western
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The Most Beloved Western Novel of All Time
Larry McMurtry set out to demythologize the West and ended up making the most beloved Western story of all time. More literary than Louis L’Amour, not as bleak as Cormac McCarthy, but not as warm as Elmer Kelton, McMurtry’s Lonesome… Continue reading
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ASU’s Kelton Conference Has Forgotten Kelton
For the last 29 years, Angelo State University has hosted a writer’s conference in honor of the late author and San Angelo native Elmer Kelton. The only problem is, ASU doesn’t seem to like Elmer Kelton, and the English department… Continue reading
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Do You Have What It Takes?
What is your favorite John Wayne movie? Mine is The Cowboys, potentially considered an odd choice because it is not a classic action western, and (spoilers!) the Duke dies in it. Unlike Rio Bravo or True Grit, instead of frequent… Continue reading
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I Sold My First Short Story
I am thrilled to announce that I have sold a short story! One of my Dusty Thorngage stories titled “Snake Oil” will be appearing in a weird west anthology by Edge Weaver Books. The Dusty Thorngage stories are a blend… Continue reading
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The Day Elmer Kelton Signed More Than My Books
I didn’t plan on taking “Art and Heritage of Livestock.” I had my senior year at Texas A&M mapped out, full of electives I actually wanted. One was a fly-tying class—“Entomology for the Angler.” But the professor died, and they… Continue reading
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The Grind: Writing Update
It’s tough being a part-time pen name. The pulp work ethic is to write fast, don’t think, and publish often. That is good and right, but I wonder if that is a goal for writing fitness to work up to,… Continue reading
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Review: The Fighting Heart of Man, Vol. 1
The first volume of The Fighting Heart of Man (FHM) was released last December by Luke Goozdich and Nathanael Hummel. They run the Men’s Adventure Fiction Podcast together and are part of a spearhead movement to bring back the style… Continue reading
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Writing Goals for 2025
If you aren’t doing a “year in review, year and preview” self-analysis, whether regarding your family, work, or other interests, then you’re simply doing it wrong. These aren’t New Year resolutions, they are a way to recommit to what you… Continue reading
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Review: Misplaced Faith: An Apocalypse Cowboy Adventure by W.S. Wentworth
From time to time I will review books from one of two categories: books that are influential to my own writing, and other indie authors risking it for the biscuit such as myself. I am not paid for these reviews… Continue reading
George Cottonwood Books 