Texas Monthly May 2020

Samsung has long been a steadfast force for innovation, both within Texas and beyond it. Recognizing Texans’ unique aptitude for dedicated passion and an unwavering independent spirit, Samsung established their US mobile headquarters in the Lone Star State more than 20 years ago. It’s only fitting that their brand new phone, the Galaxy S20, is well-suited to the needs of all forward thinking, resourceful, passionate Texans who are out there shaping the state’s future right now. In honor of the occasion, Samsung has partnered with Texas Monthly to highlight some extraordinary individuals who, each in their own way, are breaking the mold and raising the bar with their singular ideas and willful determination to bring them to fruition. From championing street art to putting a new spin on the tortilla, with…

HOW WILL THE OIL BUST AND THE CORONAVIRUS AFFECT THE TEXAS BUDGET? Between the economic downturn caused by the pandemic and the drop in crude prices prompted by the price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia, there could be a multibilliondollar hole in the state budget by the time the next legislature begins, in 2021. Will that mean tax increases or spending cuts? R._G. Ratcliffe says it all depends on which party prevails in November. THE SEMINAL NOVEL ABOUT THE 1918 FLU PANDEMIC WAS WRITTEN BY A TEXAN Reading Indian Creek native Katherine Anne Porter’s 1939 novel Pale Horse, Pale Rider today, Michael Agresta found himself wanting to shake the book’s two young lovers by their shoulders and shout, “Social distancing! Use hand sanitizer! And for God’s sake, don’t kiss!” INSIDE THE STORY OF…

When we started planning this issue, months ago, we had a fun lineup in mind, including a beautiful cover story on sportfishing. Then oil prices crashed and the coronavirus brought much of the state to a standstill. This double whammy poses a huge challenge to all Texans, including Texas Monthly’s staff. We’ve been working remotely to make sense of it all for readers—especially on texasmonthly.com, where our round-the-clock coverage of the coronavirus crisis is available for free to everyone. Leading that online effort is our website’s new editorial director, Michelle Williams, who moved to Texas in March and dived immediately into the fray. “I unpacked my boxes, but I don’t remember how,” she says. “It’s all been a blur. I haven’t really thought of anything else besides this story.” A veteran…

Down With History I have been reading Texas Monthly since I was a young’un at my granny and gramps’ home in Hurst. There have been many iterations of TM and, in my opinion, a few missteps over the years. That being said, my favorite features (as a longtime subscriber now living in California) are the crime and history pieces. The John Jenkins story [“The Legend of John Holmes Jenkins,” March 2020] was particularly enjoyable, and I thank you for your commitment to keeping Texas history alive. The story captures so much of our outsized Texan character by chronicling his twisted life. My granny and gramps would be well pleased. DAVID ROGERSON, SAN PABLO, CALIFORNIA Judge Dread Your article on [Harris County Judge] Lina Hidalgo [“Lina Hidalgo’s Year of Living Dangerously,” March 2020] highlights the…

I travel Texas so much that when I wake up some mornings, it takes a few seconds for me to remember where I am. Camping in Big Bend? Holed up in a cabin in the Piney Woods? But when the coronavirus pandemic hit the state in March, six upcoming spring trips were wiped from my calendar. Like most everyone else, I stayed home. As I found ways to exercise outside in Austin while sheltering in place, I discovered that adventure still awaits, no travel required. Just find a spot close by with room to roam. State parks are a great option if you live near one. (At press time, many have remained open, although officials have closed visitors centers as well as park headquarters and stores; an alert map on the…

For Joe Yonan, the question “Should you put beans in chili?” is moot. The San Angelo native grew up on T-bones and Tex-Mex. The first thing he learned to cook was chicken-fried steak. Eight years ago, however, Yonan, the food editor for the Washington Post, went vegetarian. But he wasn’t about to live life without the occasional bowl o’ red. “I realized that, rather than worrying about putting any beans in the chili, what if I just really went for it and built it all around the beans?” Yonan says. The recipe is in his new cookbook, Cool Beans: The Ultimate Guide to Cooking With the World’s Most Versatile Plant-Based Protein, With 125 Recipes, which came out in February. As everybody began stocking up on beans in the midst of…