The Art Box - Episode 407 - Art Is an Emotional Connection: A Fun Chat with Gus Brackett

We slipped out of our remote recording perch in the Cedar Media Room and wandered over to the Conference Center to spend some time with our friend Gus Brackett. Gus wears a lot of hats — rancher, husband, dad, columnist, young adult author — and I’m proud to add friend to that list. The plan? A quick five-minute update. The reality? An hour-long conversation that I didn’t want to end. Since I’d left the “official” recording gear back at the remote studio, we captured this one on my cell phone. So you’ll hear the hum of the gathering — folks chatting, boots shuffling, laughter rolling through the background. It’s real, it’s unpolished, and it fits Gus perfectly. Our conversation wandered the wide range of topics you’d expect from a modern-day rancher-thinker: Gus’ belief that “Art is an emotional connection between two people.” The mythology of outlaws. His young adult writing journey. Artificial Intelligence (the digital kind — as opposed to the ranch version, Artificial Insemination). And the daily adventure of keeping up with his kids. You can find Gus’s books — including his award-winning Badger Thurston series — on Amazon. If you enjoy thoughtful Western storytelling grounded in lived experience, you’ll want to saddle up with his work. Sometimes the best conversations aren’t planned. They just happen when you walk across the parking lot and decide to stay awhile.