Texas Monthly

Cover of the January 2007 issue, covering the Dick Cheney hunting incident
Editor-in-chief	Dan Goodgame[1]
Frequency	Monthly
Total circulation (2011)	310,976[2]
First issue	February 1973; 51 years ago (1973-02)
Company	Texas Monthly LLC
Country	United States
Based in	Austin, Texas
Website	www.texasmonthly.com
ISSN	0148-7736

Texas Monthly (stylized as TexasMonthly) is a monthly American magazine headquartered in Downtown Austin, Texas. Texas Monthly was founded in 1973 by Michael R. Levy, has been published by Emmis Publishing, L.P. since 1998^[3] and as of 2019^[update] is owned by Enterprise Products.^[4] Texas Monthly chronicles life in contemporary Texas, writing on politics, the environment, industry, and education. The magazine also covers leisure topics such as music, art, dining, and travel. It is a member of the City and Regional Magazine Association (CRMA).^[5] In 2019, Texas Monthly was purchased by billionaire Randa Williams.^[6][7] In 2021, Texas Monthly acquired Texas Country Reporter.^[8]

Subject matter

Texas Monthly takes as its premise that Texas began as a distinctive place and remains so. It is the self-appointed arbiter of all things culturally Texan, with past articles on Texas BBQ, the Texas Rangers (including Joaquin Jackson's famous 1994 cover appearance), and Texas musicians.

Texas Monthly's annual "Bum Steer Awards" poke fun at Texas politicians and policies, odd Texas-related news items and personalities from the previous year. Anna Nicole Smith (prior to her death) was a perennial "winner". Other Bum Steer "Hall of Famers" include Ross Perot, Tom DeLay, and Jessica Simpson. It releases biennial lists with explanations of the "Ten Best" and "Ten Worst" Texas state legislators.

Since the establishment of the magazine, barbecue enthusiasts have been among the Texas Monthly staff. The magazine's first article about barbecue in Texas was published in 1973. The magazine often ranks what it considers to be the best barbecue restaurants in Texas.^[9] Calvin Trillin of The New Yorker said in 2008 that East Texas barbecue often did not interest the Austin-based staff of the Texas Monthly, who were more focused on Central Texas barbecue.^[10]

In December 2021, the magazine signed a three-year first-look deal with HBO and HBO Max.^[11]

Headquarters

It has its headquarters at 816 Congress Ave. in Downtown Austin. It occupies a 21,610 square feet (2,008 m²) area on the 17th floor of the building. As of 2011^[update] it has about 80 employees.^[12]

Around 2009 the Texas Monthly headquarters moved to University Park, on the site of the former Concordia University. The headquarters was scheduled to move to its current location in Downtown Austin in the summer of 2011.^[12]

Previously the headquarters was in Suite 1600 of 701 Brazos in Downtown Austin.^[13]

Awards

The magazine has received ten National Magazine Awards:^[14]

• General Excellence—2009, 2003, 1992, 1990
• Public Interest—1996, for "Not What the Doctor Ordered" by Mimi Swartz
• Photography—1990
• Reporting—1985, for "The Man in the Black Hat" (part 1 and 2) by Paul Burka
• Public Service—1980, for "Why Teachers Can't Teach" by Gene Lyons
• Reporting—1979, for a three-part series by Richard West
• Outstanding Editorial Achievement in Special Journalism—1974

Archives

The complete archives of Texas Monthly (1972–present) are located at the Wittliff collections of Southwestern Writers, Texas State University.^[15]

Texas Monthly Press

In the 1980s, Texas Monthly Press published such books as Goodbye to a River and Hank the Cowdog and authors such as Bud Shrake, Stephen Harrigan and Gary Cartwright. Gulf Publishing Company purchased Texas Monthly Press in 1989.