The Stand Up Desk
November 28, 2022
The Writer Behind an Enduring Portrait of West Texas Life
Sterry Butcher on the path that led her to move to Marfa and find God “in the details” while writing about rural Texas.
Marfa
Politics & Policy
September 6, 2022
The Politics of Adobe Could Reshape Far West Texas
The humble material has long been used to build homes in the desert. But working with adobe isn’t so simple anymore.
Libations
May 25, 2022
Who’s Allowed to Make Sotol?
A group of Mexican sotoleros, an activist, and some Mexican government officials take issue with Texas-based producers of the rising spirit.
Texas History
March 28, 2022
The Texas Monthly Writer Who Set Out to Find “Real” Texas—in Marfa
Over several years, Richard West spent two months in seven Texas locales. His reporting eventually won the National Magazine Award.
Travel & Outdoors
March 10, 2022
Where to Shop in Marfa
Here’s where to make a day of it in this creative West Texas enclave.
Country Notes
February 9, 2022
Marfa Meats Brings a Slaughterhouse Back to the Big Bend
Small-town locker plants, lifelines for rural Texans for generations, have vanished from parts of the state. Christy Miller’s company is an exception.
Libations
January 11, 2022
Three Texas Brands Pay Homage to the Spirits of the Desert
These iterations of tequila, pechuga, and sotol—all made from desert plants found in Texas and Mexico—are indicative of the trans-border spirit.
Art
October 7, 2021
From California Artists, a Stinging Critique of Texas’s Relationship to Its Land
An ambitious traveling exhibition asks how we became a state of endless fences, dams, and gas flares.
Food & Drink
September 14, 2021
Dining Guide: Highlights From Our October Issue
What to order for takeout at restaurants around the state, plus some pro tips.
Recipes
June 8, 2021
A Spicy Spring Cocktail With West Texas Roots
The Desert Plant & Pepper appears as soft and alluring as a glass of pink lemonade, but prepare your palate for a punch.
Music
May 6, 2021
Miranda Lambert on the Most Unapologetically Texas Album of Her Career
While sitting in a parked car in Marfa last September, the musicians Miranda Lambert, Jack Ingram, and Jon Randall listened to their “work tapes”—what songwriters call raw recordings they typically make just after finishing a song. These iPhone recordings documented the trio of Texas natives’ four trips over seven years
Food & Drink
April 9, 2021
A Hedonist’s Guide to Dining in and Around Big Bend
For a food obsessive like me, Big Bend’s culinary scene rivals the nature.
Country Notes
February 11, 2021
The Girls of Lumber Club Marfa Work to Master the Craft of the Three-legged Stool
During the past few years, a small group of girls in Marfa has used the simple wooden stool to create a business that has, well, legs.
Travel & Outdoors
October 21, 2020
Tour de Texas, Week 7: Tough Climbs and Spectacular Views in West Texas
Bicycling the Big Bend region was an unforgettable experience, with beautiful desert and mountain vistas making up for the painful hills.
The Culture
January 22, 2020
A Battle for the Soul of Marfa
What happens when a wealthy patron wears out his welcome?
By
Mimi Swartz
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Style & Design
December 18, 2019
A Retreat Under the West Texas Sky
This Marfa getaway takes advantage of the incredible desert and mountain views in every possible way.
Art
November 20, 2019
How a Brazilian Artist Found Inspiration in West Texas Prehistory and Deep Ecology
Solange Pessoa’s new exhibition at Ballroom Marfa, ‘Longilonge,’ is rooted in archaeology and human psychology.
Being Texan
November 4, 2019
The National Media Hilariously Misunderstands Texas Geography
All the news from the “Dallas suburb” of Marfa and the “adjacent” regions of El Paso and the Rio Grande Valley.
By
Dan Solomon
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Books
October 23, 2019
A Garden Grows in West Texas
The coffee table book ‘Marfa Gardens’ proves that there’s more to desert flora than cactus and agave.
By
Jeff Salamon
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Books
October 21, 2019
Rachel Monroe’s Life of Crime
In ‘Savage Appetites,’ the Marfa journalist tries to understand her—and other women’s—obsession with violent criminal acts.
Country Notes
September 18, 2019
Long Live the ‘Big Bend Sentinel.’ Viva ‘El Internacional.’
Small-town papers often serve as bearers of civic pride. But the former owners of Marfa’s Big Bend Sentinel and Presidio’s International learned long ago that writing the news meant looking out for their neighbors.
The Texanist
August 11, 2019
The Texanist: Are the Marfa Lights Overrated?
An El Paso man wasn’t impressed by his recent viewing of the West Texas phenomenon.
Arts & Entertainment
April 1, 2019
C3 Cancels Its Plans for a Marfa Music Festival in 2020
After a community outcry, the company behind ACL Fest and Lollapalooza postpones its plans for an event next year, but the future is uncertain.
By
Dan Solomon
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Country Notes
February 20, 2019
The Romance of the Rail in West Texas
The railway and Marfa are forever intertwined.
BBQ Joint Reviews
January 18, 2019
With Convenience West, Marfa Finally Has a Real BBQ Joint, and It’s a Work of Art
Former Maiya's chef Mark Scott and his partners have created something special with inventive sides and memorable smoked meat.
Film & TV
January 8, 2019
Marfa Is Now Such a Stereotype They Can Mock It on ‘The Simpsons’
Bart, Homer, Lisa, Marge, and Grampa Simpson made the trip on Sunday night.
By
Dan Solomon
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Texas History
January 3, 2019
Marfa’s Blackwell School Has a Painful Past. That’s Why the Town Wants to Save It.
A segregated school for Mexican American children until 1965, the building now serves as a community center and celebration of Hispanic life.
Arts & Entertainment
October 23, 2018
On ‘Parts Unknown,’ Anthony Bourdain Asks If West Texans Are the Platonic Ideal of Texans
Spoiler: The answer is yes.
Style & Design
June 28, 2018
Go Inside Hotelier Liz Lambert’s Private Marfa Retreat
No Wi-Fi, no problem. ‘The Queen of Cool' turned an old ranch bunkhouse into a West Texas getaway, complete with a dreamy desert bathhouse.
The Texanist
June 3, 2018
The Texanist: Can a Born-and-Bred Big-City Boy Learn to Love Fort Stockton?
A Houstonian turned New Yorker’s company is relocating him to small-town West Texas. If life were a sitcom, that would be pretty funny.
The Texanist
January 27, 2018
The Texanist: Any Recommendations for a Big Bend Newbie?
A 39-year resident of Houston is gearing up for his first experience of the greatest road trip Texas has to offer.
Country Notes
November 22, 2017
The Marfa Mystique
Outsiders remain fascinated with unraveling the secrets of this place. But locals can explain, one story at a time.
Country Notes
June 21, 2017
The Purest Type
Pronghorn were almost perfectly fitted to the West Texas landscape. And then people started building fences.
Film & TV
April 19, 2017
Prime Opportunity
How a native Marfan's short story landed him a job on Amazon Prime's anticipated 'I Love Dick.'
Travel & Outdoors
March 2, 2017
Music to our Ears
Austin celebrates its beloved Eklektikos deejay for his fifty years on air.
The Culture
February 21, 2017
Snake!
In West Texas, we've learned to live with our slithery neighbors. Not that we have a choice.
Travel & Outdoors
December 29, 2016
Rock Around the Clock
Ten concerts to ring in your new year.
Travel & Outdoors
December 27, 2016
15 Highlights From My 2016 Texas Wanderings
The best sights, bites, and experiences from my travels around the state this year.
Travel & Outdoors
November 22, 2016
Saving Grace
Eleven ideas for holiday fun after the turkey sandwiches are gone and Uncle Al wants to talk about politics.
Travel & Outdoors
November 11, 2016
Renaissance Man
Step into the Sistine Chapel to gaze at the famed Michelangelo frescoes—in Dallas.
Travel & Outdoors
September 22, 2016
Music, Love, and Baseball
The eleventh annual Trans-Pecos Festival, at El Cosmico in Marfa, brings together not just top musical acts but a community of baseball aficionados.
Film & TV
August 26, 2016
What Does the New Show ‘I Love Dick’ Say About Marfa?
A new Amazon Prime show is partially set in the West Texas town, the latest Hollywood-ification of the far-flung locale.
Travel & Outdoors
July 24, 2016
Throwback Texas Trip Inspiration
Vacation envy, vintage edition.
Country Notes
July 20, 2016
Toast of the Town
In Marfa, there’s one place where everybody knows your name.
Film & TV
July 15, 2016
On the Shoulders of Giants
How the essence of the Lone Star State was captured on film.
Art
June 22, 2016
Miracle in the Desert
Robert Irwin’s long-awaited Marfa installation is a work like no other: a massive project that reflects the austere, light-filled beauty of West Texas.
Travel & Outdoors
May 20, 2016
Celebrating Vintage Bathing Beauties, Texas Jazz, Dazed and Confused, and More
Six of the state’s top event offerings.
Travel & Outdoors
May 12, 2016
The Best Texas Hotel Awards
The most superlative amenities at the state's top getaways.
Made in Texas
March 23, 2016
Marfa Brands
Ginger Griffice is cleaning up with her soap-making company.
Travel & Outdoors
March 10, 2016
The Ultimate Texas Road Trip
And the apps to download before you go.