McCurley was living a quiet life in Fort Worth when new DNA evidence linked him to the notorious crime. Police suspect it wasn’t his first murder—or his last.
38 ways to cool off in our state's springs, lakes, and more.
When she began her year-long bird-spotting adventure, Tiffany Kersten was lost and lonely. She ended up achieving a major milestone—and finding her way.
After a quarter century in statewide office, Texas’s most popular politician remains an enigma—even to the folks who keep electing him. But the truth about the governor is hiding in plain sight.
For fifteen years, my 2005 GMC Sierra has, through good times and bad weather, taken me to every corner of Texas. It might be time to say goodbye, but it won’t be easy.
Restaurants are still struggling, yet new places keep stepping up to the plate. Here are our favorite dishes from the most impressive rookie establishments.
One year after the deadly blackout, Texas officials have done little to prevent the next one—which could be far worse.
A year ago, in this very space, we referred to 2020 as “perhaps the craziest, stupidest, Bum Steeriest year in Texas Monthly’s history.” The unspoken assumption—or perhaps it was a desperate wish—was that 2021 would prove to be at least marginally saner than that misbegotten election year. And how
The record influx of recent arrivals from all over might be exactly what the state needs. That includes Californians. (And no, they’re not turning Texas blue.)
There's a new generation of pitmasters in Texas, and many of them aren't satisfied with simply doing things the same old way. (Though fear not, staunch traditionalists: plenty of them are.)
The party assumes people of color will turn the state blue. But most Tejanos consider themselves white. And more are voting Republican.
Some of the healthiest coral communities in the world beckon off the Texas coast. Can unlikely allies save this undersea paradise?
“ ... I’m not handsome enough to be here, I’m not a good enough songwriter. Just feeling like I didn’t deserve to be in the position that was handed to me.”
His almost superhuman exploits made him one of the West's most feared lawmen. Today, the legendary deputy U.S. marshal is widely believed to be the real Lone Ranger. But his true legacy is even greater.
Is Phil Collins’s legendary Texana collection everything it’s cracked up to be? An adapted excerpt from ‘Forget the Alamo: The Rise and Fall of an American Myth.’
Call it a collective case of cabin fever. Over a year into the coronavirus pandemic, with more and more of us vaccinated, we Texans are ready to get out—out of our homes and, yes, even out of our beloved state. The open highway beckons with the promise of socially distant
As her fiftieth birthday approaches, the writers we’ve gathered to celebrate her are part of a generation of Latinos who came of age after her heyday.
Selena Quintanilla was a Texas icon—a beloved, Grammy-winning artist who touched millions in life and continues to inspire people around the world. As her fiftieth birthday approaches, the writers we’ve gathered to celebrate her are part of a generation of Latinos who came of age after her heyday.
Four Latina musicians chat about code-switching, role models, Freddy Fender, and the importance of growling.
He wanted to become a serious literary novelist, like Faulkner or Hemingway. Fortunately for millions of Hank the Cowdog fans, he failed.
From the Big Bend to East Texas, the Panhandle to the Rio Grande Valley, Texas ranches have been transformed in recent decades by the proliferation of exotic game animals, many of them rare and endangered in their native habitats. With the rise of “Texotics” has come an army of
Jesse Griffiths goes hog wild to reinvent a favorite childhood meal.
Sprawling ranches. Rare animals. Rich folks with guns. Welcome to the state’s booming business of stalking wildlife from around the globe.
Let’s face it: this was no one’s favorite year. Here are a few dozen reasons why.
Your guide to the many types of tacos around the state, where to find them, and how to enjoy them!
In 2016 a popular teenager disappeared in the tiny Panhandle community of Canadian. Two years later, his remains were discovered beneath a tree outside of town. But to this day, no arrests have been made, and it seems that nearly everyone involved in the case has fallen under suspicion.
Vegans want to end the killing of animals. Scientists say livestock are accelerating climate change. COVID-19 is ravaging meat-packers. Texas beef is under fire—but all across the industry, from the pasture to the butcher case, a vision of more sustainable burgers and briskets is beginning to come into focus.
As the state started shutting down, one man took to the coast in search of a different kind of solitude. And seashells.
But for heaven’s sake, the best-selling author, unapologetic cusser, and fifth-generation Texan would rather not be called that.
And they've been dangerously slow to respond to the coronavirus.
Across the state, small towns are fading away. But in a few places, rich people are spending big to revive them. And that comes with its own set of complications.
A decade ago, there was no Texas whiskey. Today, the state’s craft distillers are making world-class bourbons and single malts—and slick imitators are trying to stake a claim.
While a new generation of scholars is rewriting our history, supporters of the traditional narratives are fighting to keep their grip on the public imagination.
We traveled 3,000 miles to find the state’s best little country joints. Welcome to neon nirvana.
No matter how incendiary his latest tweet or policy might seem, Donald Trump can count on evangelical preacher and Fox News fixture Robert Jeffress to defend him. What’s behind the Dallas pastor’s unconditional embrace?
Where to Stay Now, 2019: Whether it’s a restored Dallas gem, a coastal B&B, or a pueblo paradise in the Trans-Pecos, it’s choose your own adventure, Texas-style.
Our 2019 midterm report of the best new places has a global feel. But don’t worry—we haven’t forgotten about the brisket.
The outspoken congressman left a promising career in the CIA and became a rising Republican star. But his political balancing act is dicier than ever.
Beaver Aplin built the quirky convenience chain into a Texas empire. Will his tactics translate outside the state?
He built an oil empire, revitalized the state’s Republican party, gave rise to a political dynasty, and forever changed the Lone Star State. Yet the question dogged him his entire life: Was he a real Texan or merely a Yankee transplant?
From gymnast Simone Biles and Houston mayor Sylvester Turner to political megadonor Tim Dunn, here are 31 Texans who are changing the way we think about politics, education, food, philanthropy, and, well, pretty much everything else.
We asked five of the state's top chefs to create festive meals to serve this season. What we got was a cornucopia of global flavors. Follow these recipes and your Texas table will never be the same again.
How the trashiest, campiest show on television revolutionized pop culture, rebooted Texas’s reputation, and helped bring down the Romanian government. (Maybe!)
A year after Hurricane Harvey brought Houston to its knees, the city is still wrestling with how to prepare for the next great storm. There’s no shortage of good ideas, but in Houston, that’s never been the problem.
Dismayed by sky-high rents and yearning for a slower-paced lifestyle, a new generation of Texans is ditching the big city and fostering a Rural renaissance across the state.
Five decades ago, Myrtis Dightman broke the color barrier in professional rodeo and became one of the best bull riders who ever lived. But his imprint on the sport was only just beginning.
Port Aransas has always been a place for Texans to relax, play, and make lasting memories. Now, after Harvey, it needs us just as much as we need it.
A massive urban renewal project that’s reviving the plaza culture. An Alamo fight centuries in the making. Avant-garde Mexican food inspired by Maya trade routes. Three hundred years after the city’s founding, San Antonio might just be the most interesting city in America.
From the red-rock canyons of the Panhandle to the towering forests of the Piney Woods, some of the best parts of our state are accessible only by foot.
The country music provocateur and East Texas native talks growing up, ”getting weird” onstage, and taking risks with her new album.
