http://www.texasmonthly.com/2013-02-01/feature8.php

It is truly amazing how much I agree with everything he says. Austin, Dallas, El Paso... Everything. Wish I had been alive in the "frontier" days so I could better appreciate what he is describing.

Great writer.

I got here at the end of the frontier days and I miss that Texas.

I had McMurtry for creative writing. Fun course. It was 1968, when Narrow Grave came out. I remember his telling us the story about the shooting over not enough beans in the chile.

A fun read and a fun walk down memory land.

I'm just disappointed that a Texan wanted beans in his chili.

I know it's inevitable, but I mourn the loss of the frontier in Texas. I'm old enough to remember all of the cities that McMurtry wrote about as more liveable, more unique, and just more human than today. Today they all give me the feeling that Gertrude Stein wrote of.."there is no there there".
But, hell, in the morning when I go out to pick up the paper I can hear the coyotes bawling. The oil wells cranking. And the wind blowing. The frontier's still exists in Texas. It's just a long way from those cities that Larry wrote about.

(01-23-2013 08:31 PM)jh Wrote:  I'm just disappointed that a Texan wanted beans in his chili.

Get a rope.

Lars Jorgensen: It's this country killed my boy. Yes by golly I tell you, Ethan...

Mrs. Jorgensen: No Lars. It just so happens we be Texicans. Texican is nothing but a human man way out on a limb. This year and next, and maybe for a hundred more. But I don't think it'll be forever. Some day this country's gonna be a fine, good place to be. Maybe it needs our bones in the ground before that time can come.

The Searchers

The Frontier Thesis:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frontier_Thesis
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/TURNER/

Thanks for that, fun article.

Always nice to have someone agree with my biases, as I too rank the cities of Texas just about the same as McMurtry. But really my opinion is just bias; I could count the number of days I spent in Dallas on one hand, and San Antonio takes barely a finger.

This isn't the first time I've heard people who used to visit Juarez say they won't go back. Is anyone here in El Paso, or still have ties? Has the perception in town changed so much over the past 15-20 years? My impression back then was that high school kids would cross the border to party, with at worst a slight sense of danger (visited my freshman year with a friend from EP). Is that still popular, or is Juarez just too dangerous?

(01-23-2013 11:04 PM)RiceDoc Wrote:  

(01-23-2013 08:31 PM)jh Wrote:  I'm just disappointed that a Texan wanted beans in his chili.

Get a rope.

Even Sheldon Cooper knows that Chile has no beans... I'm sure it was good anyway... whatever it was

(01-25-2013 01:23 PM)JOwl Wrote:  Thanks for that, fun article.

Always nice to have someone agree with my biases, as I too rank the cities of Texas just about the same as McMurtry. But really my opinion is just bias; I could count the number of days I spent in Dallas on one hand, and San Antonio takes barely a finger.

This isn't the first time I've heard people who used to visit Juarez say they won't go back. Is anyone here in El Paso, or still have ties? Has the perception in town changed so much over the past 15-20 years? My impression back then was that high school kids would cross the border to party, with at worst a slight sense of danger (visited my freshman year with a friend from EP). Is that still popular, or is Juarez just too dangerous?

I don't know specifically about Juarez, but I have family in Laredo who will no longer go across the river. When I was a kid, we would go across 2-3 times a week. I spent three decades working in and with Mexico and I would not go into Juarez without a really good reason.

Pretty sure I've never read Duane's Depressed. If McMurtry feels that's one of his best, I guess it's time to read it.

(01-26-2013 12:45 PM)wrysal Wrote:  Pretty sure I've never read Duane's Depressed. If McMurtry feels that's one of his best, I guess it's time to read it.

Outstanding book. I loved it

The only thing I would differ about is that I would rank San Antonio over Fort Worth. El Paso suffered when it got too dangerous to cross over the border.

(01-23-2013 07:00 PM)Wiessman Wrote:  http://www.texasmonthly.com/2013-02-01/feature8.php

It is truly amazing how much I agree with everything he says. Austin, Dallas, El Paso... Everything. Wish I had been alive in the "frontier" days so I could better appreciate what he is describing.

Great writer.

Back in my student days (waaaay back), I had a friend who characterized Dallas as a city and Houston just a great big village. Probably accurate then, but I miss that big village.

In any ranking, I can think of dozens of small towns that I would put ahead of those six cities.

(01-26-2013 04:43 PM)greyowl72 Wrote:  

(01-26-2013 12:45 PM)wrysal Wrote:  Pretty sure I've never read Duane's Depressed. If McMurtry feels that's one of his best, I guess it's time to read it.

Outstanding book. I loved it

I'm partial to All My Friends are Going to Be Strangers.

(01-23-2013 07:00 PM)Wiessman Wrote:  http://www.texasmonthly.com/2013-02-01/feature8.php

It is truly amazing how much I agree with everything he says. Austin, Dallas, El Paso... Everything. Wish I had been alive in the "frontier" days so I could better appreciate what he is describing.

Great writer.

Do you have to be a subscriber to view the content? The link sent me to a sign in page.

However, it's interesting to read the thread without knowing what McMurtry wrote...

The story has either been moved or taken down. You might be able to dig it up through a search.

The piece is entitled "Horsemen, Goodbye."

TM often puts pieces like this up for advance media viewing to get articles about it in the papers and then take it private later.