western writers of america

One of W. Michael Farmer’s favorite quotes is by the American novelist Oakley Hall. “The pursuit of truth, not facts is the business of fiction,” said Hall. Farmer keeps these words in mind while penning his award-winning stories and histories, many of them about the Apaches, including Geronimo and a Mescalero Apache named Yellow Boy. Farmer speaks with Russell and Alan about his historical research about the Apaches, as well as about events like the Fountain murder trial. When included in stories, details gleaned from research transport readers to different backgrounds, cultures, religions, and eras.

Gallup, New Mexico, located in the northwest corner of the state, abuts the Navajo Nation. During his more than four decades of living in the area, Bob Rosebrough befriended many Navajos. While he was mayor of Gallup, he was introduced to a group of Navajo Code Talkers. These men, recruited by the U.S. Marine Corps., used their traditional language to transmit secret messages to Allies fighting in the Pacific during World War II. The men who Rosebrough met were awarded Congressional Silver Medals. Rosebrough writes about his experience in his award-winning book “A Place of Thin Veil: Life and Death in Gallup, New Mexico.”

Bestselling author C. J. Box joined us on the podcast just after the release of “Shadows Reel,” his 22nd novel featuring Wyoming Game Warden Joe Pickett and his wife Marybeth. It’s an exciting mystery of that puts the Pickett family in a pair of killers’ crosshairs. With our production team enjoying summer get-aways, we decided to replay this wonderful conversation between Box and the cowboys. Box, who has published over 30 books with sales exceeding 10 million in the US alone, has since released another Joe Pickett novel, “Storm Watch.” You can stream the “Joe Pickett” series, which just concluded its second season, on Paramount+.

Or at least the Crockett Trail, that 1500-mile stretch from West Tennessee to what is now Texas and the infamous Alamo. That’s the first trail that historian, artist, and author Rod Timanus followed and wrote about. He then went on to traverse other famous trails, as well as explore the lives of famous westerners and landmarks. Now the author of eight books, including the new novel “Penitent Gun,” Rod chats with the cowboys about his many western adventures.

Without a doubt, Micki Fuhrman is multi-talented. She performed at the Grand Ole Opry before age twenty. Since then, she’s written songs and stories and books. And now she has a new album of western songs that already has won awards. She joins the cowboys to talk about her sources of inspiration and her journey as an artist who is in love with the West.

Thomas D. Clagett’s newest historical novel “Line of Glory” follows the imagined hopes, fears and destinies of four people involved in the infamous 1936 Battle of the Alamo. Clagett, who had a long and successful career in film and freelance writing, chats with the cowboys about what might have happened all those decades ago in what is now San Antonio, TX.

Johnny Boggs may or may not own a six-shooter, but this western writer has won six Spur Awards for his novels and short stories. He joins the Cowboy Up team to talk about his illustrious career in journalism and fiction writing and how he adopted the West after a childhood spent in the South.