Mark Bayless Busby

1945 - 2025

Dr. Mark Busby died at the age of 79 on August 9, 2025, after a long illness. He was a professor of English at Texas State University until 2020 when he was recognized as a Distinguished Professor Emeritus upon his retirement.

He was a scholar of American literature, specializing in the Southwest. He wrote and edited a number of books of literary criticism about different authors including Larry McMurtry, Katherine Anne Porter, John Graves, and the playwrights Lanford Wilson and Preston Jones. He also reinterpreted Ralph Ellison, author of Invisible Man, as a Southwestern writer, since Ellison's roots were in Oklahoma.

At Texas State, he was the long-time director for the Center for the Study of the Southwest, where he oversaw major grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, mentored many English majors both undergraduate and graduate students, and edited two journals, Southwestern American Literature and Texas Books in Review for twenty years. Busby also took great pride in serving as President of the Texas Institute of Letters.

For a poor boy from Ennis, Texas, literature was a balm for Busby, allowing him to imagine a world beyond his rural roots. He was a voracious reader in high school. He knew the value of hard work - as a paperboy, at his father's hamburger stand, and while briefly working for the railroad.

He lived and breathed books, waking up early morning with his coffee to have a head start on the day. He had a legendary book collection, which has been donated in two segments to the Wittliff Collections and the Center for the Study of the Southwest at Texas State.

As a writer, Busby was an occasional author of fiction, including two novels, the first entitled Fort Benning Blues, a fictionalized account of his own time in Officer Candidate School during the Vietnam War era. His other novel, Cedar Crossing, is based on a historic episode of lynching that took place in the Dallas area in the late 19th century. Both of his novels were shaped by his own coming of age in the 1960s and opposition to the Vietnam War and support for racial equality. He also wrote collections of poetry.

Busby graduated from East Texas State University, now East Texas A&M University. After graduation, Busby was drafted to be an infantry soldier. Busby went to Officer Candidate School and graduated in the top two of his class which enabled him to choose his next assignment. An opponent of the war, Busby chose a post stateside. Upon his discharge from the service, he went to the University of Colorado-Boulder (Go Buffs!) where he earned his PhD in English in 1977.

After earning his doctorate, Busby joined the faculty in the English Department at Texas A&M University in College Station in 1977. During that time, he reviewed films for the local public television station, acted in plays, and played soccer and softball. The Busby family traveled extensively on memorable cross-country road trips to the East and West coasts.

Busby reveled in telling stories with gusto, sometimes about his youth and growing up in Ennis with his older brother Steven and their parents Allene and James Busby. A particularly memorable story was about how his father, who had various stints as a cowboy, burger stand operator, and policeman, lost an eye when a gun shell exploded.

Dr. Busby is survived by his wife Linda Busby, son Josh Busby, daughter-in-law Bethany Albertson, grandson Will Busby, and nephew Zack Busby (and family) of Dallas as well as by Linda's sister Susan Whitehouse of New Jersey and brother David Whitehouse (and family) of North Carolina.

Mark and Linda were married for almost 58 years, and she was his best and favorite editor for all of his writing. They had a loving and spirited marriage and enjoyed a number of adventures together including trips to Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, France, Tanzania, as well as countless trips across the country. Busby was a proud father of his son, who has followed the family business, by becoming a professor at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas.

Before a recent move to west Austin, Mark and Linda spent nearly thirty years in Wimberley, Texas with their golden retrievers, including their favorite canine sons Dobie and finally Hud. Busby enjoyed slow jogs in the Hill Country with his dog before a dip in the pool with the sounds of folk and country music in the background. Like many Texans, he enjoyed his dark beers and barbecue.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Wittliff Collections, Democracy Docket, or the Alzheimer's Association