Henry Cisneros’ power derived from his ability to bring people together. It was supposed to get him elected governor, senator, president. He’s finally the president, all right —of a Spanish-language TV network. And all thoughts of a career in public life are in the past.
Why is he a cult hero to deejays and record collectors— and why is he such a recluse? I wanted to know, so I tried to find him. And I did, in an upscale Houston neighborhood. And we drank beer.
Coming of age in Odessa and Midland.
When you’re underpaid, inexperienced, and overloaded with files detailing allegations of child abuse, there is a limit to how well you can do your job. Eight months in the life of an investigative team in the Travis County office of Child Protective Services.
Out of uniform, in his own words, Texas icon Nolan Ryan on baseball, ranching, values, and his love for his native state.
La Grange’s Mr. Barbecue, the police chief of Athens: fifteen local characters with, er, character.
Twenty years ago, he was inspired by the redneck rock of Steve Fromholz and Guy Clark. On his new album, he says thanks.
As the Worm turns.
Since I started taking Viagra, I have had the time of my life. You can too—but there’s more to romance than a little blue pill.
The birds of High Island. The wilderness of Matagorda Island. The untamed beach of Boca Chica. These and other hidden treasures await you-if you know where to look.
For fifteen years Galveston knew Tim Kingsbury as a civic leader and do-gooder. Then the wife—and life—he deserted back in Ohio caught up with him in Texas.
More than a year after his death, he’s still being remembered as the best Texas songwriter of his time. This month’s star-studded Austin City Limits tribute shows why.
In sleepy Carthage a rich, haughty widow disappears, and nobody seems to notice. When she turns up dead, everybody seems to feel sympathy for the nice young man who killed her.
It’s unpalatable to cattle, an invader of grasslands, and a water hog. So why can’t I just get rid of it? Because it’s a vegetative Vietnam.
The life and legacy of a Texas icon.
Has the best-known Latina writer of our day painted herself into a corner?
For decades, Bobby Bland has personified the definitive post–T-Bone Walker Texas R&B style. Even at 67, no one can dethrone him.
The Dallas Cowboys old-timers reunion is over, but for one evening it was possible to remember when pro football was fun, players were loyal, and even a sportswriter could fall in love with his team.
Don’t miss your ’cue: We pick the top joints in Texas for brisket, ribs, sausage, and all the sides. Plus, the godfather of barbacoa, the biggest free feast in the state, and more.
William Guess seemed to be an ordinary man: He had a wife and three children and owned his own business. So why did he become the most prolific bank robber in Texas history?
All she did was walk into the bar, sit down, and smile. But I knew right away why, even at age fifty, Farrah Fawcett is still an angel.
Obituaries are a grave matter, of course. But they can also be funny, insightful, and poetic, which is why I’m so obsessed with them.
David Graham and Diane Zamora were intelligent, young, and in love. And they shared a secret: They had brutally murdered Adrianne Jones.
For the Wilsons of Dallas, taking pictures was a family affair. Today the mother is a successful photographer and her boys are hot Hollywood commodities. Here’s a look at Laura Wilson’s personal album.
The art of throwing punches, the science of skipping rope, and other reasons why boxing is a hit with me.
Texas’ top drug lawyer helps dope dealers and cocaine kingpins beat their raps—and he’s proud of it.
The shocking and sad story of the East Texas kids who beat a horse to death just for the thrill of it.
You know the real reason Texas Stadium has no roof? So Jerry Jones can get his head inside. (Or, how the Cowboys owner’s ego makes it hard to root for America’s Team.)
The Tiny town of Mullin adopted its high school football heroes in more ways than one. These foster children and native sons had the time of their lives playing in the Super Bowl of six-man football.
Mary Kay Ash and Jinger Heath have made fortunes getting women to buy and sell their beauty products. But no lipstick or powder can conceal the ugliness between these Dallas cosmetics queens.
Freddy Fender has one of the most affecting voices in the music business. So why isn’t he a star?
From invention to litigation, the breast implant has done more for Houston’s economy—and its psyche—than anything since oil.
Just as congressional hearings are set to begin, an exclusive excerpt from a new book casts a different light on the government’s role in the fiery end to the siege at Mount Carmel.
How an old-fashioned Texas physician fought the takeover of modern medicine by heartless insurance companies—and lost.
Come hell or high water, you’ll want to read our compilation of down-home aphorisms.
How the Republicans took over Texas—and what it means.
Frank talk about LBJ’s life, JFK’s death, the promise of Hillary Clinton, the perils of Oliver North—and more.
Anna Nicole Smith got her man: the full story on the big gal’s marriage to octogenarian oilman J. Howard Marshall.
The survivor of a long and torturous journey, George Jones stands alone as the greatest country singer alive.
We are sixth-generation Texans and we are Jews. My family’s history is an account of the price we have paid to be both.
A look back at San Antonio Fiesta gowns reveals how the dresses have gone from elegant to excessive.
What’s eating Ann Richards? As her reelection campaign finally gets in high gear, the governor seems to be fighting a case of the mopes.
Are the legendary lawmen necessary? Yes, but their inability to grapple with the modern world threatens to make them irrelevant.
How 89-year-old Harvey Penick turned life’s lessons into a best-selling book—and followed it up with another master stroke.
Dallas police say Charles Albright is the coldest, most depraved killer of women in the city’s history. To me, he seems like a perfect gentleman. Maybe too perfect.
He waffled about the Senate seat, then sought safe harbor in Bill Clinton’s cabinet. Why did Henry Cisneros choose HUD over headlines? Only he knows for sure.
For years he renounced his Texas ties. Now Larry McMurty is once again calling Archer City home.
A strand-by-strand look at the roots of a Texas phenomenon.
From Scott Joplin to ZZ Top, a comprehensive guide to the best Texas music on CD.
Janis Joplin’s life was about music, rebellion, and excess—but she was influenced most by her tormented relationship with the people and spirit of Port Arthur.
