The New Western and Westerns in Film and Television

AUGUST 13, 2015 - LIVING A RICHER LIFE ~ Life Changing Talk Radio

THEME: The New Western and Westerns in Film and Television

INTERVIEW GUESTS:

Kirk Ellis - Screenwriter, Producer, Emmy Awards and Humanitas Prize Winner. Kirk is a Western Writers of America (WWA) Spur Award Winner for Best Drama Script, as well as a Wrangler Award Winner from the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.

Anne Hillerman- Author of eight non-fiction books and WWA  Spur Award Winner for the Best First Novel.

THIS WEEK’S MESSAGE: When most of us think of reading westerns, classic western authors such as Louis L'Amour or Zane Grey come to mind.  But several contemporary authors are taking the themes of the traditional Western and applying them in more contemporary settings.  If you enjoy stories about semi-nomadic wanderers who live hard lives, mostly in wilderness settings, dealing with questions of honor and justice, you might want to try one of these stories of the new west. Also Westerns today are  in both movies and television. But you may be surprised to learn that Westerns are the major defining genre of the American film industry. They are one of the oldest, most enduring and flexible genres and one of the most characteristically American genres in their mythic origins. Let's learn more about the new western and westerns in todays' film and television.