Tribute to Larry McMurtry
So long Larry…. to a great American Western writer. He was a data base with an opinion. He knew about history, pop culture…..mostly from being a voracious reader. Yours was the interview I desired most.
One of our most favorites authors of ALL time passed away this week. Larry McMurtry, you will be missed, but your stories will live on forever.
If you haven’t read these books, I suggest that you dive into Larry’s literature today with the following:
- Lonesome Dove (1985), this incredible story single handedly revived the popularity of Westerns.
2. Horseman, Pass By (1961) Loved Larry’s fully blooded sensibilities and description of rivalries. This turned into Hud, starring Paul Newman.
3. 62 Women (2021 ) — reflects upon his love for women. I think Larry wrote eloquently about women, especially Cybill Shepherd.
4. Terms of Endearment (1975)- reflected his deep understanding of women. This took 10 years to get on screen.
Not bad for a boy from Archer City, Texas.
My Favorite Larry McMurtry off color comments:
“You have to work hard to write well enough.”
“I’m never going to write about the old west again.” 2007
“I can’t quit it.”
“The Cowboy’s myth was just that.”
“ Dallas is a banker’s village and a second rate city.
“Catch the voice and you can knock out books like The Desert Rose in less than a month.”
“Revenge cheapens your life.”
“Never agonize over your writing. Write 5 pages a day before 9:00 am. Never let your talent go. Keep edging on and not use up the well.”
Little known facts about Larry:
- James McMurtry is Larry’s only offspring. He’s an Austin based singer-songwriter.
- He was a good ping pong player, a game that keeps you mentally acute.
- He was good friends with Ken Kesey (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest) and married his widow Faye.
- Larry has never watched Lonesome Dove.
- McMurtry considers himself a book accumulator, not a collector. He had 600,000 books in his accumulation.
Interview Questions that would have been asked on Success Made to Last Legends with Larry McMurtry.
1. Your writing style values optimism. Who infused optimism in your lifetime? (Churchill? Mandela?)
2. Why did you ever need a writing partner? Explore how the heart attack and quadruple by-pass meant that he needed Diana Ossana’s help.
3. What happened in 1985 that inspired Lonesome Dove?
4. Why do you write about heroes at the end of the career?
5. What does Custer’s Last Stand represent to you?
6. You have a perverse joy of recreating a legend. What drives this?
7. Why did you live seasonally between Tucson, Archer City…in a loop of four distinct towns?
8. Why is the culture of the book going away?
Here’s to you Mr. McMurtry….the great western lion.