Tom Brown’s Body
November 3, 2020
Tom Brown’s Body, Chapter 6: The Thicket
“I’m like, ‘What in the heck is that?’ So, I walk around some shrubs, and as I get closer, I can see that it kind of looks like bone.”
Features
Music
November 1, 2020
Jerry Jeff Walker, Remembered by Lyle Lovett, Lucinda Williams, Dan Rather, and Many, Many Others
The New York–born singer-songwriter got to Texas as soon as he could—and spent the next five decades changing the lives of seemingly everyone he met.
Tom Brown’s Body
October 27, 2020
Tom Brown’s Body, Chapter 5: Unusual Suspects
“It’s kind of strange that your investigator calls this search, and, lo and behold, right after he starts the search, a cellphone is found.”
True Crime
October 21, 2020
“It’s the Most Outrageous Thing I’ve Ever Seen. It Makes No Sense.”
DNA evidence proved Lydell Grant's innocence. So why won't the state’s highest criminal court exonerate him?
Tom Brown’s Body
October 20, 2020
Tom Brown’s Body, Chapter 4: Lake Marvin Road
“I'm sitting there thinking, ‘Oh God, I'm so scared right now.’ I couldn't convince them. And so I just let them hammer me.”
Politics & Policy
October 14, 2020
Don’t Call Texas’s Latino Voters the “Sleeping Giant”
They're not disengaged—they’re waiting to be heard, and fully understood.
Politics & Policy
October 14, 2020
Texas Will Be Turning Blue Any Second Now
A short history of overoptimistic predictions about the always-imminent liberal takeover of the Lone Star State.
Politics & Policy
October 14, 2020
Even if Trump Wins Texas, the GOP Is Facing a Historical Reckoning
The election has yet to be decided, but one result can already be called: the Texas Republican party has lost its ability to speak to much of the electorate. And Democrats are poised to reap the benefits.
Politics & Policy
October 14, 2020
Sixteen Candidates on Policing and the Black Lives Matter Movement
We surveyed a range of Texas politicians in competitive races to see how they’re addressing the demands of the movement.
Politics & Policy
October 13, 2020
The Biggest Fight in the State? Control Over the Texas House.
For the first time in a decade the Texas House—and influence over redistricting—is in play. Will it slip out of the Democratic party’s grasp once again?
Texas History
October 13, 2020
Remember That Time a Nuclear Weapons Bunker Blew Up in San Antonio?
In 1963, Lackland Air Force Base experienced a cataclysmic explosion. People thought World War III had started. Today, it's been almost completely forgotten.
Tom Brown’s Body
October 13, 2020
Tom Brown’s Body, Chapter 3: “Evil Has Come to Canadian, Texas”
“Makes you want to go to the church, get on your knees, and say a few words, right?”
Politics & Policy
October 12, 2020
Virtual or Viral? Candidates Face Tough Choices About How to Campaign During a Pandemic.
An all-virtual election bid might be the right thing to do. But will it cost some Democrats their races?
Politics & Policy
October 10, 2020
Wendy Davis Is a Feminist Icon. Chip Roy Is a Ted Cruz Protégé. What’s a Swing District to Do?
He’s as red as a rose; she’s as blue as the state flower. And now the two congressional candidates are locked in a throwdown in a district that is neither.
The Texanist
October 8, 2020
The Texanist: What Would the World Be Like if Willie Nelson Had Never Happened?
An Austin man ponders the unthinkable.
Music
October 8, 2020
Why We Need Willie Nelson Now, More Than Ever
We didn’t really need a reason to write a bunch of stories about the Red Headed Stranger. But we had a few.
Music
October 8, 2020
Willie Nelson, Guitarist
Over the decades, he and Trigger have created an unmistakable—and uncannily human—sound.
Music
October 8, 2020
Willie Nelson, Interpreter of the Great American Songbook
Everyone knew Willie could write great songs and sing them too. But no one—except Willie, of course—believed he could masterfully cover Gershwin and Ellington.
Music
October 8, 2020
Willie Nelson, the People’s Champion
The man from Abbott has never forgotten his humble roots—and has tirelessly devoted himself to helping others.
Music
October 8, 2020
Willie Nelson, Landlord
Before he moved his home and his headquarters out to the Hill Country, Willie conducted an experiment in communal living right in the heart of Austin. It was as crazy as you might expect—and helped turn a sleepy college town into the Live Music Capital of the World.
Music
October 8, 2020
I Wasn’t a Big Willie Nelson Fan. These Ten Songs Turned Me Into One.
Learning to love Texas’s most iconic country musician, one song at a time.
Music
October 8, 2020
Willie Nelson, Songwriter
Simple is simply moving to me: How Willie does so much with so little.
Politics & Policy
October 8, 2020
What If They Held an Election and Everyone Came?
State leaders have long tried to correct for the problem of too much democracy. But voters may get the last laugh this election.
Politics & Policy
October 7, 2020
A New Manifesto for Texas Conservatives
As a lifelong Republican—and, more recently, dedicated Never Trumper—it’s clear to me that the state GOP desperately needs to enter the twenty-first century.
Tom Brown’s Body
October 6, 2020
Tom Brown’s Body, Chapter 2: Tom’s Loop
“My gut tells me he hasn't left Hemphill County. I think he's here somewhere, and I don't know if he intends to come out in the next day or two.”
Business
October 3, 2020
Why Is American Airlines So Infuriating?
With its industry reeling, the Fort Worth–based airline giant is quietly betting that diminished competition will keep passengers coming—even as they grumble about the carrier’s poor service, late arrivals, and the jam-packing of its flights amid the pandemic.
Tom Brown’s Body
September 29, 2020
Tom Brown’s Body
In 2016 a popular teenager disappeared in the tiny Panhandle community of Canadian, Texas. Two years later, his remains were discovered beneath a tree outside of town. But to this day, no arrests have been made, and nearly everyone involved in the case has fallen under suspicion. Beginning September 29,
Tom Brown’s Body
September 29, 2020
Tom Brown’s Body, Chapter 1: A Pretty Little Place
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.
Art
September 16, 2020
James Magee Has Been Working on His Masterpiece for Decades, but Completion Isn’t the Point
The Hill, located in the West Texas desert, stirs visitors to confront what they cannot comprehend.
Politics & Policy
September 16, 2020
Are We Ready to Rehabilitate George W. Bush’s Reputation?
Can a batch of new books, a documentary, and Donald Trump’s calamitous administration resuscitate the legacy of our 43rd president—and his illustrious family?
Politics & Policy
September 8, 2020
How James Baker Became James Baker
In this exclusive excerpt from the forthcoming ‘The Man Who Ran Washington,’ two veteran political correspondents recount how the future Reagan and Bush cabinet member's family legacy, a personal tragedy, and a friendship forged on the Houston Country Club’s tennis courts put a restless middle-aged lawyer on the path to
Texas History
August 19, 2020
The Statues Are Coming Down. Maybe That’s a Missed Opportunity.
As monuments to slaveholders, Confederate soldiers, and Texas Rangers disappear across the state, we’re being forced to reconsider what should be honored, what should be commemorated, and what it’s time to let go of.
Health
August 19, 2020
What’s Harvard’s Beef With Texas A&M?
Nutritionists have debated for decades the risks and benefits of eating red meat. But now the fight is getting ugly, with each side accusing the other of conflicts of interest.
Food & Drink
August 19, 2020
The Better Beef Buying Guide
A growing number of independent specialty shops around the state offer tightly curated selections from local producers.
True Crime
August 19, 2020
The Wildest Insurance Fraud Scheme Texas Has Ever Seen
Over a decade, Theodore Robert Wright III destroyed cars, yachts, and planes. That was only the half of it.
Books
August 19, 2020
Vivian Stephens Helped Turn Romance Writing Into a Billion-Dollar Industry. Then She Got Pushed Out.
Now, as the Romance Writers of America reckons with its history of racism, will she finally get her due?
Food & Drink
August 12, 2020
The Quest for Better Beef
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.
The Culture
July 22, 2020
Why Alyssa Edwards Is Forever a Texan
She’s one of the nation’s most influential drag queens, jet-setting from Europe to Australia. But she’d rather be at a dance school in Garland.
Politics & Policy
July 22, 2020
After the Protests: Four Perspectives on the State’s Criminal Justice System
While demonstrators marched in cities and towns across the country, a police union rep, an activist, a legislator, and an attorney sat down to discuss how to break the deadlock and bring about better policing.
Travel & Outdoors
July 22, 2020
A Four-Day, 65-Mile Walk Along the Texas Coast
As the state started shutting down, one man took to the coast in search of a different kind of solitude. And seashells.
Being Texan
June 24, 2020
Do You Have What It Takes to Be a Master Auctioneer?
Eight days inside America’s Auction Academy, learning the secrets of “the dynamo from Dallas.”
Food & Drink
June 24, 2020
How Texas Restaurants Are Innovating to Survive the Pandemic
Chefs and owners have had to adapt quickly and nimbly, with takeout, meal kits, booze to go, and reconfigured dining spaces. Will it be enough to survive?
Film & TV
June 24, 2020
Richard Linklater, the Everyday Auteur
For decades, the Texas director’s movies have celebrated the sort of mundane yet consequential interactions that the coronavirus took from us. He’s still at it, albeit temporarily cut off from the film community he helped build.
Business
June 24, 2020
Why Urban Sprawl Could Actually Be a Boon in the New Economy
After the pandemic, will Texas's wide open cityscapes lure big business?
Health
June 24, 2020
Virtual Fitness May Be Here to Stay
How the rise of living room calisthenics is challenging boutique gyms and fitness titans like Gold's Gym.
Health
June 18, 2020
How the Pandemic Revealed an Unexpected Benefit of Telehealth
Heart failure nurse Suzanne Ohlmann finds intimacy in challenging circumstances.
Energy
June 18, 2020
The “Mother Fracker” Reckons With the Mother of All Oil Busts
Pioneer CEO Scott Sheffield has been through more ups and downs than just about anyone in the business. This bust, he says, will change everything—forever.
Politics & Policy
June 18, 2020
The Next Legislature Will Meet Amid an Economic Nightmare. What Could Go Wrong?
It's March 2021 and Democrats are in power again, the state budget is a bloodbath, and the coronavirus stalks the Capitol.
Health
June 18, 2020
The Key to Mending the Economy? Expanding Health-Care Access
No, Medicaid expansion isn’t a perfect solution. But it’s the best way to ensure more workers can return to their jobs.
Being Texan
June 18, 2020
What the Pandemic Taught Me About Old-Fashioned Romance
“Six feet away” can be very, very sexy.