Best MTPR Podcasts (2023)

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The Write Question

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D.M. Bradford’s ‘Bottom Rail on Top’ is a prismatic, paratextual intervention on Black history in America 29:00

1d ago29:00

29:00

This week on ‘The Write Question,’ host Lauren Korn speaks with poet D.M. Bradford, author of the collection ‘Bottom Rail on Top’ (Brick Books), a kind of archives-powered unmooring of American histories of antebellum Black life and emancipation.By Lauren Korn

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The Write Question

1
TWQ Mini: Andrew Limbong discusses NPR’s “thoughtfully curated” year-end list, Books We Love 11:57

3d ago11:57

11:57

Host Lauren Korn speaks with Andrew Limbong about NPR’s interactive book list of staff favorites, “Books We Love.”By Lauren Korn

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The Write Question

1
‘Class’: Follow-up to Stephanie Land’s bestselling memoir chronicles her “hungriest year” 29:00

20d ago29:00

29:00

This week on ‘The Write Question,’ host Lauren Korn speaks with Stephanie Land, author of ‘Class: A Memoir of Motherhood, Hunger, and Higher Education’ (Atria/One Signal Publishers).By Lauren Korn

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The Write Question

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TWQ Mini: Making sense of our lives, considering the nature of loss, and contemplating the “second arrow” with Shankar Vedantam 13:29

24d ago13:29

13:29

In this mini episode of ‘The Write Question,’ Lauren speaks with the host and executive editor of ‘Hidden Brain,’ Shankar Vedantam, about “Healing 2.0,” a month-long series that considers how we can change our lives—by taking a closer look at the stories we tell ourselves about our lives, the nature of loss, and whether we should try to do away wit…

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The Write Question

1
The primal, lyric imaginings in Maya Jewell Zeller’s ‘out takes/ glove box’ 29:00

27d ago29:00

29:00

This week on ‘The Write Question,’ host Lauren Korn speaks with poet Maya Jewell Zeller, author of ‘out takes/ glove box’ (New American Press). The two talk about Maya’s birth story, childhood, and motherhood; cars, trucks, and traveling; and Maya’s primal self—a psychology (and a poetics) borne of the sea and the woods, of the natural world.…

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Field Notes

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Dermestids, Death, and Pandemic Ponderings 5:18

28d ago5:18

5:18

In late 2020 I’m spending mornings masked, working in a lab in the University of Montana Zoological Museum. The museum houses research collections of natural artifacts like skins and skeletons. But behind the scenes museum staff tend a single living collection: a colony of dermestid beetles, the meticulous scavengers that scour flesh from bones bef…

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The Write Question

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Live! Pledge week episode: Charlotte Macorn, mercurial icon and the voice of your generation 49:57

1M ago49:57

49:57

This week on ‘The Write Question,’ comedienne and writer Charlotte Macorn sits down with host Lauren Korn in the “city of many shoulders” for a live pledge week episode.By Lauren Korn

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Field Notes

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“Spooky” Turkey Vultures Deserve Respect 4:29

1M ago4:29

4:29

Why are they so feared and misunderstood? If a bird popularity contest were held, Turkey Vultures would not fare very well. A spooky bird contest, on the other hand? Dead winner.

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The Write Question

1
‘Iggy Horse’: Michael Earl Craig on “castle energy,” genre, and the wind 29:00

1M ago29:00

29:00

This week on ‘The Write Question,’ Lauren speaks with Livingston, Montana-based poet (and former Montana Poet Laureate) Michael Earl Craig, author of ‘Iggy Horse’ (Wave Poetry).By Lauren Korn

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The Write Question

1
TWQ Outtake: Michael Earl Craig reads “The Salesman Had Two Bags” from ‘Iggy Horse’ 1:50

1M ago1:50

1:50

Livingston, Montana-based poet Michael Earl Craig (“Earl”) reads a poem from ‘Iggy Horse’ (Wave Poetry).By Lauren Korn

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The Write Question

1
TWQ Outtake: Michael Earl Craig reads “Preparing to Paint the Body of the Dead Christ in the Tomb” from ‘Iggy Horse’’ 1:40

1M ago1:40

1:40

Livingston, Montana-based poet Michael Earl Craig (“Earl”) reads a poem from ‘Iggy Horse’ (Wave Poetry).By Lauren Korn

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Field Notes

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The Wasps Came In To Die 4:21

2M ago4:21

4:21

First one, buzzing and bumping into the living room window, who was soon joined by a few sisters. Within an hour, there were more than 40 sinisterly striped yellow jackets (Vespula alascensis) zooming from one window to another in pursuit of light, and I was outnumbered.

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The Write Question

1
‘Unexpected Weather Events’: Erin Pringle on grief, memory, and the short story 29:02

2M ago29:02

29:02

This week on ‘The Write Question,’ host Lauren Korn speaks with Erin Pringle, Spokane, Washington-based author of ‘Unexpected Weather Events’ (Awst Press).By Lauren Korn

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Field Notes

1
Banding Together 4:54

2M ago4:54

4:54

As I watched Rob Domenech, executive director of the Raptor View Research Institute, and his research biologist Brian Busby carefully load the three chicks onto the lift, and heard Harriet’s chirps of protest from above, I considered the importance of this work.

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The Write Question

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“I care for your beauty”: Reflecting on ten years of ‘Braiding Sweetgrass’ with Robin Wall Kimmerer 29:01

2M ago29:01

29:01

This week on ‘The Write Question,’ in advance of Robin Wall Kimmerer’s appearance in Missoula, host Lauren Korn speaks with the author of ‘Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants’ (Milkweed Editions).By Lauren Korn

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Field Notes

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An Osprey Story: Superpowers, Struggles, & Survival 4:36

2M ago4:36

4:36

At Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge, I saw an Osprey dive into the deepest section of white water and emerge with nothing to show for its effort, and then retreat to a cottonwood branch to watch for another opportunity in the dark, boiling water.

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The Write Question

1
‘And Then She Fell’: Alicia Elliott on motherhood, horror, and storytelling 29:02

2M ago29:02

29:02

This week on ‘The Write Question,’ host Lauren Korn speaks with with Alicia Elliott, an established writer of non-fiction, about her debut novel, ‘And Then She Fell’ (Dutton Books, 2023).By Lauren Korn

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Field Notes

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Spotted Tussock Moth: The Fuzzy Orange Spot of Fall 4:57

2M ago4:57

4:57

A small spot of orange in the middle of the trail caught my eye. It wasn't a leaf or a berry; it was tiny and moving! As I neared the curious sight, I discovered it was a fuzzy caterpillar.

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The Write Question

1
‘Tolstoy Killed Anna Karenina’: Dara Barrois/Dixon on the responsibilities and consequences of art-making 29:02

3M ago29:02

29:02

This week on ‘The Write Question,’ Lauren speaks with poet Dara Barrois/Dixon (née Dara Wier) about the ethics of art-making and how her latest book of poetry, ‘Tolstoy Killed Anna Karenina’ (Wave Poetry), both elucidates and confounds those ethics—particularly as it’s read alongside Barrois/Dixon’s essay titled almost identically, “Why Tolstoy Kil…

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Field Notes

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What Happens After a Wildfire? 5:04

3M ago5:04

5:04

Despite the harsh and stark appearance, all is not lost after a wildfire. In fact, there is much to be found when you look about.

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Montana Wildfire News

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Hungry Horse Reservoir's West Shore Road reopens to the public 0:42

3M ago0:42

0:42

The Flathead National Forest is reopening more of the Hungry Horse Reservoir to the public as recent rains have helped firefighters contain wildfires in the area.By Aaron Bolton

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The Write Question

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Christine Byl’s debut novel ‘Lookout’ centers community, resists western stereotypes 29:02

3M ago29:02

29:02

This week on ‘The Write Question,’ Lauren speaks with Healy, Alaska-based writer Christine Byl about her debut novel, ‘Lookout’ (Deep Vellum Publishing), which tells the story of the Kinzlers, a complex working-class family firmly rooted in northwestern Montana.By Lauren Korn

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The Write Question

1
‘This is Wildfire’: Nick Mott and Justin Angle follow award-winning podcast with “first of its kind” guide 29:02

3M ago29:02

29:02

In Lauren’s conversation with podcasters and authors Nick Mott and Justin Angle, the three talk about the nuances of wildfire: ‘This is Wildfire: How to Protect Yourself, Your Home, and Your Community in the Age of Heat’ (Bloomsbury Publishing) “offers everything you need to know about fire in one useful volume.”…

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Field Notes

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Journey to the Bighorn Basin 4:23

3M ago4:23

4:23

Let me take you on a journey. It’s just a few miles, but over that short distance we’ll be transported not only to a dramatically different landscape, but also back through hundreds of millions of years of Earth’s history.

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Field Notes

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Living in Sandhill Crane Country 4:39

3M ago4:39

4:39

The first sound we hear these early summer mornings is the prehistoric, other-worldly call of Sandhill Cranes. It rises deep from their impossibly long necks, climbs into the sky, and stretches for miles across the countryside.

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Montana Wildfire News

1
Fire danger remains high as more than 107,000 acres have burned in Montana 0:56

3M ago0:56

0:56

There were 24 active large fire incidents in the state as of Tuesday morning. Multiple regions in the state are using significant firefighting resources as the state remains in level 3 preparedness.By Ellis Juhlin

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The Write Question

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Encore: The many layers of Charmaine Wilkerson’s ‘Black Cake’ 29:00

3M ago29:00

29:00

This week during ‘The Write Question,’ Lauren returns to her 2022 conversation with Charmaine Wilkerson, author of ‘Black Cake,’ the story of a mother, a woman, whose traumas and histories she hid from her children—children who, after her death, are forced to confront their mother’s past, as well as their own identities in light of such shocking re…

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Montana Wildfire News

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River Road East Fire destroys structures near Paradise, MT 0:41

3M ago0:41

0:41

Rain has slowed the spread of the River Road East Fire that has burned down structures and more than 16,000 acres near the town of Paradise.By Corin Cates-Carney, Edward F. O'Brien

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The Write Question

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Encore: ‘On a Benediction of Wind’: The quiet nature of Charles Finn’s poetry 29:00

4M ago29:00

29:00

This week on ‘The Write Question,’ Lauren returns to her conversation with poet Charles Finn about his collaborative collection, ‘On a Benediction of Wind: Poems and Photographs from the American West,’ a collection of free verse and prose poems, paired with a black-and-white landscape photographs from the Pacific Northwest and the American Southwe…

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Montana Wildfire News

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Montana wildfire update for Aug. 16, 2023 1:40

4M ago1:40

1:40

Record setting high temperatures and gusty winds created a dramatic increase in fire activity in western Montana Tuesday. However, much of the increased activity was inside containment lines of existing fires. High water temperatures prompted Montana wildlife officials to implement hoot-owl restrictions on the lower Madison River starting Aug. 16.…

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Montana Wildfire News

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Extreme heat and critical fire conditions forecast through Thursday 1:25

4M ago1:25

1:25

Extreme heat and critical fire conditions are forecast through Thursday. Meteorologists say records could be shattered this week.By Edward F. O'Brien

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The Write Question

1
Encore: Romantic pragmatism, pragmatic romanticism: Claire Boyles’ ‘Site Fidelity’ 28:59

4M ago28:59

28:59

What is Claire Boyles’ American West? This week, host Lauren Korn returns to her 2021 conversation with the Colorado-based writer, the author of ‘Site Fidelity’ (W. W. Norton & Company).By Lauren Korn

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Montana Wildfire News

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Evacuations ordered near Elmo; NW Montana will move to Stage 2 fire restrictions 1:26

4M ago1:26

1:26

Residents south of Highway 93 near Elmo are being told to evacuate due to a nearby wildfire. Several areas in Northwest Montana will move to Stage Two fire restrictions Saturday.By Corin Cates-Carney, Hailey Smalley

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Montana Wildfire News

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Montana wildfire update for Aug. 3, 2023 0:57

4M ago0:57

0:57

The 13,000 acre Middle Ridge Fire burning west of Ronan is listed at 25% containment. The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes’ (CSKT) Division of Fire said crews continued mop up efforts Thursday. The almost 14,000 acre Niarada Fire west of Elmo continues actively burning in a mix of timber and brush.…

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The Write Question

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Encore: Walking through ‘Nemerov’s Door’ with Robert Wrigley 29:00

4M ago29:00

29:00

This week during ‘The Write Question,’ Lauren returns to her 2021 conversation with Idaho-based poet and essayist Robert Wrigley, who talks to trees—and about the difference between poetry and prose, about fatherhood, about music, and more!By Lauren Korn

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Montana Wildfire News

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What you can do to prepare ahead of an evacuation order 2:15

4M ago2:15

2:15

As fire season heats up across Montana, officials say people living in areas prone to wildfires should be ready to evacuate at a moment’s notice.By Austin Amestoy

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Montana Wildfire News

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'Asbestos forest' burns; Fire prevention work begins around Butte's water supply 3:27

4M ago3:27

3:27

The Tub Gulch Fire is burning within Libby’s ‘asbestos forest’ near the defunct vermiculite mine. Forest Service crews began emergency fire prevention work this week in the area around Butte’s largest municipal water supply.The Flathead County Commission enacted an emergency declaration Tuesday.By Aaron Bolton, John Hooks, Edward F. O'Brien

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Montana Wildfire News

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Montana wildfire update for July 31, 2023 1:24

4M ago1:24

1:24

Bone dry conditions, powerful winds and multiple new wildfire starts kept ground and air firefighting resources busy in recent days. Evacuation orders are in effect northwest of Polson due to the Nirada Fire.By Edward F. O'Brien

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The Write Question

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Encore: Splitting open the sky with Jenny Tinghui Zhang 29:00

4M ago29:00

29:00

This week on ‘The Write Question,’ Lauren returns to her 2022 conversation with novelist Jenny Tinghui Zhang about her debut novel, ‘Four Treasures of the Sky’ (Flatiron Books), the heartbreaking story of young Daiyu, kidnapped from Zhifu, China, in 1882.By Lauren Korn

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Montana Wildfire News

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Restrictions on fires and fishing are going into effect in northwest Montana 3:13

4M ago3:13

3:13

Fire officials announced Wednesday that Stage 1 fire restrictions will be implemented across most of northwest Montana this weekend. The move comes in advance of anticipated above-normal temperatures and deepening drought conditions.By Edward F. O'Brien

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Montana Wildfire News

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Colt Fire evacuation orders remain in effect near Seeley Lake 1:50

4M ago1:50

1:50

Evacuation orders and warnings remain in effect due to the Colt Fire, burning northwest of Seeley Lake. Residents near the intersection of Beaver Creek Road and Highway 83 have been ordered to evacuate. A lightning-caused fire is burning roughly 120 acres five miles east of Arlee.By Hailey Smalley

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