Volume 34, Number 13 · August 13, 1987
The Bard of Wichita Falls
By Robert M. Adams
Texasville
by Larry McMurtry
Simon and Schuster, 542 pp., $18.95
Lonesome Dove
by Larry McMurtry
Pocket Books, 945 pp., $4.95 (paper)
The Last Picture Show
by Larry McMurtry
Penguin, 220 pp., $5.95 (paper)
Wichita Falls lies in north central Texas, with the Oklahoma line just a few miles to the north and the Texas Panhandle sticking up just a few more miles to the west. It is not now and never was one of the scenic beauty spots of North America. Under the heading of 'What To See,' the AAA Tour Book lists nothing whatever. More sedate books of reference speak unenthusiastically of Wichita Falls as the center of an agricultural district, the home of Sheppard Air Force Base, and as surrounded by oil and gas fields. Set in a vast expanse of level plateau country, Wichita Falls lies on the Wichita River, indeed, but the 'Falls' are hypothetical. Something must have been there when the town was named and a set of artificial falls are being built now—but for most of the town's history, there weren't any that you could notice.
Review, 3952 words
To read the full text of this piece, please choose one of the following options:
|
If you are already a subscriber to the Review's electronic edition, please sign in: |
To subscribe to the electronic edition, please press the button below. |
To purchase access to this article for $3, please press the button below. |