If Nothing Else, Coach
Teaching kids how to play soccer made me a better person. So why don’t more Texans volunteer?
December 2023 Issue
Features
Eight Texans Who Are Taking On Some of Our Biggest Challenges
Whether helping prevent military suicides or reversing a childcare desert, these Texans are finding creative solutions to big problems.
Great Moments, Great Texans
Lone Star State residents found ways big and small to lend each other a helping hand.
Lots of Help Is Available for At-Risk Students, but Few Know How to Get It
Adeeb Barqawi founded the nonprofit ProUnitas, which helps connect social, health, and education services with the students who need them most.
Heroes Among Us
With governments increasingly incapable of addressing everything from homelessness to veterans’ needs, ordinary Texans are stepping into the breach.
Providing Shelter, Job Training, and Community for Those in Need
The Other Ones Foundation, led by Chris Baker, transformed a state-run encampment site for Austinites experiencing homelessness into a welcoming refuge.
A Powerful Introduction to Nature for Kids Who Rarely See It
San Antonio’s Leon and Leticia McNeil have introduced generations of Black and Latino youth to the outdoors through their nonprofit, City Kids Adventures.
Go Underground: Seven Texas Caves to Explore
Where to immerse yourself in the subculture.
Deep—Very, Very, Very Deep—in the Heart of Texas
Call them the astronauts of the underground. The state’s cavers are a literal subculture, daring to go where no one has gone before.
The Great Cajun Turtle Heist
Alligator snapping turtle populations in Texas were dwindling. One family of smugglers had been poaching them from the state for years.
The State
Roar of the Crowd: December 2023
Reader letters published in our December 2023 issue.
From the Editor: The Good News
The latest issue of Texas Monthly features more than the usual number of Texans committing creative acts of altruism.
The Massacre That Turned Texas Into the Most Gun-Friendly State in America
A 1991 mass shooting in Killeen inspired legislation that has made Texas America’s most gun-friendly state.
The Texanist: What Would Happen if We Stopped Hunting Deer?
Hunters in Texas kill a lot of white-tailed deer each year. What would happen if they didn’t kill any at all?
Beware the Toxic Trait of the Eastern Newt
The diminutive swamp dragon of the Piney Woods has a fascinating life cycle. Just don’t eat one.
Meanwhile, in Texas: Maybe This Alligator Just Wanted Some Girl Scout Cookies?
Plus, a cocktail that carnivores can get behind and a pig you’ll get way behind, if you know what’s good for you.
Mickey Guyton Is Still Finding Her Way in the Country Music Industry
The Arlington native has earned four Grammy nominations, performed at the Super Bowl, and toured with Shania Twain. But is she “Nashville” yet?
Galveston’s Port Chaplain Is a Godsend to Weary Ship Workers
Deacon Jeff Willard blesses seafarers with everything from prayers to rides around Galveston Island to cherry cigarillos.
These Texas Garages Turn Classic Cars Into Electric Hot Rods
What do you get when you convert a gas-guzzling muscle machine into an EV? A ride that “hauls more ass.”
In Search of Texas’s Hidden Polish Heritage
Just southeast of San Antonio, a rare European American dialect may be dying, or already dead. That’s a shame. Or is it?
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry GOP
For a long time, Texas Republican chairman Matt Rinaldi couldn’t win elections. Now he wants to decide them—by exacting revenge on opponents within his party.
Explorer
Four Reasons December Will Be a Great Month in Texas Culture
The Von Erichs get the Hollywood treatment, Tomball raises its stein, Beyoncé resurrects the Renaissance tour, and a Houston artist is golden.
The Seafood at Josephine’s Gulf Coast Tradition Is Off the Hook
In a Houston restaurant named for his great-grandmother, Mississippi-born chef Lucas McKinney is having a whole lot of fun with a menu that ranges from gumbo and po'boys to chicken on a stick and moon pies.
Nina Berenato’s Statement Pieces Really Do Say a Lot
The Austin jeweler's pieces appeal to powerful women, including Beyoncé, Megan Thee Stallion, and Angelina Jolie.
The Sand Dunes of South Padre Island Have a Mind of Their Own
Drive up State Park Road 100 long enough and the beach comes to meet you.
Meet Aguachile, Ceviche’s Hotter Cousin
Don’t take aguachile’s lightness for weakness. The spicy dish packs a punch.
How Texan Are You? Find Out on A Ranch Getaway
Wildcatter Ranch, near Possum Kingdom Lake, caters to weekend cowboys from around the world.
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