Texas Monthly

The Assassination at 35 A handsome young president, a convertible limousine, a sniper, three shots (we think), and our lives were changed forever. A special report on what is, for many, the defining event of the past fifty years.

Today marks the 62nd anniversary of John F. Kennedy's assassination in Dallas.

Our November 1998 issue looked closely at that singular event and explained the strengths and weaknesses of the best-known conspiracy theories: https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/the-assassination-at-35/

The Two-Foot-Long Texas Lizard That’s Nearly Impossible to Find After encountering the large but elusive reptile a few years ago, I was determined to find one again.

For @texasmonthly.bsky.social I detailed my deep love of (and futile quest for) Central Texas' most secretive lizard

Texas Acted to Make Ketamine Therapy for Depression Safer. Some Say That Could Cost Lives. Many providers of the psychedelic mental-health treatment expect to close if a newly clarified state regulation is enforced.

Viola lost count of the friends he’s lost to suicide—many of them veterans. He credits ketamine with bringing him back from the edge. Not everybody gets to grow old, and we do," he said. “So that’s a blessing.” www.texasmonthly.com/news-politic... @texasmonthly.bsky.social

Word Wrangler: November 21, 2025 A few of the many animals in Texas on the endangered species list.

In today's word wrangler, hunt for a few of the many animals in Texas on the endangered species list. https://www.texasmonthly.com/games/word-wrangler-november-21-2025/

Word Wrangler: November 20, 2025 The ten largest churches by congregation size in Texas.

In today's word wrangler, search for the ten largest churches by congregation size in Texas. ⛪ https://www.texasmonthly.com/games/word-wrangler-november-20-2025/

Texas Acted to Make Ketamine Therapy For Depression Safer. Some Say That Could Cost Lives. Many providers of the psychedelic mental-health treatment expect to close if a newly clarified state regulation is enforced.

Studies have shown ketamine to be promising for those with treatment-resistant depression.

But over the past year, the Texas Medical Board has focused on what critics call a “Wild West” of ketamine clinics. https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/ketamine-clinics-depression-medical-board/

The Best Things in Texas Our favorite books, movies, TV shows, songs, animals, parks, food, and moments from 2025 that made us proud to be Texans.

Y'all! @emmabalter.bsky.social helmed a fantastic package for her first project at @texasmonthly.bsky.social. You should read it.

This Wellness Resort Couldn’t Get Any More Extra. Then It Came to Texas. Canyon Ranch is building a new, bigger, and better location in the Hill Country.

Canyon Ranch, the original wellness-resort pioneer now owned by Fort Worth mogul John Goff, is building a new location on a bluff overlooking Lake Travis.

A first look: www.texasmonthly.com/travel/canyo...

Inside the Texas Rangers’ Relentless, High-Tech Search for the Last Mystic Camper Led by a former Green Beret with a Bronze Star, Texas’s most elite investigators are using Silicon Valley tools—and old-fashioned grit—to bring closure to two devastated families and one heartbroken s...

Never, as best anyone can tell, has Texas devoted so many resources to finding so few individuals.

And never, Rangers privately admit, has there been so much riding on the outcome. https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/texas-rangers-high-tech-flood-victim-search-camp-mystic/

The Year When Even the French Got On Board With the Yeehaw Agenda Thanks to Beyoncé, the whole world wants to be a cowboy—or at least pull off the look.

The “yeehaw agenda” spread far and wide this year as Beyoncé fans from London to Paris booted and belted up for her Cowboy Carter Tour. 🐝 https://www.texasmonthly.com/being-texan/beyonce-cowboy-carter-yeehaw-agenda/

The Everyday Heroes of the Guadalupe Floods Tragedy befell Texans, and Texans stepped up.

When the rising river tore through the Hill Country on July 4, help came from first responders, out-of-state organizations, and everyday Texans, who acted with the grace and courage that define who we are. https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/guadalupe-floods-heroes-2025/

No One Could Escape Texas This Year, Especially On-Screen On Kate in ‘The White Lotus,’ IAH in ‘The Rehearsal,’ and other sightings.

Lights, camera, Texas! 🎥⭐

We dominated the TV and film space this year. These were our favorite moments and characters: https://www.texasmonthly.com/arts-entertainment/texas-tv-shows-movies-2025/

Texas Is Turning Private Land Into Public Parks in a Historic Spending Spree A massive push toward public land expansion means more state parks for all Texans to enjoy.

Good news: Texas Parks and Wildlife is going on a spending spree to open new parks to the public, a welcome development in a state where some 95 percent of land is privately owned. 🏞️❤️🎉 https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/new-texas-state-parks-expansion/

Why Pee-wee Herman’s Bike Is Now on Permanent Display at the Alamo We found it!

How was novelist Stephen Harrigan supposed to properly contextualize, in only eighty words, what is destined to be the most berserk and beloved Alamo artifact of all—Pee-wee Herman’s bicycle?

He tried: https://www.texasmonthly.com/being-texan/pee-wees-bike-alamo-basement/

When a Grieving Sister Inspired Unanimity in the Texas Legislature Elizabeth Carlock Phillips advocated for NDA reform in honor of her late brother, Trey, a victim of sexual abuse.

Elizabeth Carlock Phillips’s late brother, Trey, had to stay quiet about the sexual abuse he endured.

Her advocacy inspired a bipartisan effort to ensure others don’t suffer in silence. https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/texas-sexual-abuse-lawsuit-nda-ban/

Our Favorite Texas-y Books of the Year The state’s (and country’s) brightest literary minds attempt to grasp our greatness.

In the past year alone, we’ve encountered shelves of great books by Texans, about Texas, or set in Texas that shed new and often surprising light on this state. 📚

Here are our ten favorites of 2025: https://www.texasmonthly.com/arts-entertainment/best-texas-books-2025/

The Best Mexican and Tex-Mex Bites of 2025 Familiar favorites and New Tejano flourishes defined José R. Ralat’s year in tacos—but it’s never just tacos.

Familiar favorites and New Tejano flourishes defined taco editor José R. Ralat’s year in tacos—but it’s never just tacos.

Here you’ll find de todo un poco—a little of everything—including some vegetarian-friendly items: https://www.texasmonthly.com/food/best-mexican-tex-mex-food-2025/

The Best Barbecue Bites of 2025 This year there was the Top 50 barbecue list, and then there was everything that came after. Daniel Vaughn shares the best smoked meats he’s eaten since the big list came out.

This year there was the Top 50 barbecue list, and then there was everything that came after.

Barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn shares the best smoked meats he’s eaten since the big list came out. 🍖 https://www.texasmonthly.com/food/best-texas-barbecue-2025/

The Best Things Our Restaurant Critic Ate in 2025 During her first year dining across the state for the magazine, Paula Forbes was particularly wowed by dishes from chefs who had something to say.

During her first year dining across the state for the magazine, @paulaforbes.bsky.social was particularly wowed by dishes from chefs who had something to say.

What each bite had in common? Boldness. https://www.texasmonthly.com/food/best-texas-food-2025/

The Best Things in Texas Our favorite books, movies, TV shows, songs, animals, parks, food, and moments from 2025 that made us proud to be Texans.

Texans have always prided themselves on taking care of one another, and even in the most bitter of places we found a way to do that in 2025.

We present to you: the Best Things in Texas. 🎉 https://www.texasmonthly.com/interactive/best-things-in-texas/

Shelley Duvall Spent the End of Her Life on a Blanco Ranch. Here’s What We Found There. On Shelley Duvall’s Blanco ranch, we sorted through the possessions she left behind—from the poignant to the priceless.

On her Blanco ranch, estate sale–goers sorted through the possessions actress Shelley Duvall left behind—from the poignant to the priceless. https://www.texasmonthly.com/arts-entertainment/unpacking-shelley-duvall-estate-sale/

A Texas Dad Rose to TikTok Fame Reviewing Restaurants in the Most Texas Dad Way Watching the earnest, unpolished videos on Dine with Kent makes you feel like you’re FaceTiming with a relative.

"I’ve lived my entire life and career being a little out of my comfort zone."

The earnest, unpolished videos on Kent Burris’s Dine with Kent page make viewers feel like they’re FaceTiming with a relative. https://www.texasmonthly.com/food/dine-with-kent-tik-tok/

Texas Monthly Takes Home Lone Star Emmys, Signal Awards Check out which projects received the prestigious recognitions.

Texas Monthly’s multimedia endeavors are having a moment. 🏆 🎥 🎧✨

Check out which projects received prestigious recognitions, from Lone Star Emmys to the Signal Awards: https://www.texasmonthly.com/press-room/texas-monthly-takes-home-lone-star-emmys-signal-awards/

How a Dan Patrick Political Operative Is Literally Rewriting the Story of the Alamo The lieutenant governor is behind changes to the new museum’s narration of slavery, Native Americans, and colonialism.

According to a memo obtained by Texas Monthly, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick is behind changes to the new museum’s narration of slavery, Native Americans, and colonialism. https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/alamo-rewrite-dan-patrick/

The Aggie Bonfire Tragedy What’s so important about a stack of wood? Every Aggie knows that the answer is tradition—which is why, after a catastrophe that took the lives of twelve young men and women, the decision of whether t...

Today marks twenty six years since the bonfire at Texas A&M collapsed, killing twelve Aggies.

In 2000, Paul Burka examined how and why this tragedy unfolded. https://www.texasmonthly.com/the-culture/the-aggie-bonfire-tragedy/

The Story of O Never mind that he got kicked out of St. Mark’s and dropped out of UT, or that his line readings seem a little . . . off. Somehow, Owen Wilson is the kind of guy who gets movies made. And he gets $10 ...

Happy birthday, Owen Wilson. The actor turns 57 today! 🥂

Read our profile on Wilson from 2003, written by John Spong, here: https://www.texasmonthly.com/arts-entertainment/the-story-of-o/

The Daily Crossword: November 18, 2025 Keep your word wits sharp with the daily crossword for November 18, 2025.

Nothing like our daily crossword to get your brain movin' this morning. 🧠 https://www.texasmonthly.com/games/the-daily-crossword-november-18-2025/

Last night Texas Monthly Presents: Life & Death on @pbs.org won a Lone Star Emmy. 💫 You can watch here
www.pbs.org/video/texas-... @texasmonthly.bsky.social

Inside the Texas Rangers’ Relentless, High-Tech Search for the Last Mystic Camper Led by a former Green Beret with a Bronze Star, Texas’s most elite investigators are using Silicon Valley tools—and old-fashioned grit—to bring closure to two devastated families and one heartbroken s...

Led by a former Green Beret with a Bronze Star, Texas’s most elite investigators are using Silicon Valley tools to bring closure to two devastated families and one heartbroken state. https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/texas-rangers-high-tech-flood-victim-search-camp-mystic/

Pumpkin Roll Getting tired of pie? Switch it up with this classic dessert that still incorporates the holiday favorite filling of pumpkin and spices.

It's time to get your pumpkin rolls in order, y'all.

Our recipe from 2022: https://www.texasmonthly.com/recipe/pumpkin-roll/