Writing the West

Cowboys & Indians
  • 4.3 (3)
  • FICTION

Welcome to Writing the West, the official literature podcast of Cowboys & Indians magazine. Each episode features in-depth conversations with the authors, historians, filmmakers, journalists, and creators who illuminate the American West — past, present, and future. Hosted by C&I Assistant Editor Tyler Auffhammer, the series dives into frontier history, modern Western fiction, Indigenous narratives, outlaw legends, thrillers, film and TV, and everything in between.

  1. JAN 21

    The Bandit Chief Who Terrorized California And Launched The Legend Of Zorro

    In this episode of Writing the West, historian and author John Boessenecker joins the podcast to discuss his latest book, Bring Me the Head of Joaquin Murrieta, a deeply researched examination of the man behind one of the most enduring legends of the American West. Often linked — loosely and inaccurately — to the creation of Zorro, Murrieta has long been portrayed as a folk hero and symbol of resistance. In this wide-ranging interview, Boessenecker draws on 19th-century primary sources to unpack the myths, trace the real history of Murrieta and his gang during the California Gold Rush, and explore how popular culture transformed violence, racism, and outlawry into legend.

    43 min

  2. JAN 7

    C.J. Box At The Crossroads: Joe Pickett's Daughters Take the Lead

    In this episode of Writing the West, we’re joined by bestselling author C.J. Box to talk about The Crossroads — the 26th Joe Pickett novel, and one of the boldest turns the series has taken yet. Box shares what inspired a new “book of threes” structure, why he wanted the Pickett daughters driving the action, and how real-world pressures reshaping the modern Mountain West continue to fuel his fiction. Plus, don’t miss our print exclusive: Cowboys & Indians’ February/March 2026 issue features an exclusive excerpt of Chapter One of The Crossroads — a first look readers can only get in the magazine before the full book release.

    33 min

  3. 12/12/2025

    Aaron Eckhart Takes on Modern Cattle Rustling in Thieves Highway

    Cattle rustling isn’t a relic of the Old West — it’s a growing modern crime affecting ranchers across the American West, and it’s the driving force behind Thieves Highway, the new action-thriller starring Aaron Eckhart. In this episode of Writing the West, Eckhart joins director Jesse V. Johnson and writer Travis Mills to discuss the real-world inspiration behind the film, the enduring code of the western, and the responsibility of portraying a way of life still lived by working ranchers today.

    39 min

  4. 12/03/2025

    New Book Spotlights Bank Robber-Turned-Silent Film Actor Henry Starr

    Long before Hollywood perfected the outlaw antihero, Henry Starr was writing his own script across the banks and backroads of Indian Territory and Oklahoma. A Cherokee bank robber who famously vowed that no one would die in his heists, Starr was sentenced to hang twice, won a commutation from President Theodore Roosevelt, and ultimately stepped in front of the camera as a silent “movie Starr,” dramatizing his own life for audiences across the West. In his new book and ongoing film and theater projects, writer and filmmaker Mark Archuleta traces Starr’s remarkable trajectory from “gentleman bandit” to matinee idol, peeling back the layers of myth, racism, and dime-novel sensationalism to reveal the complex man behind the legend.

    44 min

  5. 11/19/2025

    Louis L’Amour’s Son Beau Discusses Restoring Rivers West For Lost Treasures Series

    For fans of Louis L’Amour, the Lost Treasures series has opened a rare window into the legendary author’s creative process — the drafts, the letters, the abandoned openings, and the stories-behind-the-stories that shaped his iconic body of work. In this episode, Beau L’Amour returns to Writing the West to discuss the newest release in the series, Rivers West, a novel with a fascinating editorial history and an equally compelling restoration process. From early 19th-century political intrigue to the challenges of expanding the western genre, Beau reflects on his father’s far-reaching vision, his remarkable discipline, and the behind-the-scenes discoveries that continue to illuminate Louis L’Amour’s legacy for a new generation of readers.

    55 min

  6. 11/05/2025

    The Real Story Behind Wyatt Earp And Doc Holliday’s Lifelong Friendship

    Few relationships in American frontier history are as mythic — or as misunderstood — as the bond between Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday. In his new book, Brothers of the Gun, acclaimed historian and author Mark Lee Gardner brings their story together in a way no one has quite done before: as a dual biography rooted in original research, newly surfaced primary sources, and on-the-ground archival work. We spoke with Gardner about why these two larger-than-life figures remain inseparable in both legend and legacy, what drew him to revisit one of the West’s most retold sagas, and how friendship — fierce, flawed, and deeply human — stands at the heart of their story.

    46 min

  7. 10/22/2025

    How Triumph And Tragedy Shaped The Story Of America

    In this episode of Writing the West podcast, Paul Andrew Hutton sits down to discuss his new book, The Undiscovered Country. Drawing on a lifetime of research, Hutton threads seven iconic lives through 150 years of frontier transformation—balancing myth and memory, tragedy and triumph—from Braddock’s Defeat to Wounded Knee. We talk popular vs. academic history, the surprising friendship of Sitting Bull and Buffalo Bill, and why the story of the West is inseparable from the story of America.

    49 min

  8. 10/08/2025

    Indigenous Voices And The Power Of Thrillers With Author Vanessa Lillie

    With The Bone Thief releasing October 28, Vanessa Lillie continues the story of Syd Walker—a Cherokee archeologist and BIA agent caught between worlds, where missing women, stolen remains, and centuries of colonial history collide. In conversation, Lillie shares why the series is so personal, how truth fuels her fiction, and why Indigenous storytelling is as much about survival as suspense.

    44 min
See All (21)

Ratings & Reviews

4.3
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Welcome to Writing the West, the official literature podcast of Cowboys & Indians magazine. Each episode features in-depth conversations with the authors, historians, filmmakers, journalists, and creators who illuminate the American West — past, present, and future. Hosted by C&I Assistant Editor Tyler Auffhammer, the series dives into frontier history, modern Western fiction, Indigenous narratives, outlaw legends, thrillers, film and TV, and everything in between.

Information

  • Creator
    Cowboys & Indians
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    21
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Writing the West
  • Show Website
    Writing the West

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