What ‘Cheer’ Led To: How Viral Fame Upended Monica Aldama’s Life
Inside the Netflix star and competitive cheerleading coach’s fight against the fallout of instant stardom.
Inside the Netflix star and competitive cheerleading coach’s fight against the fallout of instant stardom.
Turns out the most powerfully restrained actor of his generation is an open book. He and his wife, Kirsten (Dunst—you may have heard of her), welcomed us into their L.A. home and then had us down to Mart, Texas (population 1,748), to meet his folks, who thought he had promise,
Martin Scorsese, Kirsten Dunst, and other collaborators on what makes the Texas-born actor so in demand.
The state’s most powerful figure, Tim Dunn, isn’t an elected official. But behind the scenes, the West Texas oilman and lay preacher is lavishly financing what he regards as a holy war against public education, renewable energy, and non-Christians.
No longer a niche subculture, climbing has attracted converts across the state. Senior editor Forrest Wilder explores the sport—from El Paso’s Hueco Tanks to the cliffs over Lake Marble Falls—and tries to tackle his own white whale.
The dopes, villains, and terrible ideas that bedeviled our beloved state over the past twelve months.
With governments increasingly incapable of addressing everything from homelessness to veterans’ needs, ordinary Texans are stepping into the breach.
The food is from scratch, the decor is from another time, and the welcome is straight from the heart. Here are 31 Texas restaurants we return to again and again.
Decades after the Nashville establishment turned its back on Tanya Tucker, the spitfire from Seminole is finally getting the recognition she deserves. But maybe Music Row needs her more than she needs Music Row.
. . . When it comes to producing renewable energy, winning golf tournaments, banning books, and closing rural hospitals. Why is Texas so darn great . . . and so darn awful?
Some of the best waves in the world are found at the Waco Surf water park, far away from any ocean.
That left the real culprit free to prey on others, including one victim who was ignored for two decades.
After years of struggle, Charley Crockett is on the verge of stardom. The story of how he got here would be unbelievable if it weren’t true.
They’ve overrun nearly the entire state, causing hundreds of millions of dollars in damage annually in spite of widespread attempts at eradication—including traps, contraceptives, and a heavily armed Ted Nugent.
It took him a while to get here, but now he’s out to transform our state with new technologies—if our leaders’ hostility toward renewable energy (and his Twitter misadventures) don’t get in the way.
What seems like an outbreak of local skirmishes is part of a decades-long push to privatize the education system.
The dopes, villains, and terrible ideas that bedeviled our beloved state over the past twelve months. (This time, with slightly less Ted Cruz!)
The Texas troubadour’s farewell lap was full of misadventures and unforgettable moments. Kind of like a classic REK song.
Low primary-election turnout and an anemic Democratic party means statewide officials and legislators are far to the right of most Texans.
Fancy a selfie with state icon Tex Randall? Perhaps a date with a llama? Pull over and stretch your legs at these can’t-miss pit stops.
They’re global icons who have left a lasting imprint on American culture. But do recent controversies threaten the squad’s future?
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.