Emotional worlds away, One Day’s Perfect Weather is a catalog of damage and loss among the cognoscenti. It’s a measure of Daniel Stern’s skill that his conceit of building urbane stories on the frames of well-known poetry and music is wholly successful. The U of H professor dispatches his protagonists
Raise your margarita to Rick Riordan for the authentic portrait of his hometown, San Antonio, in The Last King of Texas , his third Tres Navarre mystery. This time out, Navarre finds himself embroiled in an open-and-shut case that won’t stay closed. Engagingly cast with the likes of boss Erainya
Tyler Beard is Texas’—and thus the world’s—top authority on Western wear, and his latest tome is this kicky compendium on the sole of the American West. The author, who lives on a ranch near Goldthwaite, tracks the history of the cowboy boot, tips his hat to 28 custom bootmakers around
The Houston Grand Opera tells a long, long story about love, hate, and a problematic potion. Plus: Austin takes note of the state's hottest Latina performers; Dallas and San Antonio direct themselves into the film spotlight; Port Arthur sings "Happy Birthday" to its most famous daughter; and Dallas gets keyed
Cities across Texas drop the ball to celebrate the new millennium. Plus: The Grace Museum in Abilene puts on a star-studded exhibit; ZZ Top brings a XXX show to Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Houston, Lubbock, and Odessa; the San Angelo Civic Ballet jumps for joy over its Sugar Plum Fairy;
A high school football free-for-all.
How much did baby shoes cost in Texas in December 1899?
It must be a millennial thing. Three people grace the cover of this month’s end-of-the-century issue. One of those three, Willie Nelson, has previously been on the cover of Texas Monthly three times (August 1976, May 1991, and April 1998). Also, the cover was shot in three
FOR US TEXPATRIATES, JOHN CAMPBELL was an excellent choice for “The Texas Twenty” [September 1999]. We miss a lot about Texas and, in particular, Austin. Sadly, friends and co-workers in Southern California don’t get it when we rhapsodize about Central Market: “A grocery store? Whatever.” We try to explain the
DURING THE SIXTIES AND SEVENTIES, emotional issues abounded—civil rights, the Vietnam War, women’s liberation. But what outraged social activist Mickey Leland the most was hunger, and the fact that it existed in his own Houston neighborhood. Early on, Leland’s passion for helping the common people catapulted him into the spotlight.
Forget the recipe secrets. What we want to know is how senior editor Patricia Sharpe—the Calista Flockhart of Texas Monthly—keeps her slender figure. For this month’s cover story on Mexican food (see “The Joy of Mex,”), Sharpe dined at more than 120 restaurants on both sides of the border,
Ricky Martin brings his hipness (and hips) to Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. Plus: The Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame in Hico rounds up a few heroes; a Spring Storm makes a fall premiere in Austin; the No Tsu Oh Festival turns Houston upside down (and backward); and four hot
THE EXCERPT FROM JAN JARBOE Russell’s book on Lady Bird Johnson confirmed my belief that there has always been a Lone Star in that family and it is our state treasure, Lady Bird, not her famous husband [“Alone Together,” August 1999]. I, like most Texans I know, avoid talking
The University of Texas Tower figured in which movies?
Robert Clark has a soft spot in his heart for Odessa, the town that gave him the most important exposure of his career. Back in 1988, Clark quit his job at the Philadelphia Inquirer and sojourned in the West Texas city so that he could shoot the football players at
Art works in two small museums in Port Arthur and Tyler. Plus: A new image projected in Fort Worth; a masterful exhibit mounted and timely music played in Houston; and an in-tents new circus in Austin.
The best and worst of our best and worst legislators.
Why was Eric Dickerson nicknamed Mr. Benny?
Sure, Steve Austin boasts an imposing nickname: Stone Cold. But what the World Wrestling Federation superstar doesn’t know is that Texas Monthly assistant editor John Spong, who profiled him for this year’s Texas Twenty, has a pretty impressive appellation of his own. During his days at Austin’s Westlake High
Lubbock’s Music Crossroads of Texas guarantees that our memories of Buddy Holly will not fade away. Plus: A saintly exhibit in Abilene; the Dallas Theater Center turns forty with a season worth a standing ovation; Bedford sings the blues; and revolutionary art in Houston. THE MAIN EVENTOh, Boy! Because of
CONGRATULATIONS TO TEXAS MONTHLY for your comprehensive look at the life and times of Governor Bush [“Who Is George W. Bush?” June 1999]. I don’t want to diminish an otherwise outstanding effort, but despite your careful fact checking, the articles included a couple of misrepresentations I feel obligated to
On which two sitcoms did Sharon Tate have a guest-starring role?
Bio hazard: Russell ran afoul of her subject.
The Johnson Space Center in Houston puts on an open house that’s out of this world. Plus: A Graves undertaking at the Art Museum of Southeast Texas in Beaumont; Dallas, Fort Worth, and Houston give their regards to Broadway; we’re Floored by a storied dance hall in Helotes; and the
Roping in Ty Murray; Fess Parker—yes, him—on Quanah Parker.
What part did Shelley Duvall beat out Gilda Radner for?
WHEN BOB DAEMMRICH starts snapping pictures in the state capitol, lawmakers snap to attention. They know the 44-year-old photographer is after candid shots for Texas Monthly’s biennial rating of the state’s lawmakers (see “The Best and the Worst Legislators,”). Daemmrich, whose pictures frequently appear in Newsweek and Time, has
From Canyon to Corpus Christi, we celebrate a Lone Star–spangled Fourth. Plus: Brushing up on contemporary art (San Antonio); doing Lunch one last time (Austin); fighting for the crown (Fort Worth); and getting to know the man who knew too much (Houston).
I AM A CASEWORKER WITH CHILD Protective Services in Dallas. Yours was the first article I have seen that honestly described the work we do [“No One Knows What Could Be Happening to Those Kids,” April 1999]. Our days are endless and many of our nights are sleepless because
Which Américo Paredes book was made into a movie starring Edward James Olmos?
Who knew that it would be so hard to get pictures of George W. Bush as a child? Texas Monthly assistant art director Kathy Marcus surely didn’t, but she discovered the truth early on in the course of her photo research for this month’s special issue (see “Who Is George
Piano men—and women—play around at the Van Cliburn Foundation’s amateur night (Fort Worth). Plus: An aquarium you simply have to sea (Galveston); George Bush, the exhibit (Fredericksburg); Cowtown’s sesquicentennial (Fort Worth); and surf’s up…on the wall (Corpus Christi).
ISSUES LIKE YOUR LATEST, “The Best of Small-Town Texas” [March 1999], are why we moved back to Texas.Gary SalyerArlingtonI CANNOT IMAGINE LIVING ANYWHERE ELSE but Hico. I love this town. Everything you said about small towns is so right. The ambience makes up for the lack of malls.Anita MuellerHicoYOUR
The Detroit tigers—literally, Sumatran cats from the Motor City—make their new home at the Dallas Zoo. A house-museum called Rienzi proves that home is where the art is in Houston. Lance Armstrong rides tall in the saddle to fight cancer in Austin. Russia’s Romanov dynasty holds court at the San
Which American president was befriended by Quanah Parker?
RICHARD SPEEDY wasn’t planning on working last January when he took his fifth trip to Mexico’s Copper Canyon, but he happened to be on the same trek as senior editor Joe Nick Patoski, who needed someone to document his crossing of the vast and brutal expanse (see “Let’s Get
Root, root, root for the home teams at the Astrodome and the Ballpark in Arlington. Plus: The lights go up (again) at the State Theater in Austin; motorized masterpieces parade through the streets of Houston; a world-premiere opera in Houston resurrects an old story; and Bonnie and Clyde’s steps are
BECAUSE I WAS BLESSED WITH THE GREATEST BIRTH, childhood, and adolescence in Terrell, watching The Last Picture Show was like a guest shot on This Is Your Life. [“Picture Perfect,” February 1999]. As an L.A. show-biz P.R. type in the early seventies, I breathlessly awaited opening night and sat alone
How did Pecos Bill invent hot sauce?
Charles Ommanney has seen more than his share of tragedy. A native of Great Britain who now calls Texas home, the 33-year-old photojournalist began his career as a war correspondent for the Times of London, photographing the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe, massacres in Rwanda, and destitute refugees in
WE, THE PRODUCERS OF BARNEY & FRIENDS, do have a sense of humor about how the big purple guy comes across to adults [“Bum Steer Awards,” January 1999]. However, the possibility that a person in a bogus Barney costume might harm a child is no laughing matter. That is
For this month’s special issue, twelve writers and five photographers took to the back roads of Texas in search of the things to do and places to go in the little towns of our vast state. All told, they covered more than 41,000 miles in 169 days, taking in everything
THE MAIN EVENTTexas Go Bragh In Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day is a subdued event. Many natives go to church instead of the pub, and they certainly don’t guzzle green beer. Texans, on the other hand, observe the holiday with great fanfare. Dallasites go to the Seventeenth Annual North Texas Irish
Take stock at four of the state’s best rodeos (El Paso, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio). Plus: Matisse and Picasso go brush to brush (Fort Worth); remembering the Alamo yet again (San Antonio); Luciano Pavarotti, small man on campus (Austin); and classical piano movers and shakers (Houston).THE MAIN EVENTCut ‘n’
All-American TroyTHANK YOU, SKIP HOLLANDSWORTH, for showing who Troy Aikman really is: a fierce competitor, a team player, and most of all, a human being [“The Real Troy Aikman,” December 1998]. What he has done on and off the field has made him the best quarterback in the NFL
“When The Last Picture Show came out, everybody was talking about how bleak it all looked, but it just made me kind of homesick,” says Don Graham, who grew up in Collin County. It was 1971, and the then 31-year-old was living in Philadelphia and teaching a class on westerns
Fort Worth and Austin say “Uncle”—Miltie, that is. Plus: The art of rock and roll in Austin; college athletes in the swim in Dallas; an operatic debut in Dallas with a familiar Ring; and a post-war jazz master plays San Antonio. THE MAIN EVENTMust See Mr. TVDear Milton Berle: Or
ALL OUR LIVES—our beliefs, our government, our history—changed that day [“The Assassination at 35,” November 1998]. I was thirteen when President Kennedy was killed, and I have always believed it was a conspiracy. After this issue, I don’t. Sis Hoskins Cedar Creek A PRISTINE PRIMER. Remarkable writing, editing, and photo
The Exum files: No one questions her drive.
How many years after his death did Scott Joplin win a Pulitzer prize?
