The Great American Western on Page and Screen

March 30, 2021—The Western, with its tales of adventure, honor, and violence set against the magnificent landscapes of the frontier, has had an enduring hold on the American imagination. In this freewheeling conversation inspired by LOA series volumes The Western: Four Classic Novels of the 1940s & 50s and Elmore Leonard: Westerns, four film critics with a literary bent—Terrence Rafferty, Gene Seymour, Imogen Sara Smith, and former LOA Editor in Chief Geoffrey O’Brien—recommend and discuss their favorite Western books and films and what they tell us about American history, culture, and character. Presented in partnership with the Association of Literary Scholars, Critics, and Writers, Film Forum, Old Cowtown Museum, True West, Western Writers of America / Roundup Magazine, and the Writers Guild Foundation.