The Larry McMurtry Literary Center officially opened on March 8 at the former site of the late author's bookstore, Booked Up, "allowing the public to buy novels from McMurtry's book-scouting collection," the Dallas Observer reported. The Center plans to remain open on weekends through March to raise money needed for repairs. Additional donations to the foundation can be made through its website.
The opening comes four months after the Archer City Writers Workshop, a nonprofit literary foundation, purchased the bookstore from Chip and Joanna Gaines, the stars of cable home improvement show Fixer Upper who helm the Magnolia brand.
Noting that "the essence of the Texas-born author still fills the same building that's now home to the Larry McMurtry Literary Center," the Observer wrote: "He is in the vases of yellow roses, his favorite flower, that decorate tables in the front lobby. He is in each of the thousands of books housed in the building's dozens of bookshelves, many of which feature his own 'pricing signature' on their front pages."
"I feel like I'm going to pull these books out and see Larry behind them," LMLC director George Getschow said. "Every book I see, every nook and cranny I see, I think about Larry. Why do I do that? Well, he's everywhere."
The timeline for the center's progress remains open-ended, but "members and volunteers at the LMLC envision the center growing into one that highlights the remarkable life and legacy of one of Texas' literary greats," the Observer noted.
"I'd like to think that Larry would be pleased that the whole purpose of this center, that we've reincarnated his bookshop into the Larry McMurtry Literary Center, with the sole mission of carrying on perpetuating his life, his legacy and his book collection. I would hope that he would appreciate that we are carrying his torch," Getschow said, noting that in addition to book sales, the Center hopes to offer writing workshops and other educational opportunities.
"We are doing nothing more than making sure that his remarkable life and legacy and his epic literature continues forever," he added. "That's why this place is so important, because it's the bedrock of his life. He called this place sacred. It's sacred to us."