Discover why Yellowstone Country is a Writer’s (and Reader’s) Paradise
ICYMI, March is National Reading Month; a celebration that encourages children, families and communities to make reading a daily habit.
If you are wondering what that has to do with Montana’s Yellowstone Country, the answer is, well, everything! YC seems to have a magnetic draw for artists of all types, but particularly authors. Maybe it’s the wide-open spaces and stunning scenery, or that Montanans are an authentic lot, but whatever it is, this region brings out the stories in people.
In fact, Livingston is home to two or three times as many writers and double the number of bookstores per capita as New York City! National treasures such as Thomas McGuane and the late Jim Harrison found homes in Big Timber and Livingston — we’ve estimated the total number of writers residing in the area to be upward of 80. We also like to joke that Livingston has more books than people.
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Ernest Hemingway spent five summers at a ranch near Cooke City, declaring it one of his favorite places to write in the world, on par with Paris and Madrid. The book “Ernest Hemingway in the Yellowstone High Country” by Chris Warren chronicles this time in his life, including how his experiences and the people he met shaped his writing.
If you want to dig a little deeper, there is ample opportunity to explore further. In addition to regular book readings and signings, Elk River Arts & Lectures hosts an annual writer’s workshop at Chico Hot Springs that attracts writers from around the country, and they host an annual writer’s lecture series with the featured author also offering diverse writing workshops, including special classes for students and seniors.
In Bozeman, Country Bookshelf also has a robust events calendar, hosting around 100 literary events per year. The Bozeman Library (one of the most beautiful, IMO) hosts events as well, and they now have a Literacy Trail around Bozeman Pond. The trail, designed for children ages 2-7, posts picture books along the way, allowing them to read a few pages at a time as they navigate the trail. New books are added every other month — a great way to get the wiggles out AND get some reading time in!
For those interested in Montana History, March is an excellent time to curl up and learn more. If you’re looking for a few suggestions, “Bloody Bozeman: The Perilous Trail to Montana’s Gold” by Dorothy M. Johnson is an account of the Bozeman Trail that details the dangers, conflicts and experiences of those who traveled it. “Emigrant Gulch: Searching for Gold in Park County” by Doris Withorn, follows an Oregon Trail wagon train in 1864 that found its way to Emigrant Gulch in search of gold. And “The Crazies” by Amy Gamerman, released last year, is a narrative non-fiction book about a 21st-century range war in Big Timber, Montana.
Of course, this is just a small sampling. We encourage you to ask your local bookseller for their favorite recommendations.
Happy Reading!