Features

The Riven Country of Senga Munro tells the story of Senga Munro, an herbal simpler or healer, who tragically loses her daughter. Most of the story is set in contemporary Northeast Wyoming, where the book's author, Renee Carrier, has lived for more than 32 years. Her novel takes on themes of place, grief and magic realism. Wyoming Public Radio's Catherine Wheeler spoke with Carrier about the importance of the story's setting.

Being gay in Wyoming can be challenging, but LGBTQ activist, and performing artist, Andrew Munz has decided to stay and try to make things better. Wyoming Public Radio's Megan Feighery spoke to Munz about art, activism, and growing up in the cowboy state.

The news can tend to focus on everything that's going wrong. So Wyoming Public Radio's Erin Jones wanted to know about Wyomingites' pandemic silver linings. Here are some of the voicemails you left.

If not for the coronavirus, this month would have seen the return of Drag Queen Bingo to Laramie. The fundraiser, which draws hundreds of people each year, was rescheduled for October. The bingo is hosted by the Stilettos, and raises money to help Wyomingites living with HIV and AIDS. Wyoming Public Radio's Jeff Victor spoke with Jim Osborn, who performs with the Stilettos as Martina, or Marti Gras.

By some accounts, Shakespeare wrote King Lear while he was physical distancing during the plague. But that puts a lot of pressure on anyone trying to do creative work while life is in limbo. So how are Wyoming writers coping with quarantine in 2020? And what can we learn from them about creativity in times of stress?

Susie Pouliot recently got engaged and she and her fiancé wanted to have the ceremony as soon as possible. That's because her dad is terminally ill.

"So our thought was all about, 'what can we do in this shorter time frame to include my dad,' knowing that when we have our actual wedding he likely will not be able to be there" she said.

Grady Kirkpatrick spoke with Wilson, Wyoming based musician Ben Musser aka Benyaro about his latest project the Searching for Fortune original score and soundtrack. You'll hear songs from the soundtrack including "Scotch," and "Lemonade," and "Wyoming."

You might have seen it on social media - Italians on lockdown stepping out onto their balconies to sing together, or New Yorkers applauding health care workers at the same time each night.

So many of the things we had all hoped to do this spring are canceled. And we grieve those things, big and small. But grief can fester, or it can air.

So Wyoming Public Radio set up a voicemail for you to give air to your grief. And you answered—with dozens of replies, messages, and voicemails. Listen to the voices of Wyoming residents reflecting on what they've lost due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Last month, musician John Sidle set up a video camera in his home to perform live on YouTube at the Jackson Hole Hootenanny. The Hootenanny, or The Hoot, is an acoustic musical showcase performed every Monday night at Dornan's, a local bar and restaurant just outside the entrance to Grand Teton National Park. And except for extreme weather it's never been canceled. Then the pandemic happened.

Grady Kirkpatrick talked with Canadian Western singer-songwriter Corb Lund about his new album Agricultural Tragic and a story about a hunting trip gone bad. Corb played shows in March in Laramie and Cheyenne that turned out to among his last before the pandemic shut down of concerts and events.

Grady Kirkpatrick talks with Wyoming native Alysia Kraft from the Ft. Collins folk-rock trio Whippoorwill about their latest release the Nature of Storms, sequestering in Riverside and the future of The Patti Fiasco.

Every year at Gathering of Nations Powwow in New Mexico, Dozens of young Indigenous women compete for the title of Miss Indian World. This year, Northern Arapaho citizen and University of Wyoming senior Christie Wildcat was among the contestants. But the powwow and the pageant were cancelled to help slow the spread of the coronavirus.

As Wildcat told Wyoming Public Radio's Savannah Maher, her preparation won't go to waste, as she plans to compete again next year.

As people follow recommendations to stay home in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, some folks are left totally alone. That can be disruptive to mental health—especially in a state with one of the leading suicide rates.