her childhood memories of one of the city’s lesser-known ethnic enclaves.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
After a lifetime away from his hometown of Waco, the legendary director and playwright returns to the Houston Grand Opera with ‘Turandot.’
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
If a husband and wife can quarantine together, they can get manicures together.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
At the charming Hotel Ritual in small-town Jacksonville, you can tap into any frequency you wish.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
The Alamo City legend broke up Girl in a Coma and decamped to L.A. She’s back with a new solo album, a recording studio, and some hard-earned wisdom.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
He was the magazine’s first big hire and—over the next few decades—delivered some of its most memorable stories.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
What pushed an East Texas mother to kidnap at gunpoint the director of the famed college drill team and her nineteen-year-old daughter?
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
Moriba Jah, a self-proclaimed “space environmentalist,” has joined a new effort to map the millions of bits of discarded debris orbiting the Earth.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
On Kalahari’s thirty waterslides and lazy river, my kids and I took our first plunge into some kind of normalcy since the pandemic started.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
University of Texas at San Antonio professor Marco Cervantes mixes history, activism, and hip-hop on his latest album.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
UT’s Caitlin Casey will use the Webb Telescope to peer nearly 14 billion years back in time.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
For almost eighty years, the name “Fletcher’s” has drawn state fair visitors. After a dramatic feud—and a pandemic—the family’s banner will fly again.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
One lucky night of dancing with the masters unlocked a new appreciation of the craft.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
As clinics across the state offer ketamine therapy for depression, a bill would fund further studies on MDMA use and psilocybin for PTSD treatment of vets.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
Former Texas Monthly editor in chief Greg Curtis’s new book explores the years he spent rediscovering Paris after the death of his wife.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
The mother-son team are behind some of the city's most colorful murals.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
When the power went out and the water stopped running, Trae tha Truth and DJ Mr. Rogers were there to pick up the slack.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
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.
David Courtney, a.k.a. the Texanist, is a staff writer.
Mike Hall writes about criminals, musicians, the law, and barbecue.
Jeff Salamon is the deputy editor at Texas Monthly.
John Spong writes primarily about popular culture.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
Christian Wallace writes about West Texas, oil and gas, music, cowboys, history, and history-making Texans.
The filmmaker discusses the winding path, from Texas to Singapore to Japan and back, that led to Amazon commissioning his first feature.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
Mason, one of the most sought-after young composers in the country, has a new work set to premiere in November.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
For nearly a quarter century, this bohemian venue and ”social sculpture” has been a gathering place for poets, performance artists, and even a rooster or two.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
Over a decade, Theodore Robert Wright III destroyed cars, yachts, and planes. That was only the half of it.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
Eight days inside America’s Auction Academy, learning the secrets of “the dynamo from Dallas.”
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
Recommendations from the creators of Texas’s new African American Studies elective.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
Katy Caldwell, CEO of Legacy Community Clinics, talks to Texas Monthly about medical supply shortages, staff safety, and financial woes.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
Emily Ramshaw and Andrea Valdez discuss their vision for the 19th*, a nonprofit venture where politics, policy, and gender will converge.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
A Rice University professor's recent breakthrough may mean that a science fictional scenario is within reach.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
Jason Heid is a staff writer and editor focused on business, medicine, science, and technology.
A guide to finding the perfect pair, whether you're working cattle, two-stepping, or presenting a TED talk.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
The 90-year-old blues legend currently holds down three weekly residencies in Austin.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
Treatments for chronic Lyme disease are controversial and expensive. As a last resort, some patients are pursuing this unproven and painful alternative.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
The stories, the traditions, and the deeper meanings of the boots in their lives.
Mike Hall writes about criminals, musicians, the law, and barbecue.
Skip Hollandsworth specializes in long-form narratives.
Emily McCullar is a senior editor covering pop culture, news, and Texas history. One time she wrote about sports.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
The author of "The Years That Matter Most" spent a lot of time at UT-Austin—where he saw reason for hope.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
With NASA’s ambitions trimmed, private space companies come to Texas, dreaming of Mars.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
Dan Solomon writes about politics, music, food, sports, criminal justice, health care, film, and business.