Film & TV
July 11, 2024
Shelley Duvall Found Fame in Hollywood and Peace in Texas
The Fort Worth–born star of ‘The Shining’ and ‘Popeye’ retreated to the Lone Star State after a decades-long career in film and television.
In Memoriam
Music
June 28, 2024
Remembering Texas Satirist Kinky Friedman
Executive editor Michael Hall reflects on the many faces of Kinky, and the unique brand of humor he brought to Texas culture.
Being Texan
June 27, 2024
“Texas Is My Family”: Kinky Friedman in His Own Words
The iconic humorist, who called himself one of the “three kings of the one-liner,” may have been the most quotable Texan ever.
Music
June 27, 2024
Kinky Friedman’s Wit Turned the Jewish Cowboy Into a Texas Icon
The musician, writer, would-be politician, and Texas Monthly contributor died at his beloved Echo Hill Ranch on Thursday.
Music
June 13, 2024
How Johnny Canales Created an Enduring Culture Around Tejano Music
The host, whose death was announced Thursday, and his show provided millions with a sense of belonging—and introduced Selena to the world.
Film & TV
May 18, 2024
Dabney Coleman, Hollywood’s Funniest Mean Boss, Never Lost His Texas Drawl
The ’9 to 5‘ star was a struggling law student at the University of Texas when he met Zachary Scott and became “smitten with becoming an actor.”
News & Politics
May 14, 2024
Remembering the Reverend William Lawson, Civil Rights Icon and “Houston’s Pastor”
Sixties-era student activism on the campus of Texas State University “snatched” the beloved preacher into the civil rights movement.
Business
April 11, 2024
The Rich Legacy of a Bighearted Beer Guy
Carlos Alvarez, who died this week at 73, made a fortune bringing Corona to the U.S. and reviving Shiner Bock. Then, from his base in San Antonio, he cheerfully gave much of that fortune away.
News & Politics
March 5, 2024
The Force Behind the Growth of Texas Public Radio
Joyce Slocum, who died Sunday, built TPR into a national model for independent local and collaborative journalism. She was also one hell of a friend.
In Memoriam
January 22, 2024
Farewell to One of the Fathers of Fracking
Claude Cooke loved the oil and gas business—and worked to address some of its shortcomings.
BBQ
January 17, 2024
The Barbecue Community Honors John Brotherton With Stories of His Famed Generosity
The owner of Brotherton’s Black Iron Barbecue, in Pflugerville, died this week, leaving a legacy of supporting fellow pitmasters.
Politics & Policy
November 17, 2023
J. W. Lown Governed San Angelo With a Smile—and Constituents Like Me Won’t Forget It
He lived out his last years in Mexico as a real estate agent, dreaming of returning home to Texas with his husband.
Libations
October 24, 2023
Remembering Ed Auler, Cofounder of Fall Creek Vineyards and Champion of the Hill Country Wine Region
Auler, who died at age 78, believed great wine could come out of Texas soil—and he proved that to be true.
News & Politics
June 27, 2023
The Texan Who Never, Ever Ran Out of Energy
Remembering John Goodenough, who was well into his fifties when he developed a battery that changed the world.
Being Texan
June 20, 2023
Remembering LeAnn Mueller—the Legendary Photographer Who Shot Some of Texas Monthly’s Most Iconic Covers
Current and former staff members, along with her subjects, share memories of working with the revered “wild card” shutterbug.
Books
June 15, 2023
Eleven Texas Writers Remember Cormac McCarthy
Sarah Bird, Fernando A. Flores, Mary Helen Specht, Sergio Troncoso, James Wade, and six more Texas writers reflect on what McCarthy meant to them and to the state.
News & Politics
May 23, 2023
Goodbye to a Writer
John Nova Lomax, a former senior editor at Texas Monthly who died Monday, was a beautiful storyteller who struggled with his own story.
Art
February 17, 2023
Remembering Jesse Treviño, Who Transformed San Antonio Art
Treviño’s biographer reflects on the artist’s legacy.
News & Politics
February 9, 2023
Running Into Fire: The Legacy of Jeff Blackburn
The cofounder of the Innocence Project of Texas set a model for working with state agencies to investigate potential wrongful convictions.
Sports
December 14, 2022
Mike Leach, the Madman Who Revolutionized Football
The author of ‘The Perfect Pass’ and ‘Empire of the Summer Moon’ reflects on Mike Leach’s coaching legacy.
Tacos
October 7, 2022
La Morena Wasn’t Just a Restaurant, It Was a West Texas Rite of Passage
In Andrews, this mostly serve-yourself Tex-Mex restaurant was a community staple that’s still remembered fondly after its closing.
Being Texan
August 15, 2022
Remembering Paul Burka—The State’s Most Revered Political Writer Was the Heart and Soul of Texas Monthly
Friends and former colleagues share their memories of the legendary writer, editor, and mentor.
Food & Drink
July 25, 2022
Cookbook Author and Culinary Anthropologist Diana Kennedy Dies at 99 in Mexico
Throughout her fifty-year career, the English-born cook influenced—and even advised—chefs of some of Texas’s best Mexican restaurants.
Music
June 7, 2022
Jim Seals, the Soft Rocker Who Helped Define the Sound of the ’70s, Has Died
Texas Monthly writer Michael Hall, who profiled Seals in 2020, reflects on some of the musician’s best stories.
Music
May 9, 2022
Mickey Gilley and ‘Urban Cowboy’: A Texas Monthly Compendium
Our favorite Texas Monthly pieces featuring the country music star, who died on Saturday at 86, and the cultural phenomenon he helped inspire.
Music
April 12, 2022
Sister Bobbie Grounded Willie Nelson in His Music—and His Life
Bobbie Nelson, pianist and older sister to Texas music icon Willie Nelson, died Thursday morning at 91.
The Stand Up Desk
March 28, 2022
Requiem for a Quiet Man
Texas Monthly remembers Jim Darilek, an early art director who helped give the magazine its characteristic look and swagger.
Politics & Policy
December 27, 2021
Sarah Weddington Was West Texas Tough
The attorney who successfully argued Roe v. Wade died Sunday at age 76, leaving behind a powerful legacy for Texas women.
Being Texan
December 24, 2021
Ode to a Fact-checker
Texas Monthly remembers Chester Rosson, a longtime staffer and resident gentle soul.
Music
October 3, 2020
Remembering Lubbock-Born Country Musician Mac Davis
In a career that spanned six decades, Davis wrote hits for Elvis and Dolly Parton, found solo success, and acted on Broadway and in film.
News & Politics
June 12, 2020
In Memoriam: Bartell Zachry Built a Global Business, but He Always Considered Himself a San Antonian—and an Aggie
The longtime leader of his family’s engineering and construction firm, Zachry leaves a legacy of volunteer work and philanthropy.
Art
December 28, 2019
An Appreciation: Bob “Daddy-O” Wade, Whose Art and Spirit Were as Big as Texas
The 76-year-old artist died just past midnight on Christmas Eve at his home in Austin.
Business
September 11, 2019
Remembering T. Boone Pickens, the “Aw-Shucks” Billionaire
The Dallas oilman and corporate raider's long, complicated history as an aw-shucks billionaire.
Personal Essay
June 28, 2019
Farewell to the “Rambling Boy,” Lonn Taylor
The Fort Davis historian and raconteur knew and loved Texas and its people like no one else.
Books
June 25, 2019
Remembering Don Graham, the Demanding Critic Who Helped Put Texas Literature on the Map
The UT professor and longtime ’Texas Monthly’ contributor died on Saturday at the age of 79 after a stroke.
News & Politics
June 21, 2019
A Eulogy for Alan Peppard, the Arbiter of Dallas Society
Peppard was the last of his breed, covering with panache the feuds and foibles of his city’s bold-faced names.
Books
June 20, 2019
A Shaman, a Storyteller, a Joyful Boy From Blanco: Memories of Bill Wittliff
We asked friends and colleagues to share their personal recollections of the Texas cultural giant we lost last week.
Film & TV
June 16, 2019
Remembering Bill Wittliff: ‘Lonesome Dove’ Screenwriter, Giant of Texas Culture
Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones discuss their friend, a Texas legend who leaves behind a brilliant body of work and definitive repository of Southwestern culture.
News & Politics
March 13, 2019
Remembering Bill Powers, a Man As Big As the University He Led
Professor emeritus David Anderson's tribute to the late UT president—his colleague, co-author, and friend for 40 years.
Arts & Entertainment
January 5, 2019
Al Reinert, Who Chronicled Houston’s Space Age in Magazines and Film, Passes Away at 71
For the Renaissance man—a baseball player, a features writer, and an award-winning documentary filmmaker—the sky posed no limit.
News & Politics
January 4, 2019
How Herb Kelleher Made the World a Whole Lot Smaller
The Southwest Airlines cofounder was a pioneering entrepreneur who changed the way we travel. He was also a world-class wit, a bon vivant, and a not-so-closet intellectual.
Politics & Policy
January 2, 2019
The Texanhood of George H. W. Bush
He built an oil empire, revitalized the state’s Republican party, gave rise to a political dynasty, and forever changed the Lone Star State. Yet the question dogged him his entire life: Was he a real Texan or merely a Yankee transplant?
News & Politics
May 24, 2017
“Racehorse” Haynes, 1927–2017
Remembering an unlikely, but legendary, criminal defense attorney.
Sports
April 8, 2013
A Courageous Pioneer in the Bullfighting Arena
A remembrance of the life of Patricia McCormick, who was one of North America's first female bullfighters.
Music
February 28, 2013
In Search of Van Cliburn
He was a world-renowned piano prodigy whose romanticism and technical virtuosity inspired thousands and famously helped thaw the Cold War. But as a visit to his hometown of Kilgore made clear to me, Van Cliburn was also a Texan, a Southerner, a Baptist, a patriot, and a man who loved
Politics & Policy
January 21, 2013
Vocal Border Fence Opponent Dead at 63
Texas officials are mourning the untimely passing of Chad Foster, the former Eagle Pass mayor who became the face of border communities straddling the two nations.
Art
January 20, 2013
Dominique de Menil Remembered
Dominique de Menil—1908-1997
Being Texan
September 30, 2003
Lottie’s Love
A whole Lottie love.
Texas History
September 30, 1997
Hallie and Farewell
The life and legacy of a Texas icon.
Texas History
April 30, 1996
L. T. Felty
He never met a man who didn’t like him. L.T. Felty, who died March 17, was born in Hickory Creek, but he spent forty-plus years in Waxahachie, where his genial and helpful manner as a schoolteacher and coach earned him the unofficial title of Mr. Waxahachie. (Christened solely with rhyming