Best Aaron Parrett Podcasts (2024)

1
Episode 35 - Mary Jane Nealon And Sandra Alcosser 58:50

1y ago58:50

58:50

For the final episode of Breakfast in Montana, Russell Rowland and Charles Finn talk to poet Mary Jane Nealon about her remarkable memoir, Beautiful Unbroken, which was the recipient of the Bakeless Prize for Non-fiction, which is awarded by the Breadloaf Foundation. Nealon's account of working with AIDS patients in New York City just after the epi…

1
Episode Thirty-Four - James Lee Burke and A.B. Guthrie 49:45

1+ y ago49:45

49:45

Russell Rowland had the opportunity to do an interview with James Lee Burke for Distinctly Montana Magazine about the work of A.B. Guthrie. Both Russell and James are huge Guthrie fans, and Burke got to know him after he moved to Missoula in the '60s. So Burke has some wonderful stories about Guthrie, but also some terrific insights into the import…

1
Episode Thirty-Three - Shann Ray and John Stands In Timber 51:38

1+ y ago51:38

51:38

We're happy to introduce a new co-host in this episode, as Montana Book Award winner Charles Finn (On a Benediction of Wind) joins Russell Rowland in a conversation with their old friend Shann Ray. Shann has published several books in a wide variety of genres, including American Copper and his excellent short story debut, American Masculine. As you…

1
Episode Thirty-Two - Charles Finn, Barbara Michelman, Donna Lucey and Evelyn Cameron 51:01

1+ y ago51:01

51:01

On a Benediction of Wind was just named the winner of the Montana Book Award days before we recorded this episode, so we're thrilled to feature the beautiful poetry of Charles Finn, and talk to him and Barbara Michelman about how they came to create this fabulous collaboration of poetry and black and white photography. Barbara suggested the second …

1
Episode Thirty-One: Elise Atchison And Tom McGuane 43:37

2y ago43:37

43:37

Elise Atchison's debut novel, Crazy Mountain, was the recipient of the Eludia Award, an award given to first-time women novelists over forty. She worked for over ten years on this book, which features a completely different point of view for each chapter. The novel takes place in a fictional region where the typical struggle is playing out between …

1
Episode Thirty - Debra Magpie Earling and James Welch 1:06:28

2y ago1:06:28

1:06:28

This episode pairs one of the most esteemed Native American authors of our time with a writer who started writing because of his influence and guidance. Debra Magpie Earling took her very first writing class from James Welch at the University of Washington, and would later study with him again at Cornell. Earling's debut novel Perma Red made a huge…

1
Episode Twenty-Nine - Mark Gibbons and David Dale 59:50

2+ y ago59:50

59:50

For this episode, we interview the current poet laureate of Montana, Missoula poet Mark Gibbons. And Mark asked us to talk about an old friend of his, David Dale, who published three collections during his lifetime but never got much recognition.By Russell Rowland & Aaron Parrett

1
Episode Twenty-Eight Greg Keeler and Beatrice Murphy 48:34

2+ y ago48:34

48:34

For this episode, we were so honored to have a chance to sit down with our old friend, poet Greg Keeler. Greg taught at Montana State University for forty years, and toward the end of his career, he started writing a sonnet every day. He continues this practice to this day, but in 2018, Elk River Books put out a beautiful collection of 180 of these…

1
Episode Twenty-Seven - Tom Harpole and Andrew Garcia 55:00

2+ y ago55:00

55:00

For this episode, we had the pleasure of talking with our good friend Tom Harpole about his collection, Regarding Willingness. Tom wrote for national magazines for decades, but this collection consists of personal essays that Tom wrote through the years about his adventures in various parts of the world, including skydiving in Russia, and going alo…

1
Episode Twenty-Six - Corrie Williamson, Stephen Ambrose. and Stephenie Ambrose Tubbs 39:04

3y ago39:04

39:04

This past year marked the twenty-fifth anniversary of the publication of Undaunted Courage, which has become known as the bible for the Lewis and Clark Expedition. This book, written by Stephen Ambrose, had the feel of a novel, and captured the interest of millions of readers just in time for the 200th anniversary of the Voyage of Discovery. Ambros…

1
Episode Twenty-five - Ryan Busse and Teddy "Blue" Abbott 53:37

3y ago53:37

53:37

Ryan Busse worked as a top executive in the gun industry for several decades. "I sold millions of guns," he says. But Busse became increasingly disillusioned with the NRA's influence on the industry he loved, to the point that he felt compelled to write about his experience. Gunfight is part memoir, part expose on how this industry has fallen under…

1
Episode Twenty-Four: Alan Weltzien and Thomas Savage 52:20

3y ago52:20

52:20

Thomas Savage was a novelist who grew up in Beaverhead County, Montana, on a sheep ranch. He published a dozen novels but was sadly overlooked while he was alive, despite receiving resounding critical acclaim for his entire career. His work was rediscovered around the turn of the century, thanks in large part to the praises of Annie Proulx and Tom …

1
Episode Twenty-Three - Norman Maclean and John Maclean 48:22

3+ y ago48:22

48:22

John Maclean, son of Montana icon Norman Maclean, has become a fine writer in his own right, and he recently published what he calls 'a chronicle' of his life with his father and his own relationship to Norman's enormously successful novella, A River Runs Through It. Home Waters is a terrific tale that explores the importance and complicated nature…

1
Episode Twenty-Two - Doug Peacock and William Kittredge 47:47

3+ y ago47:47

47:47

For our twenty-second episode, we had the great pleasure of sitting down for over an hour with Doug Peacock, who has been fighting to save the grizzly bear for decades now, and when you read his fabulous book, Grizzly Years, you get a deeper understanding of why he has such a passion for this cause. After Doug returned from his tour in Vietnam, dur…

1
Episode Twenty - James Welch And Joey Running Crane 54:12

3+ y ago54:12

54:12

For this episode, we're breaking out of the box a little by exploring the world of literature from the perspective of a musician. Joey Running Crane is an accomplished recording artist from the Blackfeet Reservation. He has recorded with several bands, including the fabulously named Goddamit Boyhowdy, and Dirty Bird. His solo album, Dog Winter, was…

1
Episode Nineteen - Tami Haaland and Madeline DeFrees 42:40

4y ago42:40

42:40

For our nineteenth episode, we feature one of our most recent poet laureates, Tami Haaland and two of her poetry collections, When We Wake in the Night, and What Does Not Return. And we also talk about one of Tami's mentors, Madeline DeFrees, who taught at the University of Montana Creative Writing Department for about twelve years and was a highly…

1
Episode Eighteen Melissa Kwasny and Frank Linderman 50:17

4y ago50:17

50:17

For this episode, Russell and Aaron interview Montana's current Poet Laureate, Melissa Kwasny, about her non-fiction book, Putting on the Dog, which is about the nature of clothes and where they come from. Melissa spent five years traveling all over the world, visiting places a mink farm in Denmark, to explore how people go about growing and prepar…

1
Episode Seventeen - Grace Stone Coates and Caroline Patterson 40:07

4+ y ago40:07

40:07

For this episode of Breakfast in Montana, Aaron and Russell talk about two very powerful collections of stories, Black Cherries, published in 1931 by Grace Stone Coates, and The Ballet at the Moose Lodge, by Caroline Patterson.By Russell Rowland & Aaron Parrett

1
Episode Sixteen - Sean Hill and D'Arcy McNickle 46:48

4+ y ago46:48

46:48

By Russell Rowland & Aaron Parrett

1
Episode Fifteen - John Taliaferro and George Bird Grinnell 35:07

5y ago35:07

35:07

For Episode Fifteen, Aaron Parrett and Russell Rowland have a fabulous conversation with John Taliaferro, biographer extraordinaire, about his new book, Grinnell, about George Bird Grinnell, the man who was called the Father of American Conservation at the time of his death. We also talk about a couple of Grinnell's own books, The Fighting Cheyenne…

1
Episode Fourteen - Susan Henderson and Mildred Walker 29:27

5y ago29:27

29:27

For this episode of Breakfast in Montana, a podcast about Montana books, we discuss two award-winning novels, both by women. The Flicker of Old Dreams, by Susan Henderson, won the Spur Award for Fiction, as well as the Willa Cather Award, and is a finalist for the High Plains Book Award for fiction. Mildred Walker's Winter Wheat, which was publishe…

1
Episode 13 - Chris La Tray and Rick DeMarinis 33:39

5y ago33:39

33:39

In this episode, we discuss two books from Missoula writers. Chris La Tray's book One Sentence Journal won this year's Montana Book Award, and it's an interesting collection of vignettes, and aphorisms that take you deep into the heart of a man who is searching for his place in Montana. We believe the second book is one of the most overlooked novel…

1
Episode Twelve - Tim Cahill and William 'Gatz' Hjortsberg 46:02

5+ y ago46:02

46:02

For episode twelve, we discuss two books by legendary Livingston writers. Tim Cahill was a writer for Rolling Stone back when they were first getting off the ground, and went on to co-found Outside Magazine, which published most of the stories in his collection, Jaguars Ripped My Flesh. William 'Gatz' Hjortsberg published many novels, the most well…

1
Episode 11 - Henrietta Goodman and Richard Brautigan 30:07

5+ y ago30:07

30:07

In our 11th Episode, we talk about the latest award-winning collection of poetry by Missoula poet Henrietta Goodman, as well as The Hawkline Monster, a gothic Western by acclaimed writer Richard Brautigan.By Russell Rowland & Aaron Parrett

1
Episode Ten - Earl Craig and Ed Lahey 42:45

5+ y ago42:45

42:45

For their tenth episode of Breakfast in Montana, Montana authors Russell Rowland and Aaron Parrett discuss the poetry of former Montana Poet Laureate Earl Craig, discussing his most recent collection, Woods and Clouds Interchangeable. and from the final collection of poetry by Butte poet Ed Lahey, titled Moving On.…

1
Episode 9 - Richard Wheeler 29:26

6y ago29:26

29:26

For their ninth episode of Breakfast in Montana, Montana writers Russell Rowland and Aaron Parrett take a break from their usual format of discussing two Montana books to honor a writer who has published more than 80 novels. Richard Wheeler has been a finalist for ten Spur Awards, the highest honor for Western literature, and won the award six time…

1
Episode 8- Melissa Stephenson and Mary MacLane 32:04

6y ago32:04

32:04

In the eighth episode of Breakfast in Montana, authors Aaron Parrett and Russell Rowland discuss two outstanding memoirs. The first is The Story of Mary MacLane, also known as I Await the Devil's Coming, a worldwide sensation when it was published in 1902 by a nineteen-year-old aristocrat from Butte. The second is Driven: A White-Knuckled Ride to H…

1
Episode 7- Natalie Peeterse and Frieda Fligelman 34:15

6y ago34:15

34:15

For this episode, Montana writers Aaron Parrett and Russell Rowland discuss two poetry collections by poets from Helena, Notes from a Novel by Frieda Fligelman and Natalie Peeterse's Black Birds, Blue Horse, the winner of the Gold Line Press Chapbook competition. We also interview Natalie about her writing process as well as her own small press, Op…

1
Episode 6- Matt Pavelich and Dirck Van Sickle 36:35

6+ y ago36:35

36:35

For this episode of Breakfast in Montana, writers Russell Rowland and Aaron Parrett discuss two books that should have received more acclaim, Matt Pavelich's short story collection, Survivors Said, and a 1979 novel published by Dirck Van Sickle called Montana Gothic.By Russell Rowland & Aaron Parrett

1
Episode 5 - Ivan Doig and Jamie Ford 37:49

6+ y ago37:49

37:49

For the fifth episode of Breakfast in Montana, Russell Rowland and Aaron Parrett discuss two of the most commercially successful Montana writers, Ivan Doig and Jamie Ford. We talk about the mysterious nature of successful books, and Jamie Ford tells us about his responsibility to write about the stories of Chinese immigrants in America.…

1
Episode 4 - Dorothy Johnson and Kate Cholewa 27:17

6+ y ago27:17

27:17

In this episode of Breakfast in Montana, hosts Russell Rowland and Aaron Parrett discuss two books by Montana authors, The Hanging Tree by Dorothy Johnson, and Shaking Out the Dead, by Kate Cholewa. The Hanging Tree was made into a film starring Gary Cooper, another Montanan, one of several Johnson stories that made it to film. And yet she has neve…

1
Episode 3: Jim Harrison and Jamie Harrison Potenberg 24:06

6+ y ago24:06

24:06

For the third episode of Breakfast in Montana, we discuss A Good Day to Die, by Jim Harrison, author of Legends of the Fall and other classic novels about the West, as well as a novel by his daughter Jamie Harrison Potenberg called The Widow Nash. There are several interesting parallels between these two novels, despite the fact that they take plac…

1
Episode 2: Allen Morris Jones and Richard Hugo 29:05

6+ y ago29:05

29:05

For this episode, we discuss two mysteries, the first being Death and the Good Life, one of only two novels written by notable Montana poet Richard Hugo, who was instrumental in developing the reputation for the Creative Writing department at the University of Montana. The second is a terrific mystery called A Bloom of Bones, by Allen Morris Jones,…

1
Episode 1: David Abrams and Richard K. O'Malley 23:37

7y ago23:37

23:37

In this first episode, Russell and Aaron talk about two books from Butte, Mile High, Mile Deep by Richard K. O'Malley, and Brave Deeds, by David Abrams. These two books represent two of the interesting facets of Montana literature in that one of them, (Mile High) was written while O'Malley was the Associated Press Bureau Chief in Paris. But it's co…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Aaron Parrett Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

1
Breakfast In Montana

Russell Rowland & Aaron Parrett

1
Episode 35 - Mary Jane Nealon And Sandra Alcosser 58:50

1
Episode Thirty-Four - James Lee Burke and A.B. Guthrie 49:45

1
Episode Thirty-Three - Shann Ray and John Stands In Timber 51:38

1
Episode Thirty-Two - Charles Finn, Barbara Michelman, Donna Lucey and Evelyn Cameron 51:01

1
Episode Thirty-One: Elise Atchison And Tom McGuane 43:37

1
Episode Thirty - Debra Magpie Earling and James Welch 1:06:28

1
Episode Twenty-Nine - Mark Gibbons and David Dale 59:50

1
Episode Twenty-Eight Greg Keeler and Beatrice Murphy 48:34

1
Episode Twenty-Seven - Tom Harpole and Andrew Garcia 55:00

1
Episode Twenty-Six - Corrie Williamson, Stephen Ambrose. and Stephenie Ambrose Tubbs 39:04

1
Episode Twenty-five - Ryan Busse and Teddy "Blue" Abbott 53:37

1
Episode Twenty-Four: Alan Weltzien and Thomas Savage 52:20

1
Episode Twenty-Three - Norman Maclean and John Maclean 48:22

1
Episode Twenty-Two - Doug Peacock and William Kittredge 47:47

1
Episode Twenty - James Welch And Joey Running Crane 54:12

1
Episode Nineteen - Tami Haaland and Madeline DeFrees 42:40

1
Episode Eighteen Melissa Kwasny and Frank Linderman 50:17

1
Episode Seventeen - Grace Stone Coates and Caroline Patterson 40:07

1
Episode Sixteen - Sean Hill and D'Arcy McNickle 46:48

1
Episode Fifteen - John Taliaferro and George Bird Grinnell 35:07

1
Episode Fourteen - Susan Henderson and Mildred Walker 29:27

1
Episode 13 - Chris La Tray and Rick DeMarinis 33:39

1
Episode Twelve - Tim Cahill and William 'Gatz' Hjortsberg 46:02

1
Episode 11 - Henrietta Goodman and Richard Brautigan 30:07

1
Episode Ten - Earl Craig and Ed Lahey 42:45

1
Episode 9 - Richard Wheeler 29:26

1
Episode 8- Melissa Stephenson and Mary MacLane 32:04

1
Episode 7- Natalie Peeterse and Frieda Fligelman 34:15

1
Episode 6- Matt Pavelich and Dirck Van Sickle 36:35

1
Episode 5 - Ivan Doig and Jamie Ford 37:49

1
Episode 4 - Dorothy Johnson and Kate Cholewa 27:17

1
Episode 3: Jim Harrison and Jamie Harrison Potenberg 24:06

1
Episode 2: Allen Morris Jones and Richard Hugo 29:05

1
Episode 1: David Abrams and Richard K. O'Malley 23:37

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