The Modern West

Season 1 Preview

The Modern West is getting a reboot! New host, new theme music, and brand-new stories just for this podcast. Season 1 starts September 17.

Episode 1: Carpetbagger

You ask around, and people can’t agree on a quintessential Wyoming writer. And if you can’t identify the literature of a place, you can’t define the place. Authors including CJ Box and Craig Johnson weigh in.     When I first moved to Wyoming, I read Annie Proulx’s Close Range to prepare. I was coming […]

Episode 2: Both/Neither

The U.S. government only allows Native Americans to register with one tribe. But what happens when two tribes share one reservation for over a century? Two women grapple with how that affected their identity growing up. What’s it like to grow up realizing you’re from two different tribes? That’s a complex question when you grow […]

Episode 3: Adult-Onset Hunting

The number of Americans hunting and fishing is declining, but women are bucking the trend. Host Melodie Edwards finds a sisterhood at an all-women hunting camp—and catches her first fish with her dad.       Photos from the Women’s Outdoor Camp. Credit Patrick Wine     Music Blue Dot Sessions

Episode 4: The Midwife

Most births are uncomplicated. So in rural areas where hospitals are shutting down, women want to give birth at home. Now, states across the country are legalizing and regulating midwifery so they can. This is the story of one rural state, one midwife, and one brand-new mama.     When the West was first being […]