59 episodes
Writing Westward Podcast BYU Redd Center
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- Society & Culture
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4.8 • 18 Ratings
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Writing Westward features conversations with writers and scholars of the North American West. Hosted by Brenden W. Rensink, it is a production of the Charles Redd Center for Western Studies at Brigham Young University.
The Redd Center is an interdisciplinary research center committed to increasing knowledge and understanding of the American West. Dr. Brenden W. Rensink is Associate Director of the Redd Center, an Associate Professor of History at BYU, General Editor of the Intermountain Histories project, and author of the award-winning 2018 book Native but Foreign: Indigenous Immigrants and Refugees in the North American Borderlands
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059 - Sarah Keyes - American Burial Ground: A New History of the Overland Trail
A conversation with Sarah Keyes about their book "American Burial Ground: A New History of the Overland Trail" (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2023). The Writing Westward Podcast is produced and hosted by Prof. Brenden W. Rensink (www.bwrensink.org) for the Charles Redd Center for Western Studies at Brigham Young University and hosted by. Subscribe to the Writing Westward Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Play, and other podcast distribution apps and platforms. Follow the BYU Redd Center and the Writing Westward Podcast on Facebook or Twitter or get more information @ https://www.writingwestward.org. Theme music by Micah Dahl Anderson @ www.micahdahlanderson.com
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058 - Heather Hansman - Powder Days: Ski Bums, Ski Towns, and the Future of Chasing Snow
A conversation with Heather Hansman about their book "Powder Days: Ski Bums, Ski Towns, and the Future of Chasing Snow" (Hanover Square Press, 2021). The Writing Westward Podcast is produced and hosted by Prof. Brenden W. Rensink (www.bwrensink.org) for the Charles Redd Center for Western Studies at Brigham Young University and hosted by. Subscribe to the Writing Westward Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Play, and other podcast distribution apps and platforms. Follow the BYU Redd Center and the Writing Westward Podcast on Facebook or Twitter or get more information @ https://www.writingwestward.org. Theme music by Micah Dahl Anderson @ www.micahdahlanderson.com
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057 - Molly P. Rozum - Grasslands Grown
A conversation with historian Molly P. Rozum about their new book, "Grasslands Grown: Creating Place on the U.S. Northern Plains and Canadian Prairies" (University of Nebraska Press & University of Manitoba Press, 2021). The Writing Westward Podcast is produced and hosted by Prof. Brenden W. Rensink (www.bwrensink.org) for the Charles Redd Center for Western Studies at Brigham Young University and hosted by. Subscribe to the Writing Westward Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Play, and other podcast distribution apps and platforms. Follow the BYU Redd Center and the Writing Westward Podcast on Facebook or Twitter or get more information @ https://www.writingwestward.org. Theme music by Micah Dahl Anderson @ www.micahdahlanderson.com
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056 - Michael K. Johnson - Speculative Wests
A conversation with literary scholar Michael K. Johnson about their book, "Speculative Wests: Popular Representations of a Region and Genre" (University of Nebraska Press, 2023). The Writing Westward Podcast is produced and hosted by Prof. Brenden W. Rensink (www.bwrensink.org) for the Charles Redd Center for Western Studies at Brigham Young University and hosted by. Subscribe to the Writing Westward Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Play, and other podcast distribution apps and platforms. Follow the BYU Redd Center and the Writing Westward Podcast on Facebook or Twitter or get more information @ https://www.writingwestward.org. Theme music by Micah Dahl Anderson @ www.micahdahlanderson.com
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055 - Ellen Wohl - The Secret Life of Mountain Ecosystems and the Afterlife of Trees
A conversation with geoscientist Ellen Wohl about their books, "Something Hidden in the Ranges: The Secret Life of Mountain Ecosystems" and "Dead Wood: The Afterlife of Trees" (Oregon State University Press, 2021 and 2022). The Writing Westward Podcast is produced and hosted by Prof. Brenden W. Rensink (www.bwrensink.org) for the Charles Redd Center for Western Studies at Brigham Young University and hosted by. Subscribe to the Writing Westward Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Play, and other podcast distribution apps and platforms. Follow the BYU Redd Center and the Writing Westward Podcast on Facebook or Twitter or get more information @ https://www.writingwestward.org. Theme music by Micah Dahl Anderson @ www.micahdahlanderson.com
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054 - Andrea Geiger - Converging Empires, Citizens and Subjects in the North Pacific Borderlands
A conversation with Andrea Geiger about their new book, "Converging Empires, Citizens and Subjects in the North Pacific Borderlands, 1867-1945" (University of North Carolina Press, 2023). The Writing Westward Podcast is produced and hosted by Prof. Brenden W. Rensink (www.bwrensink.org) for the Charles Redd Center for Western Studies at Brigham Young University and hosted by. Subscribe to the Writing Westward Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Play, and other podcast distribution apps and platforms. Follow the BYU Redd Center and the Writing Westward Podcast on Facebook or Twitter or get more information @ https://www.writingwestward.org. Theme music by Micah Dahl Anderson @ www.micahdahlanderson.com
Customer Reviews
Diverse topics, deep dives, and human connection
For me, Writing Westward has been a podcast like no other. Although every episode is unified by the central theme of books written about the North American West, the titles and authors are delightfully varied in a way that leaves me looking forward to whatever might be next. There have been traditional academic histories, but also scientific works that describe Midwestern climate, buffalo, and birds. Other books have run the gamut of family history, dual biography, collections of creative nonfiction, innovative environmental history, and more. Writing Westward takes the “constraint” of its Western Studies theme as an opportunity, and it continually introduces listeners to new discoveries and fresh perspectives.
In each episode, Dr. Rensink brings his rich familiarity with Western Studies to bear as he asks questions that prompt additional thought and insight from the authors. And if you’re like me and haven’t read any of the books, these conversations offer a taste of the richness the texts offer.
Finally, I have really appreciated the sense of human connection Writing Westward creates. Episodes feel personable and relatable, and they remind the listener that behind every book is a human author.
Overall, I highly recommend Writing Westward. I look forward to my hour or so with the podcast every month.
Less is more
Usually interesting but the host inserts himself into the interview way to much. I tune in for the interviewee not the interviewer.
A must listen
Engaging and informative, Writing Westward is a must listen for anyone interested in western and intermountain western history. I look forward to it every month. It's even put me on a few books for my classes. Thanks!