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, including the fabulously named Goddamit Boyhowdy, and Dirty Bird. His solo album, Dog Winter, was released in 2019.
And part of the reason we chose to talk to Joey was because he is a huge James Welch fan. James Welch is one of the most highly acclaimed writers in Montana’s rich literary history, and he also grew up on the Blackfeet Reservation. So Joey gives us some fabulous insights into what makes Welch such a powerful writer about the Native American experience. We chose one of Welch’s lesser known novels, The Death of Jim Loney.
We’d like to thank our sponsors, Isle of Books in Bozeman, Montana, and Isle of Books and Books in Butte, Montana.
And we’d like to thank the Drummlummon Institute and the Montana Arts Council for their generous support.