Conversations with the voices shaping Western storytelling today.
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.
Whether you're a longtime western reader or simply love a good story, this podcast brings you closer to the people keeping the spirit of the West alive.
Episodes
Below is the complete episode guide, listed newest to oldest:
Episode 21 — Jan. 21, 2026
How did Joaquin Murrieta become a legend—and what does Zorro have to do with it? Historian John Boessenecker joins Writing the West to separate myth from history in a deep conversation about Gold Rush violence, newspapers, and Western legend-making.
Episode 20 — Jan. 7, 2026
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.
Episode 19 — Dec. 12, 2025
Aaron Eckhart Takes on Modern Cattle Rustling in Thieves Highway
Episode 18 — December 3, 2025
Long before Hollywood perfected the outlaw antihero, Cherokee bank robber Henry Starr wrote his own legend, and in this episode of Writing the West, writer and filmmaker Mark Archuleta explores Starr’s extraordinary journey from “gentleman bandit” to silent-film “movie Starr,” separating myth and dime-novel racism from the complex man behind the legend.
Episode 17 — November 19, 2025
Episode 16 — Nov. 5, 2025
The Real Story Behind Wyatt Earp And Doc Holliday’s Lifelong Friendship With Mark Lee Gardner
Few frontier relationships are as mythic — or misunderstood — as Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday. Historian and author Mark Lee Gardner joins us to discuss Brothers of the Gun, a rare dual biography rooted in new archival research and on-the-ground storytelling. We explore loyalty, legend, and why flawed, fiercely human friendships still define Western history.
Episode 15 — Oct. 22, 2025
How Triumph And Tragedy Shaped The Story Of America With Paul Hutton
Historian Paul Andrew Hutton discusses his sweeping new book The Undiscovered Country. We explore 150 years of frontier transformation — from Braddock’s Defeat to Wounded Knee — and how triumph, tragedy, memory, and myth all shape the American story.
Episode 14 — Oct. 8, 2025
Indigenous Voices And The Power Of Thrillers With Author Vanessa Lillie
With The Bone Thief, Vanessa Lillie continues the story of Cherokee archaeologist and BIA agent Syd Walker. We discuss colonial history, missing Indigenous women, the personal roots of thriller writing, and why survival and suspense go hand-in-hand.
Episode 13 — Sep. 24, 2025
Bringing Mystery To The Modern West With Author Bruce Borgos
Bruce Borgos, author of the Porter Beck mystery series, explains how Nevada’s wide-open spaces and untold histories provide the perfect backdrop for modern Western crime fiction — blending mystery, culture, and contemporary frontier life.
Episode 12 — Sep. 10, 2025
Gold, Guns, And Greed: The True Story Of Deadwood With Historian Peter Cozzens
Historian Peter Cozzens discusses Deadwood: Gold, Guns, and Greed in the American West. We look beyond HBO mythmaking to the real three-year boomtown — defined by lawlessness, Lakota struggle, entrepreneurship, and the human cost of the gold rush.
Episode 11 — Aug. 27, 2025
Beyond Buffalo Bill: The Couple Who Brought the Wild West to Life With Author Chris Enss
Chris Enss tells the extraordinary story of May Lillie and Gordon “Pawnee Bill” Lillie — a sharpshooter and showman who shaped the Wild West shows and later championed conservation. A tale of resilience, romance, and reinvention on the frontier.
Episode 10 — Aug. 13, 2025
Bringing Louis L’Amour’s Flint To Life On Screen With Actor Josh Holloway And Director Ryan Whitaker
Actor Josh Holloway and director/screenwriter Ryan Whitaker share the long, winding saga of adapting Louis L’Amour’s Flint for film — from early development and near-misses to finding the right script, the right team, and the right moment to revive Western cinema.
Episode 9 — Jul. 30, 2025
Life, Loss, And 8-Man Football On Indigenous Reservations With Author John Glionna
Journalist John Glionna discusses Friday Night Lights: Reservation Football on the Edge of America and the eight-man Nevada team whose story became a powerful chronicle of identity, belonging, and survival in overlooked corners of the West.
Episode 8 — Jul. 16, 2025
How Texas Shaped the Gunfighter Era With Author Bryan Burrough
Historian Bryan Burrough (Barbarians at the Gate) brings an investigative lens to Texas honor culture, post-Civil War violence, and the rise of the Western gunslinger. From Wild Bill to Pink Higgins, we explore how real men became Western archetypes.
Episode 7 — Jul. 2, 2025
Louis L’Amour's Son Beau Discusses His Father’s Legacy And Expanding The Western Genre
Beau L’Amour reflects on preserving the world of Louis L’Amour while pushing the genre forward through audio dramas, graphic novels, and screen adaptations — plus why overlooked eras like the Mexican War may be Western storytelling’s next frontier.
Episode 6 — Jun. 18, 2025
The Frontier Spirit And Why Everything’s A Western With Author Johnny D. Boggs
One of Western literature’s most prolific voices discusses cattle drives, morally complex characters, journalism, strong female leads, and why every good Western — on the page or on TV — starts with the land.
Episode 5 — Jun. 5, 2025
The Life & Legend Of Billy the Kid With Scholar George Matthews
George Matthews explores Billy the Kid’s life through fresh scholarship presented in Billy the Kid: The Life Behind the Legend. From regulators to outlaws, myth to reality, we examine America’s most famous gunslinger anew.
Episode 4 — May 21, 2025
Craig Johnson Explains How Westerns Have Evolved And Dishes On His Latest Longmire Novel
From his Wyoming ranch, Craig Johnson talks about the evolution of the Longmire series, the enduring appeal of Western storytelling, and crafting characters that readers — and he himself — remain hooked on after 21 books.
Episode 3 — May 7, 2025
Laurie L. Dove Discusses Crafting Authentic Indigenous Characters In Her Debut Novel
Laurie L. Dove shares the inspiration behind Mask of the Deer Woman, exploring Indigenous symbolism, missing women, and the mother–daughter bond at the heart of her debut novel.
Episode 2 — Apr. 23, 2025
Anne Hillerman Talks Finding Her Own Voice And The Dark Winds TV Series
Anne Hillerman discusses carrying forward her father Tony Hillerman’s legacy, writing Navajo Nation–based mysteries, and how Dark Winds brought her stories to television.
Episode 1 — Apr. 3, 2025
C.J. Box Dishes On Writing, Wyoming, And His Latest Joe Pickett Novel
Bestselling author C.J. Box opens the series as our first guest, discussing Wyoming landscapes, long-running characters, and the craft behind his newest Joe Pickett novel.
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