A new national Literary Landmark honoring Texas author Larry McMurtry will be unveiled in a special dedication ceremony made possible by the Archer Public Library in Archer City on Friday, November 18. The public is invited to attend.
The culmination of an evening of special events including a panel discussion of McMurtry’s life and work featuring award-winning historian and author Stephen Harrigan, along with a screening of episodes from the Lonesome Dove television miniseries, the landmark will be unveiled at the Royal Theater on Main Street. This free community celebration is open to the public, with doors opening at 5:30 p.m. and the event getting underway at 6:00 p.m. Light refreshments will be provided. Please note that the episodes screened may contain adult content and outdated cultural depictions.
“Larry McMurtry was one of Texas’ greatest authors, and I was thrilled when I found out he would be recognized with a Literary Landmark in his honor,” said Gretchen Abernathy-Kuck, Director of Archer Public Library. “His witty and honest depiction of life in our great state is a gift to all Texans and anyone who loves stories of life in the West.”
McMurtry was a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, essayist, screenwriter and antiquarian bookseller from Archer City. He authored over 50 written works, examining American life from the 19th century frontier to contemporary small-town Texas and capturing the essence of place and time with craft, wit and unforgettable characters. Many of his works, such as The Last Picture Show and Lonesome Dove, were adapted for motion picture and television, earning him multiple film awards alongside his numerous literary honors. After the event, the McMurtry landmark will be installed at the Archer Public Library.
Literary Landmarks are special places located across the country that attract tourists, book lovers and history buffs to educate the public about important literary works and history. In 2020, there were only five Literary Landmark sites designated in our great and vast state. The Texas Center for the Book launched a campaign to double the number of landmarks in Texasm seeking nominations from libraries, historical associations, Chambers of Commerce, educational institutions, museums and literary societies, among others.
As a result of this effort, five new Texas sites were approved by United for Libraries, the national organization that administers the program, and all are made possible by funding from the Summerlee Foundation of Dallas, covering application fees, foundry-made Literary Landmark plaques and programming led by local institutions to create awareness of the sites’ importance to the state’s literary heritage. Read about all of the new Texas Literary Landmarks at www.tsl.texas.gov/literarylandmark.
Established in 1987, the Texas Center for the Book seeks to stimulate public interest in books, reading, literacy and libraries. The Center builds partnerships with library professionals, educators, authors, publishers and booksellers who provide support to our shared mission of promoting a love of literature throughout the Lone Star State. The Texas Center for the Book is under the direction of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission at the Lorenzo De Zavala State Archives and Library Building in Austin, Texas.
The Texas State Library and Archives Commission provides Texans access to the information they need to be informed, productive citizens by preserving the archival record of Texas; enhancing the service capacity of public, academic and school libraries; assisting public agencies in the maintenance of their records; and meeting the reading needs of Texans with disabilities. For more information, visit tsl.texas.gov.
