
August 2018 Issue

Features


The High-Stakes Race to Create the World’s First Artificial Heart
In this exclusive excerpt from 'Ticker: The Quest to Create an Artificial Heart,' world-renowned Houston surgeon Bud Frazier races to help an ailing patient by implanting a revolutionary device that may one day save millions of lives.

The Texanist: Great Small Towns That Have Gone Untouched by a Hipster
The Texanist on five great small towns that are (pretty much) just like they always were and don’t need to change at all.

Small Towns: Where to Stay, Eat, Shop, and Find Creative Inspiration
These intimate retreats, elevated restaurants, stylish boutiques, and sophisticated art spaces would be right at home in the big city.

Schlitterbahn’s Tragic Slide
Jeff Henry often said that his goal in life was to make customers of his family’s legendary water parks happy—“to put a smile on their faces, to give them a thrill or two.” It was a beautiful vision. Until it went horribly wrong.
The State


At Home With Magnolia’s Billy Jack Brawner
After being discovered by Joanna Gaines, the photographer moved his family of five into a midcentury Waco home that's a work in progress.

Where to Experience the New Corpus Christi
Visit this coastal city, and you’ll find a transformation led by locals who are revitalizing old buildings with cool, modern concepts.

Dining Guide: Highlights From Our August 2018 Issue
We review more than sixty restaurants each month. Here’s a peek at what’s new!

Charles Foster on the Immigration Conundrum
The solutions to our current crisis on the border are relatively simple, says Houston immigration expert Charles Foster. But our politicians don’t have the nerve to make them happen.

Proxy War: The U.S. Senate Race in Texas and President Trump
Ted Cruz versus Beto O’Rourke may be the most anticipated Texas race on the November ballot, but June’s state party conventions were all about Donald Trump.

Meanwhile, in Texas: A Semitrailer Overturned and Spilled Its Load of Honeybees
Plus, a pink-diaper-wearing emotional support pigeon was reunited with its owner.

Augustine Frizzell Is ‘Never Goin’ Back’
In her twenties, Dallas filmmaker Augustine Frizzell was a single mom and struggling actor. Now 39, she’s poised to conquer Hollywood.

‘Astroball’ Shows Us How the Astros Won It All—and How They Might Do It Again
Ben Reiter’s new book offers a comprehensive account of how the Astros became the next American baseball dynasty.

Go Around the World at Poitín in Houston
Cultural influences come together in delicious harmony at this exciting global restaurant.


Two Korean Hot Spots Redefine Spa Culture in Dallas
Leave your modesty (and shoes) at the door—but don’t forget your bathing suit—when you visit King Spa or its rival, Spa Castle.

The Texanist: Should I Let My Kids Splash Around in a Snake-Infested Swimming Hole?
A Central Texas mom tries to strike a balance between innocent summertime fun and her worst slithering, venomous nightmare.

The Texanist: Bob Wills Played a Song About WHAT?!?
A Tulsa woman thinks the king of western swing had a raunchy side. Her husband isn't buying it.