Texas Monthly

Behind the Scenes on the Set of the Star-Studded Tecovas Film Lauded Texas director Jeff Nichols pays homage to some of the best movies ever made here with the help of Michael Shannon, Ryan Bingham, Hassie Harrison—and the voice of Sissy Spacek. It's the directo...

Jeff Nichols brought Michael Shannon, Ryan Bingham, Hassie Harrison, and even Sissy Spacek into his homage to some of the best movies ever made in our state. https://www.texasmonthly.com/arts-entertainment/jeff-nichols-tecovas-film-ryan-bingham-michael-shannon/

The Confessions of James Talarico The insurgent Democrat wants religion out of politics. And he won’t stop preaching about it.

I highly recommend, as supplemental reading, this fantastic profile by Allegra Hobbs in @texasmonthly.bsky.social www.texasmonthly.com/news-politic...

How Mutton Bustin’ Ruined my Childhood I was always over the weight limit. Maybe the rodeo just needed jacked sheep.

I was always over the weight limit to do mutton bustin.'

Maybe the rodeo just needed jacked sheep. https://www.texasmonthly.com/being-texan/how-mutton-bustin-ruined-my-childhood/

A Budding Barbecue Empire Goes Vintage for Its New Location Grant Pinkerton is on a mission to bring back some elements of old-school barbecue design and service, including neon signs, CD jukeboxes, and dining room attendants.

Grant Pinkerton is on a mission to bring back some elements of old-school barbecue design and service, including neon signs, CD jukeboxes, and dining room attendants. 💿 https://www.texasmonthly.com/bbq/pinkertons-barbecue-third-location-houston/

The Texas GOP Is Entering Its Post-Trump Era The president promised an overwhelming show of force. Then, he hesitated.

The president promised an overwhelming show of force in the Texas GOP Senate primary ahead of the runoff.

Then, he hesitated. https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/paxton-cornyn-trump-endorsement/

A Farewell to Dairy Queens A recent spate of closures of the iconic restaurant chain has left many communities in the lurch.

Nice to see this showing up on Texas Monthly's website once again. It's a sad story, but an important one about the rural economy.

She’s Free After 22 Years in Prison for a Crime She Didn’t Commit. ICE Says She Can Stay—for Now. On Monday, Carmen Mejia was officially exonerated in the 2003 scalding death of an infant.

On Tuesday evening, the Department of Homeland Security indicated that Carmen Mejia will not be deported—but her future remains uncertain. https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/carmen-mejia-exonerated-facing-deportation/

The World Cup Is Coming Back to Texas. The First Time, It Got Weird. The World Cup is coming back to Texas. What happened the first time? Murder, oppressive heat, and a Cowboys Super Bowl afterglow, to start.

Murder, oppressive heat, a Cowboys Super Bowl afterglow—the 1994 tournament was nothing if not chaotic. https://www.texasmonthly.com/arts-entertainment/world-cup-in-texas/

Should This Texas Beach Close When Elon Musk Wants It To? The Texas Supreme Court is weighing arguments.

The Texas Supreme Court is weighing arguments that threaten to upend the operations at SpaceX's Starbase. https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/spacex-boca-chica-beach-lawsuit-supreme-court/

An Iconic Part of Big Bend Is About to Close for Two Years Demolition of the Chisos Mountain Lodge is finally starting this spring after years of delays, blocking or limiting access to some of the national park's key features.

Demolition of the Chisos Mountain Lodge is finally starting this spring after years of delays, blocking or limiting access to some of the national park's key features. https://www.texasmonthly.com/travel/big-bend-national-park-chisos-basin-closure/

disappointed this isn’t getting released as an NFT, but super excited that people will be able to see this thing finally www.texasmonthly.com/arts-enterta...

What I Found When I Tried to Walk Across Dallas in a Day Determined to find adventure in my own backyard, I tramped across my famously pedestrian-averse hometown. The most memorable part turned out to be the serendipitous encounters with neighbors I met alo...

"I met my neighbors, a few of them at least, and gave them my attention, which, it has been said, is the simplest expression of love."

Jeffrey McWhorter for @texasmonthly.bsky.social: www.texasmonthly.com/news-politic...

Which ones spark joy? Which lead to disappointment?

Is “heartache” too strong a word to describe the experience of tasting chips? https://www.texasmonthly.com/food/all-of-hebs-current-limited-edition-potato-chip-flavors-ranked/

She Spent Nearly 23 Years in Prison for a Crime She Didn’t Commit. Now She May Be Deported. On Monday, Carmen Mejia was officially exonerated in the 2003 scalding death of an infant.

A Texas woman spent 22 years of her life behind bars for a terrible crime she didn’t commit, finally was released & exonerated, but b/c the wrongful conviction destroyed her legal status, she’s now set to be deported. www.texasmonthly.com/news-politic... @texasmonthly.bsky.social

Word Wrangler: March 10, 2026 The cities where Texas’s favorite soft drink has been produced, bottled, or distributed.

In today's word wrangler, search for the cities where Texas’s favorite soft drink (Dr Pepper. . . duh) has been produced, bottled, or distributed. 🥤 https://www.texasmonthly.com/games/word-wrangler-march-10-2026/

Read this tragic & important story by my colleague @mikehalltexas.bsky.social.

She Spent Nearly 23 Years in Prison for a Crime She Didn’t Commit. Now She May Be Deported. On Monday, Carmen Mejia was officially exonerated in the 2003 scalding death of an infant. Because her legal status expired while she was in prison, she may be forced to leave the country.

On Monday, Carmen Mejia was officially exonerated in the 2003 scalding death of an infant.

Because her legal status expired while she was in prison, she may be forced to leave the country. https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/carmen-mejia-exonerated-facing-deportation/

Is This the Beginning of the End for South by Southwest? For decades, those eager for a glimpse of the world to come would descend on Austin each March. Then the pandemic upended Texas’s premier cross-cultural event, which has stumbled along ever since. Can...

SXSW X Solomon (@dansolomon.com) www.texasmonthly.com/news-politic...

been working on this story for a (very) long time. there’s been a ton of change at sxsw, now owned out of california, over the past year. lot of people who left the company think it’s doomed. current staff insist it’s about to enter a renaissance. i tried to understand how they can both think that.

Is This the Beginning of the End for South by Southwest? For decades, those eager for a glimpse of the world to come would descend on Austin each March. Then the pandemic upended Texas’s premier cross-cultural event, which has stumbled along ever since. Can...

For decades, those eager for a glimpse of the world to come would descend on Austin each March.

Then the pandemic upended Texas’s premier cross-cultural event, which has stumbled along ever since. https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/south-by-southwest-faces-uncertain-future/

One Man’s Quest for the End of the World Started on a Ranch in Texas A Texas businessman believes he was divinely chosen to help usher in the Second Coming of Christ—by finding unblemished red heifers and getting them to Israel.

In my latest for @texasmonthly.bsky.social, I have quite the tale to tell...

www.texasmonthly.com/news-politic...

In the twenty-fifth iteration of our list of best new restaurants, these ten selections have one thing in common: audacity. 🍽️ 🤠

Where to eat now: https://www.texasmonthly.com/food/best-new-restaurants-2026/

Tilman Fertitta Goes All Out at His New Loud-Luxury Rodeo Restaurant 1932 Cattleman's Club, a fine-dining steakhouse by the Houston billionaire and ambassador to Italy, is exactly what you'd expect.

1932 Cattleman’s Club, a fine-dining steakhouse by the Houston billionaire and ambassador to Italy, is ✨exactly✨ what you’d expect. https://www.texasmonthly.com/travel/1932-cattlemans-club-houston-rodeo-tilman-fertitta/

This Is the BBQ Joint Where Bun B Takes His Famous Friends Courtney Boutte needed a new job after a serious injury. Enter Boutte’s BBQ, in Fresno, where he slings boudin, sausages, pork ribs, and smoked oxtails.

Courtney Boutte needed a new job after a serious injury.

Enter Boutte’s BBQ, in Fresno, where he slings boudin, sausages, pork ribs, and smoked oxtails. https://www.texasmonthly.com/bbq/bouttes-bbq-houston-fresno/

In this, the final installment of William Broyles and Stephen Harrigan’s serialized novel, Quin, Annie, Van Helsing, Erzsebet, and, of course, Dracula battle in a darkened wood.

Much blood is shed. https://www.texasmonthly.com/arts-entertainment/the-bowie-knife-that-killed-dracula-chapter-20/

The Texas GOP Now Has a Place for Candidates Once Too Far Right to Get Elected John Cornyn forced a runoff against Ken Paxton, but the Tim Dunn wing of the party had an otherwise stellar night.

An anti-Furry pastor. A gun-toting Youtuber. An Islamophobic Twitter troll. The guy who secretly bought Jeffrey Epstein's New Mexico ranch. Ken Paxton. A quick look at the Texas primary, in which the once-fringe far right further proved that they are the new GOP mainstream:

Word Wrangler: March 6, 2026 Song titles by the Burleson native and forever American Idol.

In today's word wrangler, search for song titles by Burleson native and forever American Idol, Kelly Clarkson. ✨ https://www.texasmonthly.com/games/word-wrangler-march-6-2026/

The Bowie Knife That Killed Dracula The character who kills Dracula at the end of Bram Stoker’s classic novel is Quincey Morris, a Texan who does the job with a bowie knife. Our serialized novel tells his story—and that of his famous bl...

Readers: Beware! 🩸🗡️

The last chapter of William Broyles and Stephen Harrigan's serialized novel, 'The Bowie Knife That Killed Dracula,' drops TOMORROW. Catch up, and stay tuned. . . if you dare. https://www.texasmonthly.com/interactive/the-bowie-knife-that-killed-dracula/

One Man’s Quest for the End of the World Started on a Ranch in Texas A Texas businessman believes he was divinely chosen to help usher in the Second Coming of Christ—by finding unblemished red heifers and getting them to Israel.

“There is something going on here, way more than just meets the eye," says Ty Davenport, one rancher who got swept up in Texas businessman Byron Stinson’s quest. https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/red-heifer-prophecy-texas-ranch-byron-stinson/

“This One Hurts”: An Austin Restaurant’s Patrons Say Goodbye The Italian restaurant that was a staple of bustling South Congress Avenue closed last weekend in grand fashion.

The Italian restaurant that was a staple of bustling South Congress Avenue closed last weekend in grand fashion. https://www.texasmonthly.com/food/last-night-at-vespaio-austin/