What the Rio Grande Means to Us
Eleven writers share their stories of the river.
September 2026 Issue
On the Cover
The War for the Rio Grande
This is the story of a water crisis without precedent in American history.
Ken Paxton Transformed the Texas AG’s Office. What Comes Next?
Greg Abbott and Ken Paxton transformed the role from bureaucrat to culture warrior. What comes next?
For Best-Selling Novelist R. F. Kuang, It All Began on a North Texas Debate Team
The author of ‘Babel,’ ‘Yellowface,’ and the ‘Poppy War’ trilogy says the state’s fierce culture of competitive forensics profoundly shaped her writing.
The 114-Year-Old Texas Barbershop Where Elvis Once Sat for a Trim
At Shepard’s, which opened in 1912 in downtown Conroe, Leon Apostolo has been cutting hair—and shooting the breeze—for almost fifty years.
Meanwhile, in Texas: An Austin Raccoon Finds Itself Up a Creek
Plus, a malodorous fire destroys homes in Amarillo, prayerful predators steal gold in Midland, and other recent events in our unpredictable state.
For Roughnecks in the Gulf, This Paramedic Is a Lifesaver
Eric Victorin handles medical crises on offshore drill ships in perilously remote environs.
A Custom Mitt Made for a Texan Softball Legend
Cat Osterman, winner of Olympic medals and pitcher of perfect games, more than deserves this one-of-a-kind glove.
A Texas Dairy Farmer Wanted to Be Creative. These Cheeses Are His Works of Art.
Stuart Veldhuizen uses herds of Guernseys, Jerseys, and Normandes on his farmstead to make amazing cheddar, Brie, and more.
The Death of Government Transparency in Texas
Our state once wanted residents to know what politicians were saying and doing behind closed doors. Now leaders are redacting most everything.
We Found Some of the Weirdest High School Mascots in Texas
Is it the Unicorns? The Bobkittens? The Moguls? Nope, nope, and nope.
Roar of the Crowd: September 2026
Reader letters published in our September 2026 issue.
The Rio Grande’s Story Runs Deep. It Took an Issue to Tell.
Where the river goes from here.
The Crossword: In the Air Tonight
If you find this one challenging at first, just hang in there.
La guerra por el Río Grande
Esta es la historia de una crisis de agua sin precedentes en la historia estadounidense.
Lo que el Río Grande significa para nosotros
Once escritores locales comparten sus historias sobre el Río Grande.
Donde el río nace
Para entender la calamidad que amenaza a millones de personas en todo Texas y en el norte de México, hice un viaje con mochila al hombro hacia las remotas zonas boscosas de las montañas de San Juan, en Colorado.
Where the Rio Grande Is Born
To understand the water crisis threatening millions across Texas and northern Mexico, I backpacked deep into the remote Colorado wilderness.
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