Skip to content
Breakfast In Montana podcast artwork

PODCAST · arts

Breakfast In Montana

by Russell Rowland & Aaron Parrett

Montana has produced an extraordinary number of notable books and stories, many of which have been instrumental in defining the American West. A River Runs Through It, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Fools Crow, The Big Sky, Perma Red, and The Last Best Place, all Montana books. For this podcast, Montana writers Russell Rowland (In Open Spaces, Fifty-Six Counties: A Montana Journey) and Aaron Parrett (Montana Then and Now and Literary Butte) will discuss two books per episode, in an effort to explore what it is about Montana that produces so much fabulous literature.

Publisher-supplied feed metadata · PodParley refreshed Jan 17, 2026 · Source feed

Episodes

  1. Episode 35 - Mary Jane Nealon And Sandra Alcosser

    For the final episode of Breakfast in Montana, Russell Rowland and Charles Finn talk to poet Mary Jane Nealon about her remarkable memoir, Beautiful Unbroken, which was the recipient of the Bakeless Prize for Non-fiction, which is awarded by the Breadloaf Foundation. Nealon's account of working...

  2. Episode Thirty-Four - James Lee Burke and A.B. Guthrie

    Russell Rowland had the opportunity to do an interview with James Lee Burke for Distinctly Montana Magazine about the work of A.B. Guthrie. Both Russell and James are huge Guthrie fans, and Burke got to know him after he moved to Missoula in the '60s. So Burke has some wonderful stories about...

  3. Episode Thirty-Three - Shann Ray and John Stands In Timber

    We're happy to introduce a new co-host in this episode, as Montana Book Award winner Charles Finn (On a Benediction of Wind) joins Russell Rowland in a conversation with their old friend Shann Ray. Shann has published several books in a wide variety of genres, including American Copper and his...

  4. Episode Thirty-Two - Charles Finn, Barbara Michelman, Donna Lucey and Evelyn Cameron

    On a Benediction of Wind was just named the winner of the Montana Book Award days before we recorded this episode, so we're thrilled to feature the beautiful poetry of Charles Finn, and talk to him and Barbara Michelman about how they came to create this fabulous collaboration of poetry and black...

  5. Episode Thirty-One: Elise Atchison And Tom McGuane

    Elise Atchison's debut novel, Crazy Mountain, was the recipient of the Eludia Award, an award given to first-time women novelists over forty. She worked for over ten years on this book, which features a completely different point of view for each chapter. The novel takes place in a fictional…

    more
  6. Episode Thirty - Debra Magpie Earling and James Welch

    This episode pairs one of the most esteemed Native American authors of our time with a writer who started writing because of his influence and guidance. Debra Magpie Earling took her very first writing class from James Welch at the University of Washington, and would later study with him again at...

  7. Episode Twenty-Nine - Mark Gibbons and David Dale

    For this episode, we interview the current poet laureate of Montana, Missoula poet Mark Gibbons. And Mark asked us to talk about an old friend of his, David Dale, who published three collections during his lifetime but never got much recognition.

  8. Episode Twenty-Eight Greg Keeler and Beatrice Murphy

    For this episode, we were so honored to have a chance to sit down with our old friend, poet Greg Keeler. Greg taught at Montana State University for forty years, and toward the end of his career, he started writing a sonnet every day. He continues this practice to this day, but in 2018, Elk River...

  9. Episode Twenty-Seven - Tom Harpole and Andrew Garcia

    For this episode, we had the pleasure of talking with our good friend Tom Harpole about his collection, Regarding Willingness. Tom wrote for national magazines for decades, but this collection consists of personal essays that Tom wrote through the years about his adventures in various parts of…

    more
  10. Episode Twenty-Six - Corrie Williamson, Stephen Ambrose. and Stephenie Ambrose Tubbs

    This past year marked the twenty-fifth anniversary of the publication of Undaunted Courage, which has become known as the bible for the Lewis and Clark Expedition. This book, written by Stephen Ambrose, had the feel of a novel, and captured the interest of millions of readers just in time for the...

  11. Episode Twenty-five - Ryan Busse and Teddy "Blue" Abbott

    Ryan Busse worked as a top executive in the gun industry for several decades. "I sold millions of guns," he says. But Busse became increasingly disillusioned with the NRA's influence on the industry he loved, to the point that he felt compelled to write about his experience. Gunfight is part...

  12. Episode Twenty-Four: Alan Weltzien and Thomas Savage

    Thomas Savage was a novelist who grew up in Beaverhead County, Montana, on a sheep ranch. He published a dozen novels but was sadly overlooked while he was alive, despite receiving resounding critical acclaim for his entire career. His work was rediscovered around the turn of the century, thanks…

    more
  13. Episode Twenty-Three - Norman Maclean and John Maclean

    John Maclean, son of Montana icon Norman Maclean, has become a fine writer in his own right, and he recently published what he calls 'a chronicle' of his life with his father and his own relationship to Norman's enormously successful novella, A River Runs Through It. Home Waters is a terrific…

    more
  14. Episode Twenty-Two - Doug Peacock and William Kittredge

    For our twenty-second episode, we had the great pleasure of sitting down for over an hour with Doug Peacock, who has been fighting to save the grizzly bear for decades now, and when you read his fabulous book, Grizzly Years, you get a deeper understanding of why he has such a passion for this...

  15. Episode Twenty - James Welch And Joey Running Crane

    For this episode, we're breaking out of the box a little by exploring the world of literature from the perspective of a musician. Joey Running Crane is an accomplished recording artist from the Blackfeet Reservation. He has recorded with several bands, including the fabulously named Goddamit...

  16. Episode Nineteen - Tami Haaland and Madeline DeFrees

    For our nineteenth episode, we feature one of our most recent poet laureates, Tami Haaland and two of her poetry collections, When We Wake in the Night, and What Does Not Return. And we also talk about one of Tami's mentors, Madeline DeFrees, who taught at the University of Montana Creative…

    more
  17. Episode Eighteen Melissa Kwasny and Frank Linderman

    For this episode, Russell and Aaron interview Montana's current Poet Laureate, Melissa Kwasny, about her non-fiction book, Putting on the Dog, which is about the nature of clothes and where they come from. Melissa spent five years traveling all over the world, visiting places a mink farm in...

  18. Episode Seventeen - Grace Stone Coates and Caroline Patterson

    For this episode of Breakfast in Montana, Aaron and Russell talk about two very powerful collections of stories, Black Cherries, published in 1931 by Grace Stone Coates, and The Ballet at the Moose Lodge, by Caroline Patterson.

  19. Episode Sixteen - Sean Hill and D'Arcy McNickle

    For this episode, Aaron and Russell discuss one of the classic novels of Native American literature, The Surrounded, published in 1936 by D'Arcy McNickle, along with an amazing collection of contemporary poetry by Sean Hill, who lives in Helena and studied at Stanford, as well as the University…

    more
  20. Episode Fifteen - John Taliaferro and George Bird Grinnell

    For Episode Fifteen, Aaron Parrett and Russell Rowland have a fabulous conversation with John Taliaferro, biographer extraordinaire, about his new book, Grinnell, about George Bird Grinnell, the man who was called the Father of American Conservation at the time of his death. We also talk about a...

  21. Episode Fourteen - Susan Henderson and Mildred Walker

    For this episode of Breakfast in Montana, a podcast about Montana books, we discuss two award-winning novels, both by women. The Flicker of Old Dreams, by Susan Henderson, won the Spur Award for Fiction, as well as the Willa Cather Award, and is a finalist for the High Plains Book Award for...

  22. Episode 13 - Chris La Tray and Rick DeMarinis

    In this episode, we discuss two books from Missoula writers. Chris La Tray's book One Sentence Journal won this year's Montana Book Award, and it's an interesting collection of vignettes, and aphorisms that take you deep into the heart of a man who is searching for his place in Montana. We…

    more
  23. Episode Twelve - Tim Cahill and William 'Gatz' Hjortsberg

    For episode twelve, we discuss two books by legendary Livingston writers. Tim Cahill was a writer for Rolling Stone back when they were first getting off the ground, and went on to co-found Outside Magazine, which published most of the stories in his collection, Jaguars Ripped My Flesh. William...

  24. Episode 11 - Henrietta Goodman and Richard Brautigan

    In our 11th Episode, we talk about the latest award-winning collection of poetry by Missoula poet Henrietta Goodman, as well as The Hawkline Monster, a gothic Western by acclaimed writer Richard Brautigan.

  25. Episode Ten - Earl Craig and Ed Lahey

    For their tenth episode of Breakfast in Montana, Montana authors Russell Rowland and Aaron Parrett discuss the poetry of former Montana Poet Laureate Earl Craig, discussing his most recent collection, Woods and Clouds Interchangeable. and from the final collection of poetry by Butte poet Ed…

    more
  26. Episode 9 - Richard Wheeler

    For their ninth episode of Breakfast in Montana, Montana writers Russell Rowland and Aaron Parrett take a break from their usual format of discussing two Montana books to honor a writer who has published more than 80 novels. Richard Wheeler has been a finalist for ten Spur Awards, the highest…

    more
  27. Episode 8- Melissa Stephenson and Mary MacLane

    In the eighth episode of Breakfast in Montana, authors Aaron Parrett and Russell Rowland discuss two outstanding memoirs. The first is The Story of Mary MacLane, also known as I Await the Devil's Coming, a worldwide sensation when it was published in 1902 by a nineteen-year-old aristocrat from...

  28. Episode 7- Natalie Peeterse and Frieda Fligelman

    For this episode, Montana writers Aaron Parrett and Russell Rowland discuss two poetry collections by poets from Helena, Notes from a Novel by Frieda Fligelman and Natalie Peeterse's Black Birds, Blue Horse, the winner of the Gold Line Press Chapbook competition. We also interview Natalie about…

    more
  29. Episode 6- Matt Pavelich and Dirck Van Sickle

    For this episode of Breakfast in Montana, writers Russell Rowland and Aaron Parrett discuss two books that should have received more acclaim, Matt Pavelich's short story collection, Survivors Said, and a 1979 novel published by Dirck Van Sickle called Montana Gothic.

  30. Episode 5 - Ivan Doig and Jamie Ford

    For the fifth episode of Breakfast in Montana, Russell Rowland and Aaron Parrett discuss two of the most commercially successful Montana writers, Ivan Doig and Jamie Ford. We talk about the mysterious nature of successful books, and Jamie Ford tells us about his responsibility to write about the...

  31. Episode 4 - Dorothy Johnson and Kate Cholewa

    In this episode of Breakfast in Montana, hosts Russell Rowland and Aaron Parrett discuss two books by Montana authors, The Hanging Tree by Dorothy Johnson, and Shaking Out the Dead, by Kate Cholewa. The Hanging Tree was made into a film starring Gary Cooper, another Montanan, one of several…

    more
  32. Episode 3: Jim Harrison and Jamie Harrison Potenberg

    For the third episode of Breakfast in Montana, we discuss A Good Day to Die, by Jim Harrison, author of Legends of the Fall and other classic novels about the West, as well as a novel by his daughter Jamie Harrison Potenberg called The Widow Nash. There are several interesting parallels between...

  33. Episode 2: Allen Morris Jones and Richard Hugo

    For this episode, we discuss two mysteries, the first being Death and the Good Life, one of only two novels written by notable Montana poet Richard Hugo, who was instrumental in developing the reputation for the Creative Writing department at the University of Montana. The second is a terrific...

  34. Episode 1: David Abrams and Richard K. O'Malley

    In this first episode, Russell and Aaron talk about two books from Butte, Mile High, Mile Deep by Richard K. O'Malley, and Brave Deeds, by David Abrams. These two books represent two of the interesting facets of Montana literature in that one of them, (Mile High) was written while O'Malley was…

    more

Type above to search every episode's transcript for a word or phrase. Matches are scoped to this podcast.

Searching…

We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.

No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.

Showing of matches

No topics indexed yet for this podcast.

Loading reviews...

ABOUT THIS SHOW

Montana has produced an extraordinary number of notable books and stories, many of which have been instrumental in defining the American West. A River Runs Through It, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Fools Crow, The Big Sky, Perma Red, and The Last Best Place, all Montana books. For this podcast, Montana writers Russell Rowland (In Open Spaces, Fifty-Six Counties: A Montana Journey) and Aaron Parrett (Montana Then and Now and Literary Butte) will discuss two books per episode, in an effort to explore what it is about Montana that produces so much fabulous literature.

HOSTED BY

Russell Rowland & Aaron Parrett

Produced by Breakfast In Montana

CATEGORIES

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Breakfast In Montana have?

Breakfast In Montana currently has 34 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is Breakfast In Montana about?

Montana has produced an extraordinary number of notable books and stories, many of which have been instrumental in defining the American West. A River Runs Through It, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Fools Crow, The Big Sky, Perma Red, and The Last Best Place, all Montana books. For this podcast,...

How often does Breakfast In Montana release new episodes?

Breakfast In Montana has 34 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.

Where can I listen to Breakfast In Montana?

You can listen to Breakfast In Montana on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

Who hosts Breakfast In Montana?

Breakfast In Montana is created and hosted by Russell Rowland & Aaron Parrett.
URL copied to clipboard!