
December 2015 Issue
Features


The Will of God
I always knew that the work my dad did as an Episcopal priest and grief counselor was important. But I didn’t understand how important until the birth of my son.

Haute Topic
Houston’s super-rich are learning to love the brand-new, very ritzy, much-heralded River Oaks District. (Maybe.)

Over There
In Africa Texas Special Forces unit are trying to help win the War on Terror, teaching one lesson at a time.

A Q&A With Henry the Puffy Taco
On what it's like to be a beloved minor league baseball mascot.


Ode to the Taco
Five of the state’s most creative minds pay homage to that which makes the taco great.

The Meat of It
Let the vast universe of succulent cuts, chewy entrails, and cooking techniques be a mystery to you no more.

Columns

The Ted Offensive
Our junior senator is rising in the polls, but what is his real message?

Great Planes
The real-life adventures of Leland Snow, the Thomas Edison of agricultural aviation.

John Wayne, Texan?
No, he wasn’t from here. But that hasn’t stopped us from claiming him as one of our own.


The Great Pyramide
A Christmas carousel built nearly a century and a half ago is a welcome reminder of Texas’s deep German heritage.

The Texanist: on the Sanctity of a Pickup Bed
Our advice columnist muses on the sanctity of a pickup’s bed, browses the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book, and once again tries to determine who qualifies as a Texan.
Reporter

Ripped From the Bloodlines
James Lee Burke may split his time between Louisiana and Montana, but he's never really left Texas.


The Google of Texas
Answers to all of Texas's most pressing questions can be found in the brand-new edition of the Texas Almanac.

Old News: An Illustrated Look at Curious Headlines From a Bygone Era
Fly, fly, blackbird.


Meanwhile, in Texas . . .
Some crazy stuff went down in Texas in the past thirty days. Here are some of the headlines you may have missed.
The Checklist
A look at what to read, hear, and watch this month in order to achieve maximum Texas cultural literacy.

The Road Work Goes on Forever
The expansion of I-35 may be the worst thing that’s happened to Salado since the railroad left town.
Miscellany
Roar of the Crowd
So Texans, it turns out, really like barbecue. Last month’s article on “The Top 25 New and Improved BBQ Joints in Texas” drew a lot of attention—and a fair amount of, ahem, heat. On Facebook the story quickly tallied more than one thousand likes, shares, and comments,