For much of Stegner’s life, he felt his writing was neglected by the literary establishment, which seemed to favor authors from the eastern and southern parts of the nation. Stegner, though, was raised in Salt Lake City, and some of his novels take place there. He wrote a book about John Wesley Powell and one about the Mormon trek from Illinois to Utah. He was concerned with the arid, mountainous parts of the country, west of the 100th meridian. He taught creative writing at Stanford for many years, too, instructing the likes of Ken Kesey, Edward Abbey and Wendell Berry. And his1971 novel, “Angle of Repose,” won the Pulitzer Prize. Alex Beam joins us to talk about his book, “Wallace Stegner: Dean of Western Writers.”
GUEST –
Alex Beam | Author and journalist. His latest book is “Wallace Stegner: Dean of Western Writers.” [Amazon|Bookshop]
Airdate: Nov. 20, 2025, at 9 a.m. and Sat., Nov. 22, at 11 a.m.