The current poet laureate of Montana is a working class gentleman from Missoula who grew up in Alberton, where his father was a laborer. Mark has also worked in labor, driving truck and moving furniture. He brings an honest, unvarnished attitude to his work, and we have been huge fans for years. And and terms […]

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 […]

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 […]

Breakfast In Montana · Episode Twenty-Six – Corrie Williamson, Stephen Ambrose. and Stephenie Ambrose Tubbs 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 […]

Breakfast In Montana · Episode 25 – Ryan Busse and Teddy "Blue" Abbott 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 […]

Breakfast In Montana · Episode Twenty-Four: Alan Weltzien and Thomas Savage 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 […]

Breakfast In Montana · Episode Twenty-Three – Norman Maclean and John Maclean   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 […]

Breakfast In Montana · Episode Twenty-Two – Doug Peacock and William Kittredge   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 […]

Breakfast In Montana · Episode Twenty – One – Marc Beaudin And Robert Pirsig   For this episode, we interview Livingston poet and owner of Elk River Books Marc Beaudin, about his latest collection, Life List, which was named an Honorable Book by the latest Montana Book Awards.   And we also discuss a classic […]

Breakfast In Montana · Episode Twenty – James Welch And Joey Running Crane   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, […]