join us for a discussion and book launch at the dallas contemporary celebrating the release of pastures of the empty page: fellow writers on the life and legacy of larry mcmurtry, in partnership with university of texas press and deep vellum books.
when he died in 2021, larry mcmurtry was one of america’s most revered writers. the author of treasured novels such as lonesome dove and the last picture show, and coauthor of the screenplays for brokeback mountain and streets of laredo, mcmurtry created unforgettable characters and landscapes largely drawn from his life growing up on the family’s hardscrabble ranch outside his hometown of archer city, texas. pastures of the empty page brings together nearly forty fellow writers to honor the man and his impact on american letters.
editor george getschow and book contributors kathryn jones, brandon kennedy, dianne solis, and katy vine will discuss their respective relationships to mcmurtry and his work, with texas monthly senior editor jeff saloman moderating. the discussion will be followed by a reception, with musical guest nathan mongol wells.
about the panelists
jeff salamon, moderator, is a senior editor at texas monthly and previously served as an editor at the village voice and the austin american-statesman. his writing has appeared in the new york times, rolling stone, spin, details, and artforum. he is a graduate of the university of pennsylvania and a native of new york city.
george getschow is a pulitzer prize finalist for national reporting and winner of the robert f. kennedy award for distinguished writing about the underprivileged. he has earned numerous other awards for his writing and was inducted into the texas institute of letters in 2012 for “distinctive literary achievement.” today, as director of the archer city writers workshop, he helps organize and conduct annual writing workshops in archer city for professional writers and college and high school students from across the country. he lives in flower mound, texas.
brandon kennedy is an artist, book collector, curator, and writer. he is a regular contributor to patron magazine and an occasional essayist for fine books & collections. kennedy lives in dallas, texas.
kathryn jones is a journalist, author, and poet who has written for the new york times, texas monthly, texas highways, the dallas morning news, and the dallas times herald. she is the author of a soon-to-be-published biography of actor and world champion rodeo cowboy ben johnson, who won an academy award for his supporting role as sam the lion in the last picture show. she is a member of the texas institute of letters.
katy vine joined the editorial staff of texas monthly in 1997 and became a staff writer in 2002. as a general assignment reporter, she has written dozens of features on a range of topics, including the rocket scientist franklin chang díaz, hip-hop legend bun b, barbecue pit masters, the cult leader warren jeffs, refugees in amarillo, the kilgore rangerettes, a three-person family circus, an accountant who embezzled $17 million from a fruitcake company, and a con man who crashed cars, yachts, and planes for insurance money. vine’s stories have been anthologized in best american sports writing and best food writing.
dianne solis is an award-winning senior writer at the dallas morning news and a former foreign correspondent in mexico for the wall street journal. she specializes in immigration and social justice reporting. solis has covered hot-button issues ranging from immigrant family separations at the border to harsh refugee policies that split muslim families in us immigration courts. she grew up in california and is the granddaughter of immigrants who fled the mexican revolution a century ago. the seeds of her career as a writer were planted by her grandfather, who wrote for a spanish-language newspaper in california.
the university of texas press serves knowledge seekers in an information-rich world through the publication of books and journals in a wide range of fields. our work is a focal point where the life experiences, insights, and specialized knowledge of writers converge to be disseminated in both print and digital formats. established in 1950, ut press has published more than 3,000 books over seven decades.
deep vellum was founded in 2013. this audacious little nonprofit publishing house in dallas is now the largest publisher of translated literature in the country, as well as publishing english language original works starting in 2020.
dallas contemporary is a non-collecting art museum presenting new and challenging ideas from regional, national and international artists. located in an industrial building in the design district, dallas contemporary documents new directions in art through rotating exhibitions, publications, public programs, and learning programs for visitors of all ages. as a contemporary arts institution that grapples with timely and complex issues, dallas contemporary firmly believes in the power of artists' ideas and voices to chronicle and transform society. always different. always free.