Story Mapping with Poet, Essayist, and Instructor Byron Aspaas

In this episode, we follow Navajo roads to academia, switch paths from engineering to writing, and change the cadence of running to the peddle of mountain biking, as we process grief through words and story mapping. Byron F. Aspaas is Diné. He is Táchii’nii, born for Tódich’iinii, and raised within the four sacred mountains of Dinétah, Byron received his BFA and MFA from the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) in creative writing. His writing reflects upon the eradication of Navajoland, which draws readers into discourse about preservation with Diné culture and land. His writing can be found in Weber: The Contemporary West, Denver Quarterly, International Writing Program Collections, The Rumpus, Santa Fe Noir, Shapes of Native Nonfiction and The Diné Reader. Byron will begin as lecturer with Colorado State University – Pueblo (Fall ‘25) and will continue as poetry mentor for Western Colorado University’s Graduate Program in Creative Writing. He lives with his partner, six dogs, and four cats in Colorado Springs, Colorado. You can follow Byron at https://www.byronaspaas.com/ and read his Letter to America at https://www.terrain.org/2024/poetry/letter-to-america-aspaas/.Support the show