As Texas Monthly approaches its fiftieth anniversary, in February of 2023, I want to highlight a project long in the works that will make revisiting decades’ worth of Texas stories easier than ever. Along with the original storytelling that Texas Monthly has been publishing in print, on our website, and in podcast and video form, you may have noticed, over the past several months, an increase in the number of stories available on our website from the early years of Texas Monthly.
Our editorial staffers have spent countless hours curating, formatting, and republishing select feature stories from an archive that includes thousands of articles dating back to 1973—all with the goal of giving our readers effortless digital access to TM’s award-winning catalog. This project is by no means complete. But thanks to the hard work of a group including Alicia Maria Meier, Marilyn Bailey, Lea Konczal, and Kayla Miracle, we’re on track to have nearly all our longform features online by the end of 2022.
In an effort to maintain a clear historical record, our archival stories are presented as they were originally published, without updating or editing. Some of these pieces, from an era before word processors, may include spelling and grammatical errors that appeared in print. Others may use language regarding matters such as race and gender that doesn’t meet our contemporary editorial standards. We have decided not to alter wording that modern readers may find insensitive and hope that such stories are read in the context of TM‘s present-day dedication to inclusive storytelling.
Whether we’re profiling a legendary oilman (October 1982), exploring shark habitats off South Padre Island (May 1975), or advising you where to eat the best barbecue in Texas (May 1997), our coverage has always been as varied as the state we cover. Now that half a century’s worth of our offerings are available online, we hope you find more to enjoy among whichever flavors of storytelling you prefer.
