When All Else Fails

Jeff Beyl

I was writing about autumn in Montana. Specifically, about fly-fishing the Yellowstone River in autumn. I added the cottonwood leaves turning bright orange and yellow and they would let loose from the branches as a breeze came by and they fluttered…

Connecting Community

Angie Ripple

I recently came across a quote that really hit home with me: “Be strong enough to stand alone, smart enough to know when you need help, and brave enough to ask for it.” As I reflect on my journey as the founder of this local publication…

TRAILS Heroes of Academic Libraries

Jessica Cairoli

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The Babbling Brook and other Cliches

Jeff Beyl

Why don’t you describe the sound of the river to the students,” the teacher prompted from the back of the classroom.When I was young, I always dreaded having to stand up and talk in front of the class. But this time I was not a student. I…

Top 10 Trivia Spots Around Bozeman

Sierra Holmes

Despite being a small town, Bozeman and the surrounding towns like Livingston have plenty going on in terms of events. Ranging from karaoke nights to trivia nights, it is far from quiet no matter the day of the week you find yourself hanging out…

Old Growth Forests A Montana Heritage

Author Joan Maloof is fighting to save some of our last, best places — America’s old-growth forests. She will give a free talk in Bozeman Thursday, April 11, at the Museum of the Rockies on ‘Old-growth Forests in Montana –…

Seeking Letters to the Editor / What’s Your Beef?

Angie Ripple

Each month we ask the community to share their opinions, and their ‘beefs’ in our Letter to the Editor or What’s Your Beef? section. We are looking to increase our community engagement this year by publishing many more of your…

The Red Hot Air Balloon and The Green Binoculars

It is warm and sunny here in Bozeman on this Saturday morning. The mountains etch their dark silhouettes against the blue sky, and the bright sun is in my eyes as I spy a hot-air-balloon in the distance, drifting lazily toward the earth…

Send Ranger Tom Habecker

Having even a wisp of an idea about what you want to do when you ‘grow up’ is often a difficult concept to grasp. Tom Habecker knew for certain he did not want to be stuck at an indoor job. Fortunately, he found his calling when he was…

Who Wrote It?

Steve McGann

Consciousness is what makes us unique, human. Language is the method we use to express that consciousness. Writing and reading the words of language are the concrete tools of the process. Whales and elephants and ravens have language, but they have…

Cheyenne Autumn

Steve McGann

Recently I read or reread some works of Montana history concentrating on the territorial and early statehood periods—books by classic historians Joseph Kinsey Howard, K Ross Toole, and Merrill Burlingame, as well as newer authors Ken Egan and…

A Writer’s Insight: Victoria Aveyard’s Thoughts On Fantasy

Marion Jackman

I met New York Times bestselling author, Victoria Aveyard, during her book signing at the Gallatin Valley Mall. Her first series, The Red Queen, was written while visiting Big Sky ten years ago. Now working on her second book series, Realm Breaker…

Some Things No One Knows

Steve Kirchhoff

Some Things No One Knows No one knows why nobody works and yet everyone is busy.No one wants more density; no one wants more sprawl.No one knows how janitors and mail carriers survive.No one lives in new buildings bustling with humans. No…

Bozeman Poetry Collective

Colleen Angarone

In a lofted upstairs section of Bozeman’s Valhalla Meadery, Jasmine Jackson awaits participants for Bozeman Poetry Collective’s open mic night. With a glass of Dragon’s Blood Mead in one hand and a pen in the other, Jasmine (they /…

We Sang Our Song: Early Bozeman Poets

Rachel Phillips

The art of writing poetry has a long history in Bozeman. Early local amateur poets created work inspired by people, events, and places in Gallatin County, or to amuse their friends and neighbors. The Gallatin History Museum archives contain several…

The Montana Book Award

Kevin Brustuen

Gretchen Minton, professor of English at Montana State University, won the 2020 Montana Book of the Year Award, for her book “Shakespeare in Montana: Big Sky Country’s Love Affair with the World’s Most Famous Writer.” Honor…