Louis Black

Over time, our "Best of Austin" issues have become an ongoing catalog of all things Austin, truly capturing the city and conveying a deep sense of place.

Anyway you cut it, I-35 is a major problem with no easy solution.

To completely pretend this week isn't somehow special was ludicrous, but we're paying our respects with silence.

Editor in Chief Louis Black reflects on the Chronicle's 21st anniversary.

Returning from vacation offers a new appreciation for the city -- and for uniquely Austin events like the Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival.

Returning from vacation offers a new appreciation for the city -- and for uniquely Austin events like the Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival.

A decade after SOS, we need to develop a realistic vision and useful political tools to address future development in the Barton Springs watershed.

The Newspaper That Came to Breakfast: The Statesman's coverage of the Stratus deal is very hard to swallow.

The City Council should negotiate the Stratus deal from a position of strength; we remember the tragic life and brilliant filmmaking of indie pioneer Eagle Pennell.

Saving what we can of Barton Springs -- most recently threatened by a proposed development deal between the city and Stratus Properties -- requires pragmatism and compromise.

We mourn the loss of the Hole in the Wall, where many post-publication nights were lost and at least one marriage was born.

We change printers, resize the paper, and go to press a day early, all in the same week. At some point this must have seemed like a good plan.

The movement to replace traditional film stock with High Definition video is under way, and some notable local directors are leading the charge.

Our cover story delves into the complex legacy of Townes Van Zandt, an artist who cared more about music than business, who literally lived his whole life for the sake of the song.

If loving new City Manager Toby Futrell is wrong, we don't want to be right; longtime Books Editor Clay Smith departs, to the chagrin of almost everyone.

An exhilarating account of how the Zephyr Skating team changed skateboarding forever, Dogtown and Z-Boys finally opens at Dobie on Friday; in a summer of some truly great movies, it's a ripping piece of street storytelling not to be missed, even if you don't care about the sport.

Dave Marsh is a writer of passionate convictions whose work is designed for engagement. Which is why we're excited that he wrote our cover story on as great a talent as Patty Griffin.

Saturday's election results show that election reform isn't necessary when you have a thoughtful electorate.

Endorsements are a pain, but we think they are also a service to our readers.

The city of Austin claims to support live music and film, but its actions speak louder than its slogans.Chronicle AISD Endorsements, 2002Endorsements in Austin Community College Board Election. The Chronicle Endorsements for the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District

The misleadingly named Austin Fair Elections Act proposes an unneeded "cure" for a healthy body politic.

Like all morality-based movements designed to eat away at our most basic freedoms, term limits and campaign finance reform are inherently anti-democratic.

Term-limit proponents aren't defending your vote; they are looking to deny it.

The agony and the ecstasy of SXSW 2002

The forest fire that is SXSW continues to blaze, fueled by the SXSW Film Awards, the Austin Music Awards show, and upcoming Chronicle daily editions.

A cornucopia of delights await you at the South by Southwest Film and Music Festivals and Austin Music Awards this year.

Even a lot of memorializing would not have been enough to pay tribute to Waylon Jennings, who had a profound and spiritual impact on Austin and its music; the Austin Music Awards will feature a salute to Ray Benson; our preview coverage of SXSW Interactive and Film gets under way with a tech-centric meditation by Bruce Sterling and an interview with Journeys With George director Alexandra Pelosi.

Single-member districts would wrest control of the City Council from the residents of heavy-voting, progressive / environmental Central Austin, but would not be a quick fix for any of the civic problems currently laid, somewhat inaccurately, at the feet of the current council.

The events of the week form themselves into a kind of poetry.

It’s five weeks until SXSW season, which kicks off with SXSW Film presenting Peter Bogdanovich and his new film. If that weren’t enough, the Texas Film Hall of Fame will feature Sissy Spacek inducting Terrence Malick, along with presenters and inductees Marcia Gay Harden, Cyd Charisse, Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett, Dan Rather, Bill Broyles, Bill Wittliff, Jack Valenti, Cheech Marin, and Dennis Hopper.