Larry McMurtry is my favorite author. He has been for nearly three decades. We lost his genius last year. It still makes me sad to know there will be no new books from this man. He took me on so many memorable trips and gave me some of the best characters to ever grace a page.
For those of you who are not familiar with Larry, allow me to give you a taste of his resume. Let’s start with the biggie, quite literally, Lonesome Dove. This book won the Pulitzer Prize and is more than 800 pages of love, loss, friendship, challenges and humor. This book makes me laugh out loud and sob uncontrollably—sometimes simultaneously. It is one of the few books where I will also recommend the movie. The mini-series from the late 80’s is brilliant and has some of the best performances you will ever see from greats like Robert Duvall, Tommy Lee Jones, Diane Lane and Anjelica Huston, just to name a few. Read the book and then watch the movie. You will not be disappointed.
Since we are talking movies, did you know Terms of Endearment, The Last Picture Show and Hud (the book is entitled Horseman, Pass By) are also based on Larry McMurtry books? Yep! Talk about brilliant movies and acting! These movies won a ton of awards and rightly so. You know what? The books are even better. McMurtry’s talent was truly immeasurable. His gift for storytelling has been matched by very few. He makes you feel. Oh yeah, and he won an Oscar for writing the screenplay for Brokeback Mountain. Mic drop.
This brings me to my favorite part of Larry’s writing: his female characters. There are no stronger women characters than those in a Larry McMurtry book. They are total bad asses. I was taken by it as soon as I started reading him in college. I have spent many sleepless nights pondering how a man can write such amazing women. He gets women and knows how tough, complex, funny and brave we are. Clara Allen from Lonesome Dove is etched in my heart, to the point Clara was almost my daughter’s name. However, the family name Josephine won out in the end. I will have two dogs named Clara and Gus one day. Clara will be sassy AF and Gus will love her with his whole heart and make me laugh daily.
My favorite McMurtry book is Leaving Cheyenne. I read it in my early 20’s. I still think about the ending of that book. It was totally a case of reading the right book at the right time in my life. I have toyed with going back and reading it again, but I fear it won’t mean as much and I don’t want to ruin it. That is really highly unlikely given Larry’s talent, but I want that book to always be special to me.
I can’t exactly remember how I started reading Larry McMurtry. His work is engrained in my DNA at this point. I know I discovered him in college. He has been with me my entire adult life. We are an unlikely pair. If you would have told me my favorite writer would be someone best known for their epic tales of the wild west and cowboys, I would have said you were nuts. This is what sets McMurtry apart. It’s not about his books being westerns, which many would fall in that category, I suppose. It’s about his books so perfectly telling the human experience, regardless of the setting or character’s occupation. Also, many of his books have nothing to do with the wild west or cowboys.
I have everything Larry has ever written (I think) sitting on my bookshelf. I have not read them all. I have been pacing myself with his books for 30 years. I never want to run out. There are times in my life when I just need his writing desperately. I’m so grateful to have experienced his talent. The world is a better place because of his books and I’m a better person for having read them.
Angela Traver
What is this blog about? Well, it's a general blog, but it is also a very specific blog. If you get that reference, you get a gold star! I have been a public relations professional and writer of press releases for more than 20 years—primarily in the booze biz. I decided to do some writing for fun and embrace the humor that gets me through most days. Hopefully it will make you chuckle—or at least smile. I’m a certified crazy magnet, and more than a little nutty myself, so buckle up. Also, I have two vices—profanity and red wine/whiskey. You’ve been warned. It should also be noted, that I’m a HUGE Bob & Sheri fan. I’ve been a listener for more than 20 years. This opportunity is a dream come true and it may have made me cry. That being said, I cry at everything. If you are into booze, dogs, food and/or knitting, hit me up on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter (although I’m terrible at Twitter and it scares me) @kyspiritsgal. You can also find all my previous blog posts at www.kyspiritsgal.com.
