Email Author Margaret Downing

Awards

• 2012 - Maggies: The Magazine Awards of Western Publishing, published December 22, 2011

  "Mistaken Identities"

• 2011 - Maggies: The Magazine Awards of Western Publishing, published December 23, 2010

  "Children of God"

• 2011 - Lone Star Awards, published December 23, 2010

  "Children of God"

• 2011 - Lone Star Awards, published December 30, 2010

  "The Whipping Boy"

• 2011 - Lone Star Awards, published June 3, 2010

  "Homeless High"

• 2010 - Lone Star Awards, published June 4, 2009

  "Let the Record Reflect"

• 2009 - Education Reporting Awards/National Education Writers Association, published April 10, 2008

  "Exit Exams"

• 2009 - AAN AltWeekly Awards, published May 8, 2008

  "Mental Anguish"

• 2009 - Lone Star Awards, published November 13, 2008

  "Bad Faith"

• 2008 - Maggies: The Magazine Awards of Western Publishing, published May 31, 2007

  "Killing Fences"

• 2008 - First Amendment Awards/The Fort Worth Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, published October 25, 2007

  "Death in a Box"

• 2008 - Lone Star Awards, published October 25, 2007

  "Death in a Box"

• 2008 - Lone Star Awards, published August 23, 2007

  "Judging Books and Their Covers"

• 2007 - Education Reporting Awards/National Education Writers Association, published October 5, 2006

  "Opt In, Opt Out'

• 2007 - Lone Star Awards, published October 5, 2006

  "Opt In, Opt Out"

• 2007 - Lone Star Awards, published May 11, 2006

  "Diary of a Mad Man"

• 2006 - Lone Star Awards, published August 11, 2005

  "Who Cares?"

• 2006 - Lone Star Awards, published February 17, 2005

  "Mind Reading"

More

2009 Stories by Margaret Downing

• Beer and Sausage and Beer Ice Cream at VOICE

  published Oct 09, 2009

  It is a dinner that begins with pheasant sausage coupled with a robust pumpkin beer and ends with a stout (beer) ice cream. Along the way there will be more sausage and bratwurst, a beer-braised duck ... More >>

• Selma Blair And Our Town, In More Ways Than One

  published Oct 08, 2009

  For part of last night's performance of Thornton Wilder's Our Town at the Alley Theatre, audience members were paying more attention to a row of center seats a few rows up from the stage. Actress Selm... More >>

• An Ode to Sugar -- But Watch Out for That Nasty Oil and Fat!

  published Oct 08, 2009

  A new cookbook called The Worry-Free Bakery arrived in Eating...Our Words' inbox the other day. It both promoted the worth of sweet desserts, and promised recipes that were fat free. Author Kumik... More >>

• From Rice to Potatoes: How to Switch Gears and Become a Cooking Contest Winner

  published Oct 07, 2009

  Okay, so William "Trey" Smith went to Rice University, where he graduated in 2006 with a degree in economics. Following a not-unexpected career path, he enrolled in law school at the University of Okl... More >>

• Anneliese van der Pol In Meet Me in St. Louis And The Runaway House

  published Oct 02, 2009

  Anneliese van der Pol was a big star on You're So Raven. If, unlike my teenage daughter but like me, you never watched that particular Disney Channel TV sitcom, the news is something of a so-what. Sta... More >>

• Mary Poppins: This Disney Baby Grew Up Bigtime

  published Sep 30, 2009

  In high school in her home state of Florida, Ashley Brown "thought" she wanted to be on the volleyball team. "In the middle of it, I hated it. I hated every minute of it because I was horrible, but my... More >>

• Magna Charter

  published October 1, 2009

  She put on the belt, the black one with her initial on the buckle. She made gang signs. "I just did like symbols with my hands." She talked... More >>

• Mary Poppins's Bert: Talk About a Show Stopper

  published Sep 25, 2009

  Anyone who's seen the classic Mary Poppins movie with Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, knows it for its catchy songs, the flying nanny that is Mary Poppins, and some exuberant dancing. In the stage v... More >>

• Taylor Hicks And Dominic Fortuna: Two Blue-Collar Stiffs Working Their Butts Off

  published Sep 11, 2009

  Turns out Dominic Fortuna, who deftly plays the WAXX DJ Vince Fontaine in the national road company of Grease now at the Hobby Center, was a former contestant on the reality show Grease: You're the On... More >>

• Taylor Hicks Isn't The Only One Getting Them Squirming In Their Seats At Grease

  published Sep 09, 2009

  When Taylor Hicks descended from the heavens (from above a burger bar) in the national touring production of Grease at Hobby Center Tuesday night, the roar from the crowd was like the landing of the B... More >>

• Dickens on the Strand Returns To Full Strength This Year

  published Aug 27, 2009

  rLast year, after the all-round drenching and destruction that the Strand Historic Landmark District in Galveston took on in Hurricane Ike, the annual presentation of the Dickens on the Strand w... More >>

• Open House: En Garde at the Alley Theatre This Sunday

  published Aug 27, 2009

  rAll you people out there who've spent years fencing with empty paper towel rolls and plastic swords, this is your chance to pick up techniques and strategies from the real players -- actors ... More >>

• CEP Critic Can't Get The Suit Against Him Dismissed

  published Aug 27, 2009

  rRobert Kimball, the former Houston ISD educator, who has spoken long, loudly -- and not positively -- about the two alternative schools operated in Houston by the for-profit Community Education... More >>

• A New Chuy's in Westchase

  published Aug 26, 2009

  rThe about-to-be-just-opened new Chuy's Westchase at 9350 Westheimer was loud and busy Monday night as service staff tried to get their timing down before the public opening on Tuesday. Full ma... More >>

• 

  FEATURED STORY

  SAT Scores Ain't Getting Much Better In Texas Or Anywhere

  published Aug 25, 2009

  rFor U.S. kids who are tested more than any previous generation, it just doesn't seem like we're getting the hang of it. SAT scores for the class of 2009 were released today and like the ACT ... More >>

• The Color Purple, Back And Unbowed By Ike

  published Aug 20, 2009

  Just like its main character Celie who overcomes all odds, the national tour of The Color Purple came to the Hobby Center this week and soared in sound and spectacle -- despite a few sound and lightin... More >>

• The Latest ACT Scores: Not Much Improvement In Texas

  published Aug 19, 2009

  The ACT scores are just out for the 2009 graduating seniors who took the tests as sophomores, juniors or seniors and it is not great news across the land, and certainly not in Texas. As far as biology... More >>

• Mollydooker Winemaker Sparky Marquis at Central Market

  published Aug 18, 2009

  rThe Central Market at 3815 Westheimer is hosting a "Meet and Greet With Mollydooker Winemaker" this Thursday, August 20, from 1:30-2:30 p.m. With a name like Mollydooker, how could you not ... More >>

• Nobody Beats The Wiz, When It Comes To Lining Up

  published Aug 17, 2009

  Hair Balls decided to take in the free showing of The Wiz at Miller Outdoor Theatre this weekend. The show has been in an extended run at the Ensemble Theatre (not for free) but, for two nights only, ... More >>

• Get Ready, Houston: You're Gonna Have Two Solid Weeks Of Taylor Hicks

  published Aug 13, 2009

  rGood news came out today for fans of Taylor Hicks and Grease -- they no longer will have to pick certain Houston shows to be sure of seeing the former American Idol winner as the Teen Angel. O... More >>

• Cleaning House at T.H. Rogers And Elsewhere In HISD

  published Aug 07, 2009

  Word on the street from Friends of Hair Balls is that there's a lot of pro-active housecleaning going on by the regional superintendents in advance of the new Houston ISD superintendent's arrival... More >>

• New Smashburger to Make Food Bank Donations

  published Jul 31, 2009

  rThe burger import from Denver, Smashburger, opened its new location in West University this week. The 2,150 square foot restaurant at 5520 Buffalo Speedway seats a maximum of 96 diners. To cele... More >>

• Ra Sushi's Second Location at City Centre

  published Jul 29, 2009

  rThe just-opened Ra Sushi at Interstate 10 and Beltway 8 is a little tough to find. Even though the address is 800 W. Sam Houston (a better address might be 12860 Queensbury), it takes a cert... More >>

• The Color Purple Comes Back To Finish Its Ike-Shortened Run

  published Jul 24, 2009

   Last year, one of the casualties of Hurricane Ike was The Color Purple's national-tour stopover in Houston. It was supposed to be here for a two-week run, but that was halved thanks to the post-... More >>

• From Spring To New York And Back To Stages

  published Jul 23, 2009

   Casey Burden, one of the lead actors in The Andrews Brothers! now appearing at Stages, started working out extra hard to get ready for his role as one of the stagehands who slaps on a wig and ta... More >>