Larry McMurtry gave him this quote: "William Hauptman, for my money, is the most promising young fiction writers to come out of the Southwest in a long time.
"[9] His most recent novel, about his experiences in the 60s, is called Journey to the West (2017) which has been described by James Magnuson, director of the Michener Center at the University of Texas as "by turns hilarious, sweet, and harrowing...It deserves to be a classic.
"[10] Big River was also produced by the Deaf West Company in both Los Angeles (2002) and New York, (2003) at the American Airlines Theater, and received a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical.
[11] Big River was also produced as part of the Encores Series at City Center Theater in New York in 2017.
[12] Teaching Experience—Yale School of Drama; the Michener Center for writers at the University of Texas in Austin; and Brooklyn College.