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    Big Honor For McMurtry

    Iconic author of best Texas novel ever to receive National Humanities Medal in White House ceremony

    Clifford Pugh
    Sep 4, 2015 | 7:30 am

    Acclaimed novelist Larry McMurtry, whose many works are predominantly set in the old West or in contemporary Texas, will receive a 2014 National Humanities Medal for outstanding achievement at the White House next week.

    President Obama will present the award to the 79-year-old author and nine other noted Americans, including food writer and activist Alice Waters and architect/preservationist Everett L. Fly, during a ceremony on September 10. "Mr. McMurtry's work evokes the character and drama of the American West with stories that examine quintessentially American lives," the White House citation announcing his selection stated.

    McMurtry is the prolific author of 29 novels, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning Lonesome Dove and The Last Picture Show, three memoirs, two collections of essays and more than 30 screenplays, among them the Academy Award-winning adapted screenplay for Brokeback Mountain.

    "I don’t remember either of my parents ever reading me a story—perhaps that’s why I’ve made up so many,” he wrote in his first memoir, Books.

    The current issue of Entertainment Weekly picks the one work of fiction that best defines each state in the union and for Texas, it's Lonesome Dove. "Everything is bigger in Texas, including this novel's ambition," the writers state, adding the "cattle-drive epic features some of the most beautifully descriptive prose put to paper."

    McMurtry, who received a master's degree from Rice University in 1961 and was a lecturer of freshman English and creative writing, set several of his best-selling books, including Terms of Endearment, in Houston. The novel, which was made into an Academy-Award winning movie, was part of a trilogy that includes Moving On and All My Friends Are Going to be Strangers.

    McMurtry also set three other books in modern-day Houston: Somebody's Darling, Some Can Whistle andThe Evening Star.

    He was one of the country’s most accomplished book collectors, with stores in his hometown of Archer City, Houston and Washington, D.C. at various points in his life, until he sold most of his prized books in 2012.

    The award honors an individual or organization whose work has “deepened the nation’s understanding of the human experience, broadened citizens’ engagement with history and literature or helped preserve and expand Americans’ access to cultural resources,” according to the National Endowment for the Humanities. Previous recipients include authors Joan Didion, Frank Deford, Phillip Roth, Joyce Carol Oats and playwright Anna Deavere Smith.

    “No other author has captured the spirit and imagination of his home state and the American West than Larry McMurtry,” Rice President David Leebron said in a statement. “His work speaks to people and their challenges everywhere. We are proud of Larry’s extraordinary body of work and join President Obama in celebrating his remarkable legacy.”

    Larry McMurtry's novel Lonesome Dove was made into popular TV miniseries.

    Robert Duvall in Lonesome Dove riding a horse
      
    Photo courtesy of AMC
    Larry McMurtry's novel Lonesome Dove was made into popular TV miniseries.
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    Salutations, Soon Youn

    Houston Ballet principal dancer announces retirement after 13 years

    Holly Beretto
    Jun 20, 2025 | 10:00 am
    ​Houston Ballet Principal Soo Youn Cho
    Photo by Amitava Sarkar (2016). Courtesy of Houston Ballet.
    Houston Ballet Principal Soo Youn Cho and in Theme and Variations.

    Houston Ballet principal dancer Soon Youn Cho has announced her retirement, after 13 years with the company.

    For more than a decade, she has captivated audiences with her elegance, emotional authenticity, and technical brilliance. Audiences have seen her in roles such as Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, Kitri in Don Quixote, Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, and Suzuki in Madame Butterfly, among many others.

    Cho’s retirement follows a period of recovery from spinal surgery prompted by chronic back issues that intensified during and after her pregnancy.

    "This decision was not made lightly, but with a great deal of reflection and acceptance over the past year," said Cho. “Since I first began ballet at the age of four, it has been the greatest love of my life. Even through pain and injury, I felt joy and purpose in every moment. I gave my best to every step along the way, and I now leave the stage with a peaceful heart and deep gratitude.”

    Cho further said that even before becoming pregnant, she had been managing chronic back issues throughout her career.

    “With dedication, careful conditioning, and the unwavering support of those around me, I was able to continue dancing for many years,” she said. “Despite my best efforts to recover, I’ve come to the difficult realization that I won’t be able to return to dancing at the level I once did. With a heavy but full heart, I’ve decided to retire from the stage.”

    Born in Korea and trained there, as well as in Canada and Germany, Cho danced with Opera Leipzig Ballet in Leipzig, Germany and the Tulsa Ballet in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she was promoted to principal in 2010. She joined the Houston Ballet in 2012 as a demi soloist. She quickly rose through the ranks, promoted to soloist in 2014, then first soloist in 2016. In 2018, she became the Houston Ballet’s first Korean principal.

    Upon achieving the designation, she said, “I feel like I have made an important mark in history, along with other great dancers, for my people in such a great company.”

    Cho’s roles onstage reflected her wide artistic range and commitment to storytelling through dance. Her Houston Ballet colleagues and audiences admire and praise the passion and sincerity she brought to every performance. One of those, Cho’s portrayal of Suzuki in Madame Butterfly, is especially close to her heart, not only for its emotional depth but for the lifelong friendship it sparked with fellow principal Yuriko Kajiya.

    “Becoming part of this Company and working alongside such extraordinary people has been one of the greatest blessings and privileges of my life. I close this chapter with a full heart and immense appreciation for the art, the audiences, and the people who made it all so meaningful.”

    Cho said that while she doesn’t yet know what will come next, she departs the company filled with gratitude.

    “Looking back, I feel nothing but gratitude,” she said. “Gratitude for the incredible colleagues and mentors I’ve shared the studio with. Gratitude for the audiences who supported us performance after performance. And gratitude for the art form itself — so demanding, so beautiful, and so deeply rewarding. I leave the stage with peace in my heart. Because I gave everything I had to this journey, I can move forward without regret.”

    \u200bHouston Ballet Principal Soo Youn Cho
      

    Photo by Amitava Sarkar (2016). Courtesy of Houston Ballet.

    Houston Ballet Principal Soo Youn Cho and in Theme and Variations.

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