Oct 7, 2021 - News

Writers gathering in Archer City to remember Larry McMurtry

Author Larry McMurtry sits in his store, Booked Up. — Photo by Diana Walker/Getty Images

Writers from across the country will gather in Archer City this weekend to pay tribute to Larry McMurtry, the legendary Texas author who died in March.

Organized by George Getschow, who co-founded the University of North Texas' Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference, the convocation will include readings at the Royal Theater by writers influenced by McMurtry and a free public screening of The Last Picture Show on Saturday night.

Why it matters: McMurtry, who grew up in Archer City, is one of the most acclaimed and prolific writers in the state's history.

McMurtry is known best for novels like "Lonesome Dove", "Terms of Endearment" and the "Thalia" series set in a town based on Archer City. He also wrote several essay collections and won an Oscar for his "Brokeback Mountain" screenplay.

What they're saying: "Larry McMurtry impacted the way we all think about Texas, the way we think about ourselves," Getschow tells Axios. "There was a time when we had a jingoistic attitude about Texas. He made us re-examine the way we think about our customs, our beliefs."

What we're watching: A collection of essays by writers speaking this weekend and others will be published by the University of Texas Press.

Contributing writers include Beverly Lowry, Stephen Graham Jones, Sarah Bird, Skip Hollandsworth, Stephen Harrigan, Geoff Dyer, Alfredo Corchado, McMurtry's occasional-writing partner Diana Ossana, and Axios Dallas’ own Mike Mooney 👋.

Go deeper: Read Mike's essay about the way the McMurtry's work changed Archer City from the August issue of Texas Highways.

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Writers gathering in Archer City to remember Larry McMurtry

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