Amidst the ever-changing world, let's focus on local and state issues to make a tangible impact. This Independence Day, remember to take breaks from the relentless news cycle and practice self-care. On a brighter note, my book "True West" won the Reading the West award in nonfiction—thank you for your support!

This spring, I've been busy traveling to book events across the West and working on an exciting new book. I'm also thrilled to announce that "True West" is a finalist for multiple awards and was recently selected as the book of the month by a candidate for Secretary of State in Montana. Stay tuned for more updates and happy trails!

I'm on the road doing events in Wyoming and Colorado and I wanted to share a recent interview with one of my all time favorite humans, Anne Helen Petersen. Her substack, Culture Study, is an absolute joy. It's juicy, quirky, engaging, community making at its best. Sign up and you will be dazzled by her array of subjects and her ability to draw so many folks into civil conversation. A subscription would make a great Valentine's present!

Happy belated New Year! This year has been a mix of heartache and hope as I balance a book tour with the sorrow over events in the Middle East and the illness of our beloved dog, Steve. Practicing non-attachment remains a challenge, but I strive to stay open-hearted and forward-facing amidst it all.

Hi all, it's been forever since I've had the ability to write anything. Pandemic has kept me addled and mush-brained. I think I'm snapping out of it--I hope I am-- and after a long year I thought I'd finally share some thoughts on one of my favorite topics, Ammon Bundy.

American Zion is coming out in March and I can’t tell you how damn excited I am. I worked hard on the thing and I’m happy to share it with the world. There have been so many who have helped or inspired me in the process. Recently, names of people have come to mind whom I forgot to recognize in my acknowledgements. I won’t thank everyone here who was important to my work, but I wanted to share these names and let the people know that I appreciated their perspectives. I’m mad at myself for omitting these helpful souls such as Hal Herring, who wrote my favorite piece on the Malheur Takeover for High Country News (read it here) and Scott Carrier, whose Home of the Brave episode on Malheur was fantastic (here it is.) There’s Chris Zinda, who has been sleuthing out scofflaws in the West for years. His collection of pieces can be found on Medium. And lastly, my friend Todd Wilkinson, the founder of Mountain Journal, who has encouraged me throughout the writing process. To read his incredible piece he recently wrote on the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)—a bedrock law that is currently under threat, click here. (Please sign this petition with WildEarth Guardians to voice your concerns about NEPA—the current administration is looking to gut it.)

My husband, David, eats the exact same thing every morning—five prunes. Not six, four, or three. Five. He is very predictable in his habits and his demeanor. He’s always kind, supportive, and optimistic, even as wreckage screams across headlines. He’s actually fascinated by vicissitude, especially along the arcs of evolution, and looks at unpredictability with curiosity. Above his desk is a quote from Gustave Flaubert that reads: Be regular and orderly in your life, so that you may be violent and original in your work. David is both. He is consistent in an age of inconstancy, which I find indescribably reassuring.

PIETY AND GREED THROUGH THE AGES

REFLECTIONS ON HOPE AND CLARITY

I'M BETSY GAINES QUAMMEN AND I WRITE ABOUT CULTURE AND LAND.