Madonna of the Maquiladora
While U.S. businessmen and Mexican bureaucrats see her as the answer to their economic prayers, factory worker Graciela Fernandez just tries to get by—on about 66 cents an hour.
February 1987
Features
The Last of the Border Lords
In his dream to create a dynastic empire along the Rio Grande, Chito Longoria went against the wishes of his family and the values of his native land.
The Nuevo Frontier
On a map the border between Texas and Mexico is a precise demarcation. In the real world the border is a country all its own.
The Empress of Fort Worth
Anne Bass married one of the richest men in America. With his money and her ambition she became an important cultural force in Fort Worth and New York. Life was perfect. Then her husband left her.
Undertakers of the Oil Patch
The death of an oil well keeps an oil-field service company alive.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Will deprivation, humiliation, and confrontation lead the way to a better, more confident you? A new self-help craze sweeping Texas wants you to think so.
The Prophets
The border’s self-appointed problem solvers promise new industry, more jobs, and better schools. So why won’t anyone listen to them?
Miscellany
State Secrets
A winning ticket for the lottery; the oil bust is a boon for parks; doom and gloom at the Legislature; an early test for Jim Wright.
The Quidnunc
Hunting down ZZ Top imposters; staying dry with party-giver Frances Billups; test-driving fine art in Beaumont.
The National Tour of Texas
The view from the Great Freeway: I-35 is two things, the speediest drive from Dallas to the Valley and the clearest division of Texas into West and East.
Columns
The Apple Version
Walt Disney, Howard Johnson, and Margery Post Merriweather have one thing in common: they’re all trapped inside Max Apple’s new novel.
You Can’t Get There From Here
From Houston’s Miss Molly to San Antonio’s Claude Morgan, Texas is full of local music heroes. Does their road to success have to pass through Austin?
Burger Joint Venture
Want to eat fast and cheap? Fast-food kiosks are the answer. Here’s how these diminutive drive-throughs stake up.
Reporter
Texas Monthly Reporter
The City That Works isn’t working like it used to. Plus Amazing Cars of Texas #2, revolutionary folk art, and Topic A—what everybody can’t stop talking about.
