Public Lands and Mid-Summer Check-In
Hi all,
It feels like we're living on two planes these days: our role as Americans witnessing our country's struggles and our day-to-day lives. I’m trying to focus on both. Summer has been full of dogs, hikes, a float on the Yellowstone River, and making progress on my book, Dead Reckoning, due out in Fall 2026. I'm also mourning my father, who we lost in May to injuries sustained in a car accident. And, like many of you, I'm calling my senators and congressperson to voice concerns about the devastation wrought by ICE; the cuts to our humanities, public land, social services, and foreign aid programs; and the assaultive and stupid drivel from the current administration. It’s all so overwhelming, but I try to stay focused on fighting misinformation and calling out the bad guys. It brings to mind the poet Andrea Gibson, who passed away last week. They wrote, “Even when the truth isn’t hopeful, the telling of it is...”
That said, we have to celebrate the wins when they come. Mike Lee pulling public land from the budget bill was a victory, a ray amidst the clouds. This bipartisan effort to protect our lands was incredibly encouraging, though the fight is far from over. In this latest round, it was great to see tribes, anglers, hunters, environmentalists, ATV riders, ranchers, writers, and various influencers from across the country band together. I truly hope this coalition holds strong as the fight continues. Of course, Lee’s proposal is nothing new. The assault has been ongoing for a long time. I just ordered The Easy Chair, a 1955 collection of essays in Harper’s Magazine by Bernard DeVoto. His work, alongside his wife Avis, was crucial in the 1940s and 50s for galvanizing national support for public lands. Also, a great read if you haven’t yet encountered it is This America of Ours: Bernard and Avis DeVoto and the Forgotten Fight to Save the Wild, by Nate Schweber.
I've been trying to understand the mood of this country as the current administration defunds our schools, museums, arts, science, and humanities programs. It's crushing to witness, and I wonder how many people are truly taking notice. How many more will notice when health insurance under the ACA skyrockets and Medicaid and SNAP benefits dwindle? Our agencies, designed to protect children, consumers, and victims of natural disasters, are being gutted. I fear we won't fully grasp the magnitude of the damage for years to come. But as I said, life has two levels these days, and I'm trying my best to navigate both: staying informed, calling leaders, and loving friends, family, and the wild in my own backyard. When everything is under attack, everything is all the more sacred.
The last months have been full. I recently joined Bridget Crocker on tour with her memoir, The River’s Daughter, at the fabulous Montana Book Co. in Helena. Bridget's been a friend for twenty years, and I'm so proud of the courage she shows in her writing and her immense resilience. I also joined the Utah Westerners at the historic Alta Club in Salt Lake City for a lively discussion on Hollywood's continuous recycling of toxic Western myths. I was delighted to finally meet Barbara Jones Brown, whose book, Vengeance is Mine, The Mountain Meadows Massacre and Its Aftermath, just won the Utah Humanities Award! We commiserated over pop culture and misinformation, both rolling our eyes at the egregious liberties taken in the show American Primeval concerning the Mountain Meadows Massacre. This past weekend, I interviewed Dallin Kohler and my husband David at our hometown Country Bookshelf to discuss Pyro, Dallin’s new book on the Sonoran Mountain Kingsnake.
Next week, I'm off to Glacier National Park with my sister, nieces, and a few friends for a trip to Sperry Chalet. This iconic building burned down in August 2017 and was later rebuilt in 2020. This has had me thinking so much about the lodge on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, which tragically burned earlier this month in the Dragon Bravo Fire. Check out writer Annette McGivney’s very good article for The Guardian on the awful situation. Our national parks are irreplaceable treasures, and with accelerating climate catastrophes, so much is at stake. Please keep up the pressure to protect them and remember to enjoy the world as well—it’s still beautiful.
Thank all for reading. You can find me on Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky. Keep in touch! I'd love to hear from you.
With love,
Betsy