Texas nonprofit to revive Larry McMurtry's iconic bookstore as literary hub

• McMurtry grew up in Archer City, west of Wichita Falls, and was one of the state's most revered writers until his death in March 2021. He was also an avid book collector, amassing a catalog of 175,000 rare tomes.  

The latest: The Archer City Writers Workshop announced this week that the organization had bought the Booked Up buildings. 

• "We are great admirers of the life and work of Larry McMurtry and look forward to seeing his remarkable bookstore open its doors again in a way that honors his legacy and our shared love for the story and spirit of Archer City," the Gaineses said in the announcement. 

Catch up fast: McMurtry wrote dozens of books, including Pulitzer Prize-winning "Lonesome Dove," "The Last Picture Show" and "Terms of Endearment." He co-wrote the Oscar-winning screenplay for "Brokeback Mountain." 

• The author opened his first bookstore in Washington, D.C., in the 1970s.
• He opened Booked Up in Archer City in the late 1980s. The bookstore, once spanning several buildings and attracting visitors from around the world, was reduced to two buildings before closing about a year after McMurtry's death. The "Fixer Upper" stars bought the remaining two buildings last year.

Context: The Writers Workshop is a group of regional writers led by George Getschow, a retired lecturer at the University of North Texas. Getschow would take a group of journalism students to Archer City every summer. 

• The goal was to immerse students in McMurtry's hometown and encourage them to find a story to tell in the town of about 1,500 people. 

What's next: Getschow and the other writers have been working to resurrect Booked Up and offer public access to McMurtry's rare book collection. 

• The planned literary center will feature permanent exhibits and offer writing workshops for teens and adults.