The 64th annual American Studies Association of Texas conference will kick off at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 11, at Midwestern State University’s Akin Auditorium with a discussion of the life and work of Archer City native Larry McMurtry. The public is welcome to attend.

MSU Texas Associate Professor of English Greg Giddings will moderate the discussion, “Looking Back at the Life and Work of Larry McMurtry,” with guests Mark Busby, Professor Emeritus from Texas State University, and McMurtry’s sister Sue Deen of Archer City.

McMurtry grew up in Archer City and was the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Lonesome Dove, as well as other well-known novels such as Horseman, Pass By; The Last Picture Show; and Terms of Endearment. He also won an Academy Award for his adapted screenplay of Brokeback Mountain and received a National Humanities Medal, presented at the White House by President Barack Obama, in 2014. 

McMurtry, who passed away March 25 this year in Arizona, kept a residence in Archer City.

Busby is the author of two novels, Cedar Crossing and Fort Benning Blues, as well as a collection of poems titled Through Our Times: Occasional Poems 1960-2017. Busby also published the first extended scholarly examination of McMurtry: Larry McMurtry and the West: An Ambivalent Relationship (Texas Writers Series). Busby is considered by many to be the foremost authority on McMurtry.

Deen was the former manager of the Blue Pig Book Shop in Archer City, overseeing the day-to-day affairs of the business. According to Giddings, also an Archer City native, Deen embodied the spirit of the shop, “regaling customers with local gossip while suggesting a lesser-known book or two.”

This event is co-sponsored by the Speakers and Issues Series at MSU Texas. Admission is free, and masks and social distancing are encouraged. Email Greg Giddings or call 940-397-4479 for more information.

About the American Studies Association of Texas

The American Studies Association of Texas, founded in 1956, is the Texas regional affiliate of the national American Studies Association. It is dedicated to the study of and promotion of all areas of American studies.