Ep. 2 - Public Lands & American Mythologies with Betsy Gaines Quammen

When my family was traveling to the National Parks in Southern Utah last November, I happened to be reading American Zion: Cliven Bundy, God, & Public Lands in the West by Betsy Gaines Quammen, and I became a little bit obsessed. The moment I put it down, I emailed Betsy to interview her for the book I’m working on and to invite her to be one of my inaugural guests for the podcast. I’m excited for you to hear more from Betsy because she’s pretty badass and such a fun person. American Zion was her first book in 2020, so lucky you get a whole set of books to read of hers, all of which focus in some way on the mythologies we tell ourselves in the American West.Here are links to her books and other resources we mention in this episode.Betsy’s Books:* This Haunted Land: Reckoning with Ghosts and Stories that Shape America (Forthcoming September 2026, Torrey House Press) — PRE-ORDER NOW!* True West: Myth and Mending on the Far Side of America (2023, Torrey House Press)* American Zion: Cliven Bundy, God, & Public Lands in the West (2020, Torrey House Press)Other Resources Referenced:* Bundyville Podcast — produced by Oregon Public Broadcasting and created and hosted by Leah Sotille. This is a great deep-dive into the Bundy family and links the events they led to Trump’s America.* Public Lands & Grazing investigative report by High Country News and ProPublicaFind Betsy Onlinewww.betsygainesquammen.com@ betsygainesquammenThanks for reading Charm of the Wilderness! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit charmofthewilderness.substack.com