Category Archives: The West

"Big Love" Swan Song: Goodbye to All Those Sister Wives

Posted on March 8, 2011 by williamjcobb

So I’ve been a fan of HBO’s series Big Love since it began, and now that it’s in the final episodes (I think there are two left now), it’s going out with a dramatic bang. Bill Paxton and Jeanne Tripplehorn … Continue reading →

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"My Father's Guns," an essay remembered in response to the Tucson Shooting

Posted on January 23, 2011 by williamjcobb

Tim Egan had another good piece in the NY Times about the Tucson shooting and the gun control debate, here: He mentions his family as gun owners and users. I have a similar history, though with more tragedy than I … Continue reading →

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Prisons, Poverty, & Pickups: The Other West

Posted on January 9, 2011 by williamjcobb

So I’ve just driven 1720 miles from Colorado to Pennsylvania . . . . . .  and the contrast between Western and Eastern U.S. is on my mind. One thing I notice is the discrepancy between the media myth of … Continue reading →

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Deer & Coyotes in the New Year

Posted on January 3, 2011 by williamjcobb

I’ve had deer and coyotes in my yard at the start of this new year, so something must be right with the world. I double-checked and corroborated that the mountain scenes in True Grit were filmed near Santa Fe, which … Continue reading →

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A Reason for Holiday Glee: Coen Brothers' "True Grit" to Open December 22nd

Posted on November 28, 2010 by williamjcobb

So the filmmakers who are putting pretty much everyone else to shame have a Christmas present (and they’re Jewish, to boot) for the world, their adaptation of True Grit, starring Jeff Bridges stepping into John Wayne’s boots. Here’s the official … Continue reading →

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"127 Hours" in Theaters Now, But Not Everyone in Utah Loves Aron Ralston

Posted on November 6, 2010 by williamjcobb

Last summer I stayed a few days in Green River, Utah, at the River Terrace Inn, a cool hotel right on the river, with a pool and hut tub, plus great birding: Scott’s Orioles, Western Tanagers, and Bullock’s Orioles, all … Continue reading →

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A Smidgen of Hope in the West, and Another Good Defense of Obama

Posted on November 4, 2010 by williamjcobb

If you’re like me, last night’s election seemed a triumph for the latest version of the Know Nothing Party, and in honor of the writer who mentioned that historical reference most eloquently, I should note that Tim Egan sums up … Continue reading →

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Stephen Graham Jones's "It Came From Del Rio"—Is that Jack Nicholson or a Chupacabra?

Posted on October 28, 2010 by williamjcobb

So Stephen Graham Jones is at it again, offering us a new, seriously weird novel with the kickass title of It Came From Del Rio. I just started it and don’t want to give too much away, but it’s not … Continue reading →

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Kent Haruf in the House and Thomas McGuane in the News

Posted on October 21, 2010 by williamjcobb

For the last two days I’ve had the good fortune of a visit from novelist Kent Haruf, who gave a reading on our campus last night. Kent’s a natural raconteur (I’ve been waiting years to use that word) and told … Continue reading →

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Review of Bruce Machart's "The Wake of Forgiveness"

Posted on October 17, 2010 by williamjcobb

Here’s my review of Bruce Machart’s debut novel, The Wake of Forgiveness, which appears today in the Dallas Morning News: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/ent/books/stories/DN-bk_wake_1017gd.ART.State.Edition1.333f06a.html It’s a good novel, and I could have written much more about it, but there’s a short word count … Continue reading →

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