April 2010 Issue

Consider the Oyster

If you’re a half shell fanatic like me, you’ll be just as alarmed as I was to hear that oystermen in Galveston Bay—the source of some of the country’s most delicious mollusks —are still struggling to make it after Hurricane Ike.

Head Case

Depending on your point of view, the firing of Mike Leach, Texas Tech’s controversial football coach, was about the state of football (the sport has gone soft), concussions (they are a potentially life-threatening condition), or celebrity meddling (Craig James was a helicopter dad). But is it possible that Leach has

The Lost Girls

Every year thousands of women are smuggled into the United States and forced to work as prostitutes. Many of them end up in Houston, in massage parlors and spas. Most of them will have a hard time ever getting out.

Fear Less

Can new research predict which soldiers will suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder—and which won’t?

Court Attack

How the Citizens United decision could spell doom for democracy in Texas.

The Departed

They say you can’t go home again—especially when pretty much your entire family has moved away.

How to Snap the Perfect Bluebonnet Photo

No mantel in Texas is complete without a bluebonnet photograph. But as any amateur roadside shutterbug will tell you, it’s notoriously difficult to capture the stately flower on film. The bloom’s vibrant colors look washed-out; the petal’s delicate details are lost in a blur. “The flowers are small,” says

Caring for the Homeless

Alan Graham on caring for the homeless.

Will Sheff

The creative force behind Austin’s Okkervil River has taken on a new role as record producer of True Love Cast Out All Evil (Anti-), the first studio album from 13th Floor Elevators front man and psychedelic rock pioneer Roky Erickson in fourteen years. The 62-year-old Erickson has had a

Hippies

You’ve heard it before: the thin, reverb-heavy recording; the erratic tempos; the thundering floor toms; the disaffected vocals buried under trebly, ham-fisted guitar chords. Harlem, an Austin trio by way of Tucson, worships at the altar of garage rock, and at first listen, there doesn’t seem to be much

Let the Light In

Over time, a musician’s career can take unexpected turns. Many artists peak early and stagnate, while others suddenly find their footing and make that leap from something good to something special. When this happens, the performer often seems as surprised as the audience. The past couple albums from Austin singer-songwriter

Charles Bowden

Murder City: Ciudad Juárez and the Global Economy’s New Killing Fields offers a brutally frank snapshot of the descent of this major metropolis—just across the Rio Grande from downtown El Paso—into virtually unchecked bloodshed. Bowden, an acclaimed author and journalist, resides in Tucson and is a contributing editor for

Secret Daughter

Secret Daughter, the debut from Dallas novelist Shilpi Somaya Gowda, is a story born of two young couples in the year 1984. From the Indian farming village of Dahanu, the teenage Kavita Merchant carries her newborn daughter, Usha, to a Bombay orphanage to save her from near-certain death

Newspaper Blackout

Austin Kleon is quick to acknowledge that, far from inventing the poem-creating technique he uses in Newspaper Blackout—taking an indelible marker to the New York Times and blacking out text until new meaning emerges from the remaining words—he is cribbing a style of writing probably invented 250 years

Life Cycle

Horton Foote’s bountiful last act.

The Dallas Arts District

Nineteen blocks of culture and creativity breathe life into the north side of downtown.

Ray Washburne’s Office Wall

Dallas entrepreneur Ray Washburne has two passions: restaurants and real estate.

Ghassan “Gus” Karim, Tailor

Karim, who immigrated to the U.S. in 1969, has been a master tailor for fifty years. He is the owner of Gassane Tailors, in Austin, and has made custom suits for Bill Clements, Lyndon B. Johnson, and George W. Bush.My father was a tailor and had a big shop in

Dead Men Walking

Coach Tom Penders and Houston’s Moment of March Madness in Spokane.

Other Shoe Drops—But Not On Allen Fletcher

Tomball state representative Allen Fletcher is on his way to a second term. His former business associate may be on his way to the federal penitentiary.

When DAs Attack!

The Mineola child sex ring scandal keeps getting weirder.

The Big D

How a German Basketballer of the Year became the pride of the Dallas Mavericks.

Where to Eat in Austin

Navigating the crowds and lines at SXSW can be tiresome and frustrating. To make life a little easier, we've put together a list of some of our favorite places to eat in the Capital City. Bon appétit.

The Skinny on Eating Healthy

Everything is bigger in Texas, including our belt size. Find out how to slim down and still enjoy a brisket sandwich or two.

The Manual 2.0

Memories of a Guitar Picker

Willie Nelson called him a show off, Charley Pride and Jim Cullen both asked him to join their bands, and Hank Williams Sr. was a close friend.

The Simple Life

Growing up in a small town has its privileges.

Made in Texas

What weighs 32,000 pounds and is more than thirty feet tall? The largest DNA in the state.

Poetry in Motion

Bands inspire Thax Douglas. And, sometimes, he inspires bands.

I’m With the Band

Texas Monthly talks to four up-and-coming Texas bands looking to break out at SXSW.

Where to Go for the Late Night Munchies

Finding your way around the Capitol City.

The Best Places to Eat on the Cheap

Finding your way around the Capitol City.

The Top Ten Places to Eat on South Congress

Finding your way around the Capitol City.

The Top Ten Places to Eat in Central Austin

Finding your way around the Capitol City.

The Top Ten Places to Eat in the South Lamar/Barton Springs Area

Finding your way around the Capitol City.

The Top Ten Places to Eat on The East Side

Finding your way around the Capitol City.

The Top Ten Places to Eat in Downtown

Finding your way around the Capitol City.

Soñando con Ella

Era una chica del barrio cuya voz la hizo acreedora de un Grammy, vendió millones de álbumes y la convirtió en una sensación como ninguna otra. Y cuando fue asesinada, el 31 de marzo de 1995, la estrella de la música tejana Selena Quintanilla Pérez pareció llevarse consigo las aspiraciones

New and Noteworthy

Il Cane Rosso, Dallas and Rockwood Room, Houston

Brennan’s of Houston

Houston

Fotos y Recuerdos

This past year marked an important, though largely unnoticed, milestone for fans of Selena Quintanilla Perez, the hugely popular Tejano singer who died at 23 on March 31, 1995: She has now lived in our memories for longer than she performed professionally. She was 9 years old when she started

Contributors

Eddie Guy, Marc Burckhardt, and Gary Cartwright.

Office Talk

Your “Perry for President?!?” cover sent me to the phone to schedule a stress test. The last Texas governor to ascend to the White House left a scar on our great state that will always be a painful reminder of big business’s influence on our democratic process. To even suggest