ARCHER CITY -- Larry McMurtry insisted that he wasn't the least bit morose about selling off 300,000 books for pennies on the dollar.
They were all for sale, anyway, and he is in the book-selling business, which is at least as much a part of McMurtry's identity as writing.But the dismantling of the Booked Up empire in this dusty oil-patch town saddened some of the people who showed up Friday for Day One of "The Last Book Sale," a two-day auction of two-thirds of McMurtry's used-book inventory."These bookstores feel renegade out here, like they shouldn't be here," said Reed Underwood, a Haskell County native who drove in from Austin to buy for his personal collection. "There's nothing like this anywhere. I guess there won't be anymore."McMurtry, the son of an Archer County rancher who became one of the lions of American literature over the last 50 years, opened the first Booked Up store on the main highway in town in the mid-1980s. He opened three more around the town square, in part because the real estate was cheap but also because he wanted to make his hometown a destination for book collectors.Now 76 and recovering from another heart attack in January, McMurtry said it was time for him to reduce his book operation for the benefit of his son, singer-songwriter James McMurtry, and other heirs. He said he needed something "more manageable." But he wants everyone to know that he will still operate one of the bookstores, with some 150,000 volumes."I'm not destroying. I'm downsizing," he said. "My heirs are literate, but they're not book people. Leaving them with 450,000 books would be a huge burden."He later said: "We are not going anywhere. We are still going to be good. You just won't have to cross the street anymore and risk getting crushed.""The Last Book Sale," a nod to one of the most famous coming-of-age novels ever written, The Last Picture Show, was the result of his decision. More than 150 bidders from Texas, New Mexico, Arkansas, Colorado, Oregon, Wisconsin and more showed up Friday.Many came in Thursday evening and watched The Last Picture Show in the Royal Theater.Some of the bidders were bookstore owners."Right now we have a pickup, but we're prepared to rent a trailer if we have to," said Stan Sokolow, who owns a used bookstore in Truth or Consequences, N.M.Some were collectors."I'm most likely going to concentrate on the books McMurtry hand-selected for the auction," said Paul Strasen, a lawyer in Denver. "I'd rather spend more money for a few books than get a bunch of boxes with books I may not want."A brisk paceWith 1,500 lots of roughly 200 books apiece to get through by this evening, the auctioneer from Addison & Sarova called out "Sold!" within 20 seconds of announcing the lot. This process is what McMurtry referred to as "seeding the clouds" of the book business, a metaphor for spreading them around the country.The locals were fairly impressed with the turnout as cafes and convenience stores did more business the last two days than in years. Because of McMurtry's writings about the area and his occasionally brusque demeanor, he and the city's full-time residents haven't always been great neighbors."There hasn't been this many people and cars here since they filmed the movies here," said County Judge Gary W. Beesinger, referring to The Last Picture Show and its sequel, Texasville. "And that was a while ago."Beesinger, for one, is sad to see McMurtry shut down three of the four stores, even though he acknowledges that it may not have much of an effect economically.It was more about lost opportunities, he said."In my opinion, as a citizen, not the county judge, we failed to capitalize on the uniqueness it brought to Archer City," he said.Indeed, it did seem unique in today's world.Amazon.com is convenient. It is affordable too.Booked Up is certainly not convenient, lying 110 miles from Fort Worth and nowhere close to an interstate.And McMurtry has always thought highly of his used books. It's rare to find a book priced for less than $10, and many are $30 and up, which can seem steep for someone who buys used books at garage sales.But Booked Up is the Garden of Eden for people who love books, not just reading.Anyone can read a paperback on a beach, a perfectly wonderful way to spend a day. But book lovers need a find, to feel the weight of a well-made hardback, to smell old paper and see slightly worn editions of Sandburg, Greene, Amis and Cheever on their shelves. There are precious few places left like that.McMurtry said he feels as if he succeeded in bringing book people to Archer City, even if many of them order the books online now. The buses full of book tourists don't much come anymore. Mostly it's people who come for a day or a weekend, perhaps staying in the Lonesome Dove bed-and-breakfast.'This is an event'McMurtry lives in his hometown only about half the time. The other half he lives in Tucson, Ariz."We sell books to the world more than we sell to people locally," he said. "Quite a few locals signed up to bid, though. I think they want to be part of an event, and this is an event."The three buildings he is vacating, he said, will probably become antique stores one day when his son sells them."It wouldn't surprise me if it became known as more of an antique town," he said.McMurtry is still writing books. Just days ago, he completed a memoir on his own 28,000-volume personal library, and he will see the publishing of a book this year on George Armstrong Custer.But he's done with fiction, he said, because "it's a gift I've exhausted.""I think I had about 20 good years" of writing fiction, he said. Among his favorites, he said, are Duane's Depressed, Desert Rose, All My Friends Are Going to be Strangers and Terms of Endearment. Lonesome Dove he did not mention.Years ago, City Manager George Huffman worked as a ranch hand for McMurtry's dad. He described the father as a "rawboned tough little guy.""Larry is a little different, but that's just him," Huffman said. "I hate to see him selling out, and I hate that we're going to have three vacant buildings downtown. But he's getting some age on him, so he's probably right to thin things out."Before the sale, McMurtry spoke to the bidders.He thanked them for coming, and he thanked a number of Archer City residents and businesses for helping make people feel welcome.He ended his brief remarks with perhaps the truest statement of all."I think it's seldom you'll see this many books of this quality," he said. "I hope you enjoy yourselves."Chris Vaughn, 817-390-7547Twitter: @CVaughnFWHave more to add? News tip? Tell us
