The Ultimate Brokeback Forum

Author Topic: Larry McMurtry  (Read 80377 times)

Offline michaelflanagansf

  • Forum Librarian and buckle bunny
  • Team Cullen
  • Obsessed
  • *****
  • Posts: 27643
Re: Larry McMurtry
« Reply #45 on: November 10, 2006, 08:54:58 PM »


Michael, thanks for that sad news. Polidoris was a great musician -- I saw most of those movies mentioned, and the background scores helped make those films work, especially Lonesome Dove.   Very sad.

Nikki

You bet.  Here is his website that you can leave notes of condolence for the family:

http://www.basil-poledouris.com/
Unlimited tolerance must lead to the disappearance of tolerance. If we extend unlimited tolerance even to those who are intolerant, if we are not prepared to defend a tolerant society against the onslaught of the intolerant, then the tolerant will be destroyed, and tolerance with them. - Karl R. Popper

Offline ImEnnisShesJack

  • Obsessed
  • *****
  • Posts: 4347
Re: Larry McMurtry
« Reply #46 on: November 25, 2006, 07:35:59 PM »
Dave has an important announcement about the forum, which he asks all members to read:

http://davecullen.com/forum/index.php?topic=18085.msg602098#msg602098

We have set up a thread to discuss the situation. That discussion thread is linked from the post directly below the message from Dave. Follow the above link and you'll get to both.

Thanks
"And when he shall die,
Take him and cut him out in little stars,
And he will make the face of heaven so fine
That all the world will be in love with night."
~~Heath Ledger 1979-2008~~

Carol8159@yahoo.com

Offline michaelflanagansf

  • Forum Librarian and buckle bunny
  • Team Cullen
  • Obsessed
  • *****
  • Posts: 27643
Re: Larry McMurtry
« Reply #47 on: December 20, 2006, 05:09:06 PM »
An announcement from the moderators about the slowdown problem that we’ve been experiencing at various times, centering from about 9:00 am until about 12:00 noon GMT:

The administration has been working extremely hard to solve the slow down issue that has been plaguing the forum for some months now. It has been determined that to solve this we will have to change the host company of the forum. The new host server has now been contracted with by Dave as of today.

We are proceeding rapidly now and hope to have the conversion complete within a few weeks at the latest and hopefully much sooner. We will keep you (members) apprised. Please look for announcements in the Newsbox. Some changes will likely come up suddenly--that is the nature of computer conversions, so it is impossible to know before we test whether something will go flawlessly and take two hours, or uncover thorny issues that will take days. The testing process is being started. This will not affect the forum at this point.

So taking this into consideration, we don't want to give you timeframes that are unrealistic. As soon as we finish a stage, we'll proceed immediately to the next, and the exact changeover will likely come on very short notice to you (members). We will post this changeover time in the Newsbox as well as in the individual threads, and will give you as much lead time as we can manage. This will enable us to end the slowdown ASAP.

Thank you for your patience.
Unlimited tolerance must lead to the disappearance of tolerance. If we extend unlimited tolerance even to those who are intolerant, if we are not prepared to defend a tolerant society against the onslaught of the intolerant, then the tolerant will be destroyed, and tolerance with them. - Karl R. Popper

Offline michaelflanagansf

  • Forum Librarian and buckle bunny
  • Team Cullen
  • Obsessed
  • *****
  • Posts: 27643
Re: Larry McMurtry
« Reply #48 on: January 21, 2007, 10:29:40 AM »
I just came across these reviews of Larry McMurtry books from 2003 and was wondering if anyone here has read them:

New York Times - 'Vacation Reading'
June 6, 2004

BY SORROW'S RIVER: The Berrybender Narratives, Book 3. By Larry McMurtry. (Simon & Schuster, $26.) FOLLY AND GLORY: The Berrybender Narratives, Book 4. (Simon & Schuster, $25.) This disjointed family of English aristocrats finish their trek across the American West in these novels, at the center of which stands Tasmin Berrybender, a sharp lass with impulsive appetites.
Unlimited tolerance must lead to the disappearance of tolerance. If we extend unlimited tolerance even to those who are intolerant, if we are not prepared to defend a tolerant society against the onslaught of the intolerant, then the tolerant will be destroyed, and tolerance with them. - Karl R. Popper

Offline Nikki

  • Ephemera
  • Obsessed
  • *****
  • Posts: 6842
  • Never enough time, never enough
Re: Larry McMurtry
« Reply #49 on: January 22, 2007, 01:00:17 PM »
I just came across these reviews of Larry McMurtry books from 2003 and was wondering if anyone here has read them:

New York Times - 'Vacation Reading'
June 6, 2004

BY SORROW'S RIVER: The Berrybender Narratives, Book 3. By Larry McMurtry. (Simon & Schuster, $26.) FOLLY AND GLORY: The Berrybender Narratives, Book 4. (Simon & Schuster, $25.) This disjointed family of English aristocrats finish their trek across the American West in these novels, at the center of which stands Tasmin Berrybender, a sharp lass with impulsive appetites.

Michael, funny you should mention this. Just got Book 1 of the Berrybender Narratives: "Sin Killer."  Trouble is I never can get all 4 at once. Doesn't sound like anything McMurtry has done, so will be interested to see what he does with English aristocrats in 1830 west.
The shirts hanging on a nail shudder slightly in the draft.

If he does not force his attention on it, it might stoke the day, rewarm that old, cold time on the mountain when they owned the world and nothing seemed wrong.

Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive
But to be young was very heaven!

Offline michaelflanagansf

  • Forum Librarian and buckle bunny
  • Team Cullen
  • Obsessed
  • *****
  • Posts: 27643
Re: Larry McMurtry
« Reply #50 on: January 22, 2007, 03:42:02 PM »
Michael, funny you should mention this. Just got Book 1 of the Berrybender Narratives: "Sin Killer."  Trouble is I never can get all 4 at once. Doesn't sound like anything McMurtry has done, so will be interested to see what he does with English aristocrats in 1830 west.

Keep us informed!  You're right, it doesn't sound like anything else he has written.  [Always willing to be proven wrong though - so if someone else knows of something....]
Unlimited tolerance must lead to the disappearance of tolerance. If we extend unlimited tolerance even to those who are intolerant, if we are not prepared to defend a tolerant society against the onslaught of the intolerant, then the tolerant will be destroyed, and tolerance with them. - Karl R. Popper

Offline Nikki

  • Ephemera
  • Obsessed
  • *****
  • Posts: 6842
  • Never enough time, never enough
Re: Larry McMurtry
« Reply #51 on: January 23, 2007, 03:24:43 PM »
Michael, funny you should mention this. Just got Book 1 of the Berrybender Narratives: "Sin Killer."  Trouble is I never can get all 4 at once. Doesn't sound like anything McMurtry has done, so will be interested to see what he does with English aristocrats in 1830 west.

Keep us informed!  You're right, it doesn't sound like anything else he has written.  [Always willing to be proven wrong though - so if someone else knows of something....]

Here's a nice dedication by McM in "The Sinkiller" Bk 1 :

The Berrybender Narratives are dedicated to the secondhand booksellers of the Western world, who have done so much, over a fifty-year stretch, to help me to an education.

I believe McM mentioned in "Walter Benjamin at the Dairy Queen" about buying second hand books.
« Last Edit: January 23, 2007, 04:59:50 PM by Nikki »
The shirts hanging on a nail shudder slightly in the draft.

If he does not force his attention on it, it might stoke the day, rewarm that old, cold time on the mountain when they owned the world and nothing seemed wrong.

Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive
But to be young was very heaven!

Offline ConstantReader

  • Experienced
  • ***
  • Posts: 175
Re: Larry McMurtry
« Reply #52 on: January 23, 2007, 06:15:38 PM »
Larry McMurtry had a huge used book store in Archer City, Texas.  He had taken over several of the downtown buildings to house all the books he had.  If I remember right he had to close it a couple of years ago -- just too much work.

Offline michaelflanagansf

  • Forum Librarian and buckle bunny
  • Team Cullen
  • Obsessed
  • *****
  • Posts: 27643
Re: Larry McMurtry
« Reply #53 on: January 24, 2007, 02:02:13 AM »
Larry McMurtry had a huge used book store in Archer City, Texas.  He had taken over several of the downtown buildings to house all the books he had.  If I remember right he had to close it a couple of years ago -- just too much work.


Well...you got me wondering, so I poked around the web.  Take a look here:

http://www.bookedupac.com/id1.html
Unlimited tolerance must lead to the disappearance of tolerance. If we extend unlimited tolerance even to those who are intolerant, if we are not prepared to defend a tolerant society against the onslaught of the intolerant, then the tolerant will be destroyed, and tolerance with them. - Karl R. Popper

Offline Nikki

  • Ephemera
  • Obsessed
  • *****
  • Posts: 6842
  • Never enough time, never enough
Re: Larry McMurtry
« Reply #54 on: January 24, 2007, 05:53:20 AM »

Well Michael, I am now into Chap. 11, Book 1 of the Berrybender Narratives. The Berrybenders are a British family of eccentrics who, together with an amusing assortment of family, staff, Indians, etc. are traveling by steamer up the Missouri River. -- well I'm hooked -- McM's writing, humor and description of the river and the prairie are engrossing -- but his description of the various characters, and I do mean characters, has me chuckling out loud. He describes a dog as "barking its inhabitants to death" -- a small girl as a "malignant sprite" -- and this: "He just looked tired -- nothing seemed to tire men so quickly as even a few minutes' questioning by a persistent woman."  He has an observant eye for the foibles and follies of his characters -- and his description of the vast west is reminiscent of the "Lonesome Dove" series.

This series, a tetralogy, about the adventures of the Berrybenders in the American west of 1832-36 is set on the great rivers - the Missouri, the Yellowstone, the Rio Grande, and the Brazos.  A cast of characters is listed which is a necessity, since they are so many --once you get into the story, it becomes easier to remember them -- but it helps in the beginning.

If you like McM, and I really do, I would recommend it. So far, it's an entertaining read IMO.

------------------

The Book Reporter: The Berrybender Narratives are not something you can jump into.  While McMurtry is incapable of writing badly, this series is best read from the beginning, as it is most definitely a sequential narrative. ... the fourth and final volume ...sustains, and even surpasses, the energy of its predecessors.
« Last Edit: January 24, 2007, 06:14:28 AM by Nikki »
The shirts hanging on a nail shudder slightly in the draft.

If he does not force his attention on it, it might stoke the day, rewarm that old, cold time on the mountain when they owned the world and nothing seemed wrong.

Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive
But to be young was very heaven!

Offline BrokenOkie

  • Former Mod
  • Obsessed
  • *****
  • Posts: 10747
    • The Dave Cullen Forum Band
Re: Larry McMurtry
« Reply #55 on: January 24, 2007, 07:39:25 PM »
Per Moderator Endora's Michael's request, a few pix of McMurtry's home town, Archer City, TX - taken yesterday.

The Royal Theater - prominent in 'The Last Picture Show'.  The building is now mostly in ruins, but the front facade is kept maintained and used to advertise local events.

« Last Edit: January 27, 2007, 05:45:34 PM by BrokenOkie »

Offline BrokenOkie

  • Former Mod
  • Obsessed
  • *****
  • Posts: 10747
    • The Dave Cullen Forum Band
Re: Larry McMurtry
« Reply #56 on: January 24, 2007, 07:41:13 PM »
North view of Hwy 79 thru downtown Archer City.  McMurtry's bookstore (Booked Up) is on the right.  At various times over the years different buildings have housed the operation.  I've seen upwards of 4 to 6 buildings used at the same time.

« Last Edit: January 27, 2007, 05:45:23 PM by BrokenOkie »

Offline BrokenOkie

  • Former Mod
  • Obsessed
  • *****
  • Posts: 10747
    • The Dave Cullen Forum Band
Re: Larry McMurtry
« Reply #57 on: January 24, 2007, 07:43:04 PM »
Archer City water tower.  "Anarene" was painted on the tower for 'The Last Picture Show'.

Anarene actually was a small town 8 miles south of Archer City.  It's no longer on the map and there's only a slight curve in the road to indicate it ever existed.


Offline BrokenOkie

  • Former Mod
  • Obsessed
  • *****
  • Posts: 10747
    • The Dave Cullen Forum Band
Re: Larry McMurtry
« Reply #58 on: January 24, 2007, 07:44:06 PM »
The restored and reopened Spur Hotel in Archer City, located at the intersection of Hwy 79 and Hwy 25 (those were actual road numbers used in 'The Last Picture Show').


Offline michaelflanagansf

  • Forum Librarian and buckle bunny
  • Team Cullen
  • Obsessed
  • *****
  • Posts: 27643
Re: Larry McMurtry
« Reply #59 on: January 24, 2007, 07:47:30 PM »
Thanks so much for the wonderful pictures, Glenn!  I know many of the fans of 'The Last Picture Show' will love them!

Michael
Unlimited tolerance must lead to the disappearance of tolerance. If we extend unlimited tolerance even to those who are intolerant, if we are not prepared to defend a tolerant society against the onslaught of the intolerant, then the tolerant will be destroyed, and tolerance with them. - Karl R. Popper