Texas Monthly magazine publisher to retire in August

AUSTIN (AP) - Texas Monthly publisher Mike Levy, one of the founders of the magazine, announced Tuesday he will retire at the end of August.

After struggling to get started, the award-winning magazine now has more than 2 million readers, Levy said.

"It started in 1973 with an idea, the premise still true today: Texas is a huge expanse of geography, but in essence it's really a defined community of interest. We're all Texans, sharing a common tradition and lifestyle and culture and, most important, pride in our state," Levy wrote in an e-mail announcing his decision.

Levy said his plans include starting a consulting practice focused on marketing and "exploring community endeavors of interest to me."