X (close)
Today’s featured event
Fort Worth Museum of Science and History
Fort Worth
Grand Reopening—after a two-year renovation, the kid-friendly museum has finally opened its 166,000-square-foot, $80 million new digs. Designed by the Mexico architecture firm Legorreta + Legorreta, the building is anchored by a 76-foot-tall, glass-paneled Urban Lantern (above) that allows natural light to stream in during the day and beams a beacon of white light into the sky at night. But the museum is, first and foremost, devoted to “interpreting science and the stories of Texas and the Southwest,” as the updated exhibits prove. Find the full listing here. Open daily 10–5. Museum: gen adm $14, senior citizens & children 3–12 $10, 2 & under and members free. Omni Theater: gen adm $7 & $9, senior citizens & children 3–12 $6 & $8, 2 & under free ($3 discount for members). Noble Planetarium: Gen adm $5, senior citizens & children 3–12 $5, 2 & under and members free. web site | map | access ++
Louis, Louis
Over the past 27 years, Louis Vuitton has opened eleven boutiques in Texas. For the most recent opening, an astounding 6,200-square-foot store at NorthPark Center, in Dallas, the CEO of Vuitton’s North American division, Daniel Lalonde, sat down with us to talk shop. Interview by Kristie Ramirez
Lyle Lovett
By now the archetypal Texas country-pop of Lyle Lovett rings with such easygoing familiarity that even his new songs sound like old favorites. It’s a testament to how well Lovett inhabits his own skin. And it’s on his solo efforts where Lovett seems the most engaged. Natural Forces (Lost Highway) now finds the middle ground—a band session with a modest, organic feel.
You Lost Us at Hello
It’s not called an Oscar curse for nothing, as the likes of Linda Hunt, Mira Sorvino, Mercedes Ruehl, and Brenda Fricker could all tell you. But even by the dismal standards of those post—best supporting actress nosedives, nothing quite compares to the year that Renée Zellweger just had. Her films have gone from bad to worse to unwatchable, and her performances are alternately anachronistic and charmless.
Gift Giving
Ginger Reeder, a vice president for Neiman Marcus, scours the globe annually for over-the-top “fantasy” gifts to showcase in The Christmas Book. This year she tracked down such items as a $25,000 customized cupcake car, a $12,000 chandelier made from plastic bottles, and the world’s fastest electric motorcycle. Interview by Jordan Breal
Capital Punishment
On October 24, 2009, protesters gathered at the Capitol to rally against the death penalty. People spoke out on behalf of Cameron Todd Willingham, charged Rick Perry with homicide, and held posters listing the names of those executed in Texas since 1982. Images by Andrew Lo. Captions by Anna Bleker.
Tomorrow People
Blake Mycoskie, the founder of Shoes for Tomorrow (TOMS), talks about traveling around the world, shoe drops, and expanding the business. By Kristie Ramirez
Books
Julie Powell
Cleaving: A Story of Marriage, Meat, and Obsession will surprise readers who know the Austin native only as the novice chef played by Amy Adams in the film version of Julie & Julia.
An Interview With
Danny Barnes
The 47-year-old songwriter’s Pizza Box (ATO), his first album on a major label, counts Dave Matthews as a collaborator.
Music
Long John Hunter
It’s East not West Texas that’s known as a blues hotbed, but this Louisiana native staked his claim in the hardscrabble juke joints of El Paso and Juárez, most notably the Lobby Bar.
Object Lesson
Red McCombs’s Office Mini-Fridge
The 82-year-old businessman typically works sixty hours a week, Monday through Saturday, at his office in San Antonio.
Slide Show
Home of the Brave
A time to grieve, remember, honor, question. Scenes from Fort Hood during the aftermath of a mass shooting on November 5, 2009. Photographs by Bob Daemmrich.
Web Exclusive
Don’t Back Down
Why can’t TCU seem to break into the national sports consciousness? By Jeff Beckham
Texas History 101
Fort Hood
From World War II to Operation Iraqi Freedom, Fort Hood has remained a stalwart structure in U.S. military history.
Feature Story
Heartbreak High
Killeen Shoemaker, in the shadow of Fort Hood, is ground zero for the home front, a school where hundreds of students have parents who are deployed in Iraq and fear of death and danger is part of everyday life.
