Archer City, a small town located a short drive away from Wichita Falls and around two hours away from the greater DFW area, has forever been immortalized by its most famous resident–Author Larry McMurtry. His stories, which often document the life of those in the American “Wild” West, are known for timeless themes such as loneliness, tragedy, age, relationships and community, and death. He won the Pulitzer prize for his landmark novel, Lonesome Dove, saw great success from both his film and novel adaptations of The Last Picture Show, and co-wrote the screenplay for the critically and culturally acclaimed film Brokeback Mountain. His writings have not only withstood the test of time–they’ve helped define the literary landscape of the American West. Not only was he a poignant essayist, a decorated screenwriter, and a prolific novelist, but he was also a fierce book collector and seller. In 1988, he opened up the second Booked Up in his very own hometown, Archer City. It quickly grew into one of the largest antiquarian bookstores in the United States, reportedly carrying more than 500,000 rare, one-of-a-kind, or otherwise unique titles and spread across four buildings. Over the years, Booked Up has hosted the likes of Dennis Quaid, James Franco, as well as a myriad of authors and book collectors from all over the world. Although he chose to downsize his collection in 2012 in a historic auction, his literary collection is still internationally regarded as one of the broadest in the world. This, perhaps, is his strongest legacy–thanks to the people at the Larry McMurtry Literary Center.

George Getschow, the current director of the LMLC, has a long history with Larry McMurtry himself. He was kind enough to join me for an interview over the phone, which allowed me to pick his brain on his relationship with McMurtry, his hopes for the center, and his relationship with supporters. Getschow was running the Archer City writers workshop–where UNT students and industry professionals came for a 3 week course in journalism. Larry was a co-mentor on this project. He gave the participants advice on how to become a writer, even keeping his bookstore open through the night so students could study his books and write freely. Getschow reflects that McMurtry always ended every conference the same way, saying “there’s no shortcut to being a writer–to be a writer is to be a reader”. He urged students to study other writers. He felt that Archer city was a “bookless” town in a bookless part of the state, and he wanted to change that, and McMurtry told the LMLC to continue that legacy.

I then asked how it felt turning the collection into a bookstore and the emotions tied to selling McMurtry’s books. Getschow still feels conflicted in some ways, “I’m sad to see the books go, but I’m overjoyed to see people carrying on his legacy, but “when they’re gone, they’re gone”. Getschow recognizes that McMurtry had a special relationship with his collection, unlike most collectors. “He identified more with books than with people or places. That is part of the reason he wanted to turn Archer City into a booktown. The books themselves were more special than the awards–better than the pulitzer, the medal of honor, the academy award…he read every book. We were chosen by a man who loved books more than any man on planet earth, cherished books more than any man on planet earth.” Although it’s emotional to see books leave the collection, Getschow also mentions the pride he has in running the LMLC. “It is an honor to be running his most iconic bookstore and one of the most important cultural institutions in Texas. Larry always said that the world of physical books was vanishing, but we’re still here”. Getschow pointed out the motto for the store as well– “we chose the motto ‘books live here’ because it’s the truth. Larry viewed this place like a temple”. He understands why McMurtry never wanted to leave the place, adding “books were his passion, writing was just a vocation”.

So, how did they plan to get rid of the duplicates, clear up space on their shelves, and raise the money to help foster crucial renovations within the building? To solve the problem, on November 8th, 2025, the LMLC held the cleverly titled “(NOT) The Last Book Sale”. I asked Getschow what the driving cause behind the sale was, and he answered: “because we had 80,000 books in storage that we purchased from Chip and Joanna Gaines–but there was no place to put them. Shelves were full. They’ve been sitting in storage ever since–we had to find a way to make shelf space. The sale helped us clear space, remove duplicates, and provide housing for books in need.” He pointed out that major care was taken in being careful not to sell “heirlooms”–rare, out of print, or otherwise special tomes from McMurtry’s collection. The actual sale took place next door, inside the Archer City First United Methodist Church. Hardbacks, which commonly bore marks and notes from McMurtry himself, were on sale for five dollars. Paperbacks were also a steal, selling for two dollars. Those who bought at least six hardbacks were able to pick up a free tote bag and a copy of either Pretty Boy Floyd or Zeke & Ned–both of which were co-written by McMurtry and his writing partner, Diana Osanna. Merch unique to the event was being sold as well. The sale was extremely successful, with the LMLC stating in an Instagram post that they sold 1100 sale books and a large amount of regularly priced books! Plus, in partnership with the Texas Book Festival, they auctioned off a “Weekend in McMurtryville” event, which allows the winner to get a guided tour of the center, a walking tour of the filming locations of The Last Picture Show film, plus a screening of the movie and store credit.

I also spoke to an engaged supporter of the Literary Center, hoping to highlight the reasons why they cherish it so much. Jason Scheller, the Division Chair of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Vernon College, shared his special familial connection to the bookstore. “My Dad (Pat Scheller) and his partner Jim Powell built the bookshelves that still stand in the literary center today. Throughout my life my Dad worked for Larry in one capacity or another building bookshelves for all of his stores and in his home, the mansion on the Archer City Golf Course. From my perspective, why I like to volunteer there and what it means to me is a little more than I have ever really told anyone. My Dad built all those shelves–so when I go in there, I feel surrounded by my family’s legacy. Larry even used those shelves for the background of a book he wrote about book collecting titled Books”. 

He also explained his own relationship with McMurtry. “The first time I ever met Larry was at his house on the golf course putting in a refrigerator. He took me into his kitchen and there I saw pictures of all the people he had met in Hollywood. One particular picture of him and Stephen King caught my eye and we discussed King and his work. Little did I know that Stephen King’s favorite book to read was Lonesome Dove! Larry encouraged me to read King’s work since he knew I was interested. Larry was a mentor to me while I was in graduate school at Texas Tech University. I used to go up there and sit in that office and discuss writing with him. At the time I was writing my Master’s Thesis, which would later go into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and the National World War II Museum. The conversations we had were wonderful–I learned a lot about writing from him. I have written pieces in 5 different books and my graduate work was featured in two books on baseball in World War II. I owe a lot to him for putting me in a position to do that.”

Finally, he went over his love of volunteering at the LMLC. “I love to volunteer for that place because it means so much to me and I am a total book nerd. Whether it is to volunteer, visit, browse or chat with the current folks running the literary center. For me that bookstore is a balm. At any time, I can go in there and instantly feel better. Surrounded by my Dad’s work, my memories of Larry, and the feeling of never knowing what I might find on any shelf in that building, I am instantly transported back to my youth and the memories of everything that went into creating the book town that was Larry’s vision. I was there for all of it, and my family played an integral part in making that happen. He finishes with a sweet sentiment–“Although Larry is gone now, his dream of creating a book town is still alive and well in the store that he started all those years ago. Writers, book lovers, fans, actors and patrons come from across the United States and the world to see the town he grew up in and the incredible bookstore he created”.

Finally, I asked Getschow if he had anything he’d like to say directly to any supporters of the LMLC,fans of McMurtry, or simply curious people. He said, “[I think that] when people come to the center, I hope they’ll come back over and over again. What they’ll discover is what I discovered: Artwork, games, artefacts, prints, signatures, memories– all these things I didn’t expect to find in a bookstore. People will discover treasures that reveal so much about Larry McMurtry and his life. Come in, be inquisitive, look around. Don’t just look for a book. Hang around, and see what Larry sees, you’ll learn a lot about him (McMurtry). I know I have. His whimsical side, his weird side–things he found amusing, funny, what he liked to talk about. Above all, he (McMurtry) wanted people to forage, to be inquisitive.” 
Overall, the LMLC is preserving the history of one of America’s greatest authors and book collectors. Through their love and dedication, they are bringing the magic and importance of literacy back into Texas, one small town at a time! You can support the Larry McMurtry Literary Center via their website, Instagram, or Facebook, or by visiting in person!