September 1985 Issue
Features

The Final Gun
In a small East Texas town a black principal and a white coach loved the same woman. First came the gossip. Next came the strange letters. And then there was a murder.

What’s the Big Deal About Grills?
Hot, hot, hot! Here’s why grills have become the trendiest of the trendy restaurants in Texas.

Roaming the Range
Follow that ribbon of highway to discover the breathtaking River Road, a beer-drinking goat, fabulous fajitas, and the ghostly cavalry of Fort Davis—all in the vast vacation resource known as West Texas.
Columns
How to Make Your Dream House Come True
A guide to getting the most out of an architect and custom-building a home, with grace and aplomb.
Don’t Talk to Strangers
Of course parents do everything they can to protect their children. But at some point they must learn to let go.
Swinging With Zoot
From the moment tenor saxophonist Zoot Sims sounded his first note to just before his death four decades later, he performed with irresistible spirit and intensity.
Restless Itch
Songwriter is like a great party; Kiss of the Spider Woman doesn’t connect; Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome runs out of gas; Key Exchange is too cute; Disney’s Black Cauldron isn’t for kids.
Lily Buds, Tree Ears, and Fish Sauce
With just a nip of nuoc mam you’ll be on your way to the cooking frontier of Vietnamese food.
Reporter
Texas Monthly Reporter
A question of honor in San Antonio; Christian harmony in Dallas; a wage dispute in Houston.
Web
Geranium Cream
Recipe From Liberty Bar, San AntonioServe alone as a dessert with blackberry sauce, or with pancakes or French toast for brunch.3/4 lb butter 3 lbs cream cheese 1 cup sugar 2 cup whipping cream 2 oz rose geranium leavesSlice butter and cream cheese thin. Finely chop geranium leaves. Place all

On the Menu: Liberty Bar
SAN ANTONIO’S LIBERTY BAR is a landmark for many reasons: it has been in continuous operation since 1890 and the building has been owned by the same family for just as long. But also the Liberty Bar has a certain status as one of the world’s “leaning“ landmarks, perhaps eclipsed
Viet-Tex Redfish Noodle Soup
With just a nip of nuoc mam you’ll be on your way to the cooking frontier of Vietnamese food.
Miscellany
Back Roads
Skinner Brown, a 63-year-old farmer and business man, was a pillar of his small-town society until he was busted for possessing $12 million worth of marijuana.
Downtown
It doesn’t matter whether you’re a developer with a million-dollar idea or a homeowner with a yen to remodel. You can’t bend any rule at all without approval from the Board of Adjustment.
Roar of the Crowd
Reading all about it; making the best of it; putting it on the map.
State Secrets
Looking for a place to go in Galveston; Coastal’s pension pipeline; John Hill for the defense; fallout from the East Texas congressional race.