FOG BLOG U.S. NEWS LOG: LARRY McMURTRY, NOVELIST DIES AT 84!

Larry McMurtry, Novelist of the American West, Dies at 84...Larry McMurtry, a prolific writer who wrote mostly about the American West and who won a Pulitzer Prize for the sweeping novel "Lonesome Dove," died Thursday, according to a family spokesperson.

He was 84.

Amanda Lundberg confirmed the writer's death to NBC News on Friday. McMurtry died of heart failure at his home in Texas surrounded by his loved ones.

Over half a century, McMurtry wrote almost 50 books, including novels, screenplays, essay collections and memoirs that were predominantly set in the West. Several of his early works became feature films, including Oscar winners "The Last Picture Show" and "Terms of Endearment."

Born in Wichita Falls, Texas, McMurtry drew heavy inspiration for his novels from his time growing up on a ranch.

He was 25 when he wrote his first novel, “Horseman, Pass by,” which examined the changing values in the West after World War II. The book inspired the film “Hud” starring Paul Newman two years later.

His epic 1985 novel, "Lonesome Dove," which focused on a cattle drive from Texas to the Great Plains, was later adapted into a popular television miniseries that starred actors Robert Duvall, Tommy Lee Jones, Danny Glover and Diane Lane.

The four-part television series earned many accolades, including 18 Emmy nominations and seven wins.

In a 2014 interview with The Associated Press, McMurtry said the novel was "an effort to kind of demythologize the myth of the Old West." But, he said, “they’re going to twist it into something romantic no matter what you do.”