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TM BBQ Club Newsletter – December 2020

The latest from Daniel Vaughn, exclusively for club members: where to eat near Lake Texoma, holiday recipes, and more.

In ‘House of Ho,’ a Vietnamese Immigrant Story Gets the Reality Show Treatment

The HBO Max docuseries, which centers on a wealthy Vietnamese American family in Houston, balances new-money sensibility with the unglamorous truths of being stuck between two cultures.

‘Texas 6’ Offers a Glimpse at the State’s Smallest Football Dynasty

The new docuseries follows tiny Strawn High School's six-player football team in its quest for a three-peat.

Tom Brown’s Body, Chapter 8: The Remains

“I’m definitely more paranoid wherever I go. I definitely watch my back more and pay attention to what’s going on around me.”

Tom Brown’s Body, Chapter 7: The Wake

“The people of the town are calling us and saying, ‘Do we have a monster that lives in our community?’ I wish I could give them solace.”

Tom Brown’s Body, Chapter 6: The Thicket

“I’m like, ‘What in the heck is that?’ So, I walk around some shrubs, and as I get closer, I can see that it kind of looks like bone.”

Tom Brown’s Body, Chapter 5: Unusual Suspects

“It’s kind of strange that your investigator calls this search, and, lo and behold, right after he starts the search, a cellphone is found.”

Tom Brown’s Body, Chapter 4: Lake Marvin Road

“I'm sitting there thinking, ‘Oh God, I'm so scared right now.’ I couldn't convince them. And so I just let them hammer me.”

Welcome to Battleground Texas

How Texas Beeworks’s Erika Thompson Became the Queen Bee of Pastoral TikTok

A day in the not-so-secret life of bees.

Tom Brown’s Body, Chapter 3: “Evil Has Come to Canadian, Texas”

“Makes you want to go to the church, get on your knees, and say a few words, right?”

Tom Brown’s Body, Chapter 2: Tom’s Loop

“My gut tells me he hasn't left Hemphill County. I think he's here somewhere, and I don't know if he intends to come out in the next day or two.”

Tom Brown’s Body

In 2016 a popular teenager disappeared in the tiny Panhandle community of Canadian, Texas. Two years later, his remains were discovered beneath a tree outside of town. But to this day, no arrests have been made, and nearly everyone involved in the case has fallen under suspicion. Beginning September 29,

Tom Brown’s Body, Chapter 1: A Pretty Little Place

In 2016 a popular teenager disappeared in the tiny Panhandle community of Canadian. Two years later, his remains were discovered beneath a tree outside of town. But to this day, no arrests have been made, and it seems that nearly everyone involved in the case has fallen under suspicion.

A Refugee’s First Day in Texas

An exclusive excerpt from Jessica Goudeau’s ‘After the Last Border: Two Families and the Story of Refuge in America.'

Erica Nix Is the Workout Queen of Quarantine

The Austin-based performance artist turned aerobics instructor has amassed a dedicated following for her glorious blur of playful workouts, queer community, and creative activism.

Texas Monthly Recommends: A Caterpillar That Builds a Tiny House for Itself

Plus, a Netflix show featuring Tootsie Tomanetz, an Austin band’s wistful album, and a digital marketplace supporting local artisans.

The Last Laugh: Why Austin’s Cap City Comedy Club Was So Special

For comedian Brian Gaar and many others, the venue was a center of gravity that attracted everyone from Bill Hicks to Patton Oswalt and all of the up-and-comers in between.

Top Dog: An Oral History of ‘Wishbone’

The kids’ television program, helmed by a crop of Texan theatrical talents, landed on PBS 25 years ago.

This Plant-Based Chili Has No Meat (or Beans)

Meat substitutes such as Beyond Meat keep growing in popularity, so we re-created a Texas bowl of red—no beef involved.

The Wildest Insurance Fraud Scheme Texas Has Ever Seen

Over a decade, Theodore Robert Wright III destroyed cars, yachts, and planes. That was only the half of it.

From the Editor, August 2020: “The Annas in Our Engine Room”

Behind the scenes, two staffers with the same first name keep Texas Monthly running smoothly.

August 2020: Roar of the Crowd

Reader letters published in our August issue.

From the Editor, July 2020: “A Spong for You”

Senior editor John Spong is the brains behind our special thirteenth issue of Texas Monthly devoted to the life and music of Willie Nelson. The issue publishes in August.

The Pandemic Has Changed Everything

Will we finally expand health-care access? Will dating go old-school? Can renewables jump-start the economy? And are takeout margaritas here to stay? The novel coronavirus has disrupted our lives in unprecedented ways. But it’s not all bleak. We asked economists, health care workers, science fiction writers, wildcatters, and restaurateurs to

July 2020: Roar of the Crowd

Reader letters published in our July issue.

What the Pandemic Taught Me About Old-Fashioned Romance

“Six feet away” can be very, very sexy.

Introducing the Newest Members of Texas Monthly’s Editorial Staff

Texas Monthly welcomed its most recent editorial hire this week, as Rose Cahalan joined as the associate digital editor for culture and lifestyle coverage. Cahalan most recently worked at the Texas Observer, where she served as managing editor. Before that, she worked at Alcalde, the University of Texas alumni magazine.

Seeking Connections in the Time of the Coronavirus, Lonely Texans Turn to Craigslist

Social distancing mandates have been instituted to slow the pandemic’s spread—a necessity that also coincides with a loneliness epidemic.

A Pharmacist Struggles to Keep up With Demand During the Coronavirus Pandemic

In the face of specious medical advice and hoarding, Dallas pharmacist Emile Abdo tries to keep vital medications in stock.

The Doctor, the Dentist, and the Killer

Brenda thought she and Ricky would be together forever, until he left her. Kendra thought she and Ricky would be together forever. Then Brenda took matters into her own hands. Inside the case of jealousy, spying, and murder that shook Uptown Dallas.

The Hunt for the Serial Killer of Laredo

Last September, law enforcement officers were confounded by a murderer targeting prostitutes along the border. As the investigation intensified, they discovered that the killer had been hiding in plain sight.

Adrianne Palicki: “I Miss the Hell Out of ‘Friday Night Lights.’ But You Really Can’t Bring It Back.”

On this week’s National Podcast of Texas, the actress who won our full hearts playing Tyra Collette discusses the beloved series’ legacy and her new life aboard ’The Orville.’

Her Daughter Was Disappeared in Mexico. Despite Cartel Death Threats, She’s Determined to Find Her.

After Josefina De León’s daughter went missing in the Mexican State of Tamaulipas in 2012, she was determined to find her. Seven years later, she hasn’t given up.

Joe Exotic: A Dark Journey Into the World of a Man Gone Wild

He called himself the Tiger King and plastered his face on highway billboards in Texas and Oklahoma. He bred big cats, bears, baboons, and more. He lived, with a parade of partners, on the grounds of his private zoo. He threatened a rival with murder—repeatedly, on YouTube—and tried to hire

The Best Texas Monthly Longform of 2018

Put your feet up and settle in for our favorite longform of the year.

Behind the Lines: How Tim Dunn and Sister Norma Made Our Power List

A devout Evangelical Christian and a Catholic nun are two of the state’s most powerful people, but they exercise their power in vastly different ways.

Texas A&M Says Howdy to the Army Futures Command

General John Murray and his staff recently got their first chance to size up the research possibilities in College Station.

What’s With These Maps of Every State’s Favorite Thanksgiving Food?

Who the heck in Texas is eating all this key lime pie?

On the Marine Corps’ Birthday, Honoring Lubbock’s Lee Roy Herron, an Ordinary Miracle

In his quiet, selfless way, 1st Lt. Herron exemplified Marines everywhere. February will mark the 50th anniversary of Herron’s death in Vietnam.

As Demolition Begins on Schlitterbahn’s Verrückt Waterslide, Jeff Henry Faces Unrelated Felony Charges

Two years after the death of a ten-year-old boy on the ride, the waterslide is finally being removed.

The Hero of the Sutherland Springs Shooting Is Still Reckoning With What Happened That Day

One year ago, after Stephen Willeford disrupted the mass murder at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, he was hailed as the ultimate good guy with a gun, but he's still reckoning with what happened that day—and what his life has become.

Well, That’s Some Crazy Texas Weather, Huh?

If you ever needed confirmation for how large and geographically diverse Texas is, check out this crazy weather.

‘Abandoned East Texas’ Captures the Beauty of the Forgotten

The houses, barns, restaurants, cars, and businesses that have been left behind are celebrated by 33,000 people on Facebook.

So, Who Did Shoot J.R.? Why We Still Care About ‘Dallas’

Max Marshall, who wrote our October cover story, had never seen the show before proposing his piece. Follow along on his journey to being seduced by the trashiest, campiest show of the eighties.

Tilman Fertitta is All in on Cryptocurrency

The Houston billionaire discusses accepting Bitcoin at his luxury car dealership and accepting a cryptocurrency company as a Houston Rockets sponsor.

‘Dallas’ at 40: The Inside Story Behind the Show That Changed Texas Forever

How the trashiest, campiest show on television revolutionized pop culture, rebooted Texas’s reputation, and helped bring down the Romanian government. (Maybe!)

The Woman Who Wrote ‘How to Murder Your Husband’ Has Been Arrested on Suspicion of Murdering Her Husband

That feels a little on the nose.

A Billboard With Trump’s Meanest Tweet About Ted Cruz Is Going Up in Texas

Their fraught primary relationship comes back to haunt Texas’s junior senator.

Austin’s New Army Futures Command Marks ‘Biggest Reorganization of the Army Since 1973’

Top Army brass emphasized the need for innovation, while Austin Mayor Steve Adler tried keeping it weird.