That's right, Sparky, you're not from Texas but Texas wants you anyway. At least, Texas Monthly does. Here in Austin, we're not so sure but thanks for askin'.
We're A'Fixin' To Get On Goin'. Texas Monthly (TM) is a print magazine that, to mangle a metaphor beyond recognition, covers the waterfront of Texas. All of it. Produced by Emmis Publishing, TM concentrates on the lifestyles, achievements and shenanigans of Texans, famous, not-so-famous and infamous. As you might expect, the mag has a distinctly Texas flavor and appeal -- which is not to say Country and Western. But, if you ain't from Texas or about Texas, you may just want to keep sipping that latté at Starbucks.
On A Clear Day, You Can See El Paso.
TM's articles cover a very broad range of subjects including politics, social life, sports and bidness. Recent issues have featured, among others, Elvis (!), Farrah Fawcett, Hollywood Henderson, Bonnie and Clyde and, of course, George W. Bush. Plus, many folks you've never heard of even if you're from Tay-hah. Speaking of politics, TM is decidedly mainstream and features writers of all persuasions.
TM should not be seen as a state-wide equivalent to New York Magazine or The Washingtonian. While its production values are almost as slick, TM is about a quart low in the Gravitas department. While neither New York Magazine nor The Washingtonian is exactly The Journal of Rocket Science, TM is yet farther away.
Ridin' The Fences.
Issues typically run about 200 pages. Each monthly issue offers four or five feature pieces, three or four shorter articles and several sections on events around the state: museums and art exhibits, restaurant guides and points of interest. And then there are the ads. Oy. The various Convention and Visitors Bureaus around the state must own stock in TM. They must, for their ads are pervasive; yea, verily, the ads shall bring consternation to thy brow.
There are a couple of special annual features including the Bum Steer Awards, a cheap knockoff of Esquire Magazine's classic Dubious Achievements. The Bum Steer Awards occasionally elicit a chuckle but, unlike Dubious Achievements, a ROTFLMAO is rare. TM also publishes an annual Influential Texans article in which they recognize about twenty-five homebred movers and shakers. They lost us forever a couple of years ago when they saluted Dennis Rodman, the bizarre NBA player, as a role model. Puh-leeze. And, yes, saluted is the right word.
As mentioned above, TM covers a very broad range of topics. And therein lies the rub. The magazine has no specific focus other than Texas. While you'll find at least one article of interest in every issue, you'll never find five. Overall, out of the entire magazine, we've found the event and restaurant guides to be TM's most valuable content. Not what you'd expect.
Just Like The Rio Grande: Broad, Not Deep.
TM features several excellent writers including Joe Nick Patoski, Paul Burka and Skip Hollingsworth. Ironically enough, one of TM's more serious flaws is depth. Too often, the articles butter the bread and then, just when you're ready for the whole sammich, stop. We get this nagging feeling that the best use of TM is when you've just settled into your hotel room in Fort Worth for a weekend visit.
Dodging The Lone-Star Bullet.
Dr. Feelgood, your integrity-laden reviewer, must disclose that he is a six-year transplant to Austin (which we love to death, please don't move here). Real Texans eye us with justifiable suspicion as a furriner (and, worse, a damyankee). Therefore, we are hardpressed to assign TM a fair and reasonable rating. But, here goes...
Judged purely on its technical merits as a print magazine -- that is, production values and quality of writing -- we think three stars is about right. But, when we factor in the lack of depth and unfocused vision (not to mention the Cavalcade O' Ads), we can only justify two stars. If you work for the State Convention and Visitors Bureau, you might find enough of interest to justify a subscription. However, everyone else (particularly immigrants) will struggle to do so. We wish we could recommend Texas Monthly but we just can't.
Note: For a quick look at Texas Monthly, check out the website at www.texasmonthly.com.
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