Meta description: Larry McMurtry biography covers his birth in Archer City, Texas, in 1936, his Pulitzer Prize for Lonesome Dove, his Academy Award for Brokeback Mountain, his bookstore, and his death in 2021. Read 5 key facts with sources.
Who Was Larry McMurtry?
Larry McMurtry was an American novelist and screenwriter who won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for Lonesome Dove. He is known for writing about Texas and the American West for nearly 6 decades. He lived from 1936 to 2021.
What Are the Key Facts About Larry McMurtry?
The table below lists documented facts about Larry McMurtry. Each row names a category, and the second column gives the detail.
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birth date | June 3, 1936 |
| Birthplace | Archer City, Texas |
| Education | B.A., North Texas State University (now University of North Texas); M.A., Rice University |
| Novels written | More than 30 |
| Nonfiction books | 14 |
| Screenplays and teleplays | More than 40 |
| Pulitzer Prize | Fiction, for Lonesome Dove |
| Academy Award | Best Adapted Screenplay, Brokeback Mountain |
| Death date | March 25, 2021 |
| Death place | Tucson, Arizona |
When and Where Was Larry McMurtry Born?
Larry McMurtry was born on June 3, 1936, in Archer City, Texas, into a family of ranchers. His family owned no books. Archer City is located near Wichita Falls and about 140 miles northwest of Dallas.
Where Did Larry McMurtry Study?
Larry McMurtry earned a bachelor’s degree at North Texas State University and a master’s degree at Rice University. North Texas State University is now the University of North Texas.
What Did Larry McMurtry Write?
Larry McMurtry wrote more than 30 novels, 14 nonfiction books, and more than 40 screenplays and teleplays. The Associated Press counts almost 50 books, including novels, biographies, and essay collections.
Key film adaptations are listed below. The columns show the title, release year, and format.
| Title | Release year | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Hud | 1963 | Film adaptation |
| The Last Picture Show | 1971 | Film adaptation |
| Terms of Endearment | 1983 | Film adaptation |
| Brokeback Mountain | 2005 | Film, co-written screenplay |
He and director Peter Bogdanovich received an Academy Award nomination for a script for a film shot in Archer City.
What Is Lonesome Dove About?
Lonesome Dove follows 2 retired Texas Rangers on a cattle drive from Texas to Montana in the 1870s. The novel won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, and Humanities Texas dates the award to 1986. It was the first of 4 novels in a series.
The 1989 television miniseries adaptation starred Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones. McMurtry also wrote teleplays for the miniseries Buffalo Girls, Streets of Laredo, Dead Man’s Walk, and Comanche Moon.
How Did Larry McMurtry Win an Academy Award?
Larry McMurtry won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for Brokeback Mountain with Diana Ossana. The 2005 film was based on an Annie Proulx short story about two cowboys who fall in love.
Their collaboration began after McMurtry underwent quadruple bypass heart surgery in 1991. Ossana helped him out of a writing slump, and he wrote Streets of Laredo at her kitchen table.
What Was Booked Up?
Booked Up was Larry McMurtry’s rare bookstore in Archer City, Texas. He opened it in the mid-1980s. Humanities Texas describes it as a collection of about 400,000 volumes. The Archer City location was the only store remaining in later years.
What Honors Did Larry McMurtry Receive?
Larry McMurtry received 3 major honors: a Pulitzer Prize, an Academy Award, and a National Humanities Medal. Examples include:
- The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for Lonesome Dove
- The Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for Brokeback Mountain
- The 2014 National Humanities Medal, presented by President Barack Obama
- A 1988 Primetime Emmy nomination for writing The Murder of Mary Phagan
How Did Larry McMurtry Die?
Larry McMurtry died on March 25, 2021, in Tucson, Arizona, at age 84. ABC News reported the cause as heart failure. He split his later years between Archer City and Tucson.
People Also Ask
When was Larry McMurtry born?
Larry McMurtry was born on June 3, 1936.
What is Larry McMurtry best known for?
Larry McMurtry is best known for the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Lonesome Dove.
Did Larry McMurtry win an Oscar?
Larry McMurtry won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for Brokeback Mountain.
How did Larry McMurtry die?
Larry McMurtry died of heart failure on March 25, 2021.
How many books did Larry McMurtry write?
Larry McMurtry wrote more than 30 novels and 14 nonfiction books.
What Are the 5 Key Facts in the Larry McMurtry Biography?
The Larry McMurtry biography has 5 key facts:
- Texas roots, with birth in Archer City in 1936 and degrees from North Texas State and Rice
- Prolific output of more than 30 novels, 14 nonfiction books, and 40 screenplays
- The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for Lonesome Dove
- The Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for Brokeback Mountain
- The Booked Up bookstore in Archer City and death in Tucson in 2021
Sources: Television Academy biography; Humanities Texas tribute; Associated Press obituary (via ABC13, PBS NewsHour, and affiliates); KFYO obituary; Bookreporter author profile.