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About This Podcast
Exploring the evolving identity of the American West. Produced by Wyoming Public Media and PRX, The Modern West takes you on a sound-rich journey into some of America's most iconic landscapes. Guided by host Melodie Edwards' personal connection to the region, it's an unflinching look at the American West--its problematic history, its modern-day struggles and resilience, and how its present and future are being shaped.
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Recent Episodes
S11E11 The Modern West shares: Our Uncertain Future, an off gridding podcast
This time on the show, we share an episode from another podcast called Our Uncertain Future. It’s produced by Johanna DeBiase and Eric Mack, the couple we met in our last bonus episode called “An…
S11E10 The Apocalyptic American Dream: A Cheap Dirt Bonus Episode
A visit to a family living in a straw bale house on the Mesa outside Taos, New Mexico. They say they’re feeling less stressed about the chaos of the world because living off grid has given them…
S11E9 Outlawland
The story of one family who lived off grid in a yurt for years in the no man’s land of the Mesa outside Taos, New Mexico. Now that her kids are all grown, Janelle has come full circle. She bought…
S11E8 Abide By The Land
Celeste and Gary Havener seem to have a perfect homesteading story: the horses, the garden, the honeybees, an amazing mountain view from every window. But theirs is actually a cautionary tale of…
S11E7 The Flats
We talk with Pulitzer finalist Ted Conover about his book Cheap Land, Colorado: Off Gridders On America’s Edge. Ted bought land in an area outside of Alamosa where he and his neighbors lived off grid…
S11E6 Charismatic People
Paul Menjares moved to Frisco, Colorado to live the good life as a musician. But when his landlords kept canceling his leases to turn his apartments into short term rentals, he made a crazy decision.…
S11E5 Many Hands Make Light Work
When a U.S. Forest Service worker gets fired by DOGE, she’s left scrambling to find a place to live while she finishes building her straw bale house. Luckily, she has lots of friends who not only let…
S11 Cheap Dirt: Holiday Pause Update
Howdy Cheap Dirt fans! We will be taking a pause this holiday and resuming on January 7th with a new episode.
S11E4 The Teeny Tiny House
People in the American West love tiny houses. But, come to find out, per square foot they cost almost 40% more than a regular house. Eric and Erica found a way to get one on the cheap – by winning…
S11E3 Embrace the Suck
We usually think of full time RVers as retirees. But these days, over half are Millennials and Gen Zers. And way more people are adopting the RV life. Including a house builder who doesn’t have a…
S11E2 The American Spirit
We journey into the Red Desert of southwest Wyoming to visit a trona mine worker building his dream cabin off grid for the two small children he’s raising alone. He had to buy extra solar panels for…
S11E1 The Reluctant Pioneers
You’ve probably seen viral videos on social media about how quaint it is to live an off-grid life. But these videos belie something more problematic going on beneath the surface. An affordable…
S11E1 Cheap Dirt: The Trailer
Cheap Dirt: The Trailer
S10E10 A Ghost Paper(ing) Update: Part II
Two conversations about Wyoming's news ecosystem: one with Cali O'Hare, the editor of the Pinedale Roundup and a roundtable discussion with Solution Journalism's Melissa Cassutt and WyoFile's Rod…
S10E9 A Ghost Paper(ing) Update: Part I
In early August, a media company that owned dozens of newspapers across the region suddenly collapsed. It forced eight Wyoming papers to shut down their presses. The outcry statewide was immediate.…
S10E8 Reviving Rural America -- A Modern West Bonus
Reviving Rural America -- A Modern West Bonus
S10E7 I Am What I Choose To Become
Five years ago, a Northern Arapaho judge was sent to prison. Now, she helps keep Wind River residents from going back into custody through a unique justice program. Her clients say, "She can relate…
The Modern West presents Those Who Can't Teach Anymore Season 2
This time, an episode from another podcast we care a lot about. It’s called Those Who Can’t Teach Anymore, produced by Charles Fournier, the former sound designer of the Modern West. (To illustrate…
S10E6 Wasting Away
Hop in a pickup as we head out into the National Elk Refuge outside Jackson, WY to hear all about the debate over whether to wean elk off winter feeding before chronic wasting disease strikes.
S10E5 Home Again
Back in the 1930’s, a trading post swapped Northern Arapaho artifacts for food and other basic necessities. Decades later, a descendent opened boxes in a storage room of the Episcopal Church in…
Frequently Asked Questions
The Modern West has published 131 episodes since August 2019, covering topics in Documentary, Society & Culture.
The Modern West is currently highly active with new episodes every 2 weeks. Average episode length is 32m.
Sign up on Grep.FM to access contact details for The Modern West, including email and social media links.
