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Letters 
We Think of ’em as Memos From Our Bosses & Notes From Home
Detectably Different
Ultimately, it’s not about the clothes, or the travel, or even the people. It’s the spirit of the West that calls. I’ve been an AC reader for just over two years, and the June/July issue was the best I’ve seen. Even though I live in the suburbs, eat my share of sushi, and haven’t owned a pickup since high school, your magazine articulates—and frankly, defines—a way of life that reflects both the unique heritage and culture of the American West and a set of ideals that can guide us well into the future. Mark Bedor’s article, “Grab the Reins of the American West,” is a perfect example, showing how a few days of vacation can provide that sense of connection to the cowboy spirit so many of us seek, and I found myself tempted by virtually every one of the possibilities he described. Throw in the equally great article on ranching families (“Ranching Legacies” by John Brown) and your own thoughtful writing on the future of the West, and it’s clear that AC covers the Western lifestyle I’ve come to call my own. Keep up the good work, and I hope to say “howdy” at one of the National Day of the American Cowboy events in Colorado this July.
Best regards, Steve Gibson, Lafayette, Colo.
I work cattle out in western South Dakota, and I’ve gotten your magazine since you guys started printing it. I have to say this is the best issue you’ve ever had. You nailed the situation with the changing West and the ranches. I called about two or three weeks ago and I told somebody there you ought to get back to having more things about ranching and about cows and horses, and now you’ve nailed it. Just wanted to say thanks.
—Dan Martin, Philip, S.D.
I began reading American Cowboy back when it was headquartered in Sheridan. I enjoyed it. I’ve been a long-time subscriber. The magazine had a down-to-earth flavor that matched its subject matter. It was authentic. I was worried when you moved headquarters away from Sheridan—I believe surrounding your purchase by a larger media group. At the time, you cited the sister publication Timber Frame Homes, I believe. My worries grew. I had to ask whether or not we had another pretentious lifestyle publication on the way, featuring Western mansions that only a very few could afford. Yep. Now I notice that in your June/July 2008 issue, in your article on “America’s New Melting Pot,” you cite Charles Wilkinson, and seem to take the concept of global warming as a given. In a short time, American Cowboy has lost its way. I’ll let my subscription run out.
—Jim Hunter, President, JB Hunter Corporation, Page, Ariz.
Dear Jim: Thanks for the feedback. We won’t try to pretend there haven’t been changes in the magazine, but I’d like to think they’re not as pronounced as these you mention. I don’t personally take global warming fully as a “given,” and the article was expressive of others’ views, not mine, as reporter. If we are to advocate for the West—in a fast-changing world—we have to speak to people beyond the grassroots contingency that we have always represented and continue to defend. If our message were to be aimed only at the choir, then the wider public’s views of the West will be shaped only by voices less sympathetic than American Cowboy’s. There are advantages to inclusiveness in editorial viewpoints, and while we don’t want to stray too far from our core beliefs and groundedness, we want to keep our advocacy in the marketplace of ideas. We don’t want to merely hold up a mirror to the West. We would like to think we can hold the West up to the rest. That requires some balancing, and we’re still working at it. Your note gets our attention, neighbor, and we’ll keep weighing all sides. Thanks! —EDITOR
More on Nellie Please indulge my sharing an anecdote about Dale Walker and his June/July 2008 article, “The Miner’s Angel.” In the fall of 1990, at a writer’s conference, I complained to a stranger about an article about Nellie Cashman. My article had almost sold twice; the difficulty was photo support, in that the historical society holding Cashman photos charged exorbitant fees for use. The stranger said, “Why don’t you do a book?” And introduced himself as Dale Walker, (then) director of Texas Western Press (U-TEP). Within two years, Dale accepted the Cashman manuscript for publication. It won the Western Writers of America Spur Award for short non-fiction, and I was blessed with a cherished, lifelong friend—all for kvetching to a stranger at a writer's conference. Since then, Ms. Cashman starred in two novels, a short bio was included in my collection entitled Shady Ladies (Tor), and the full bio lives on as an Amazon Short. Full circle is your publication of Dale’s article on Ms. Cashman. In April, darned if he didn’t contact me in search of a photo of her for his AC article. Alas, mine were still at Tor following publication of the biography collection. Delighted I am, though, by darlin’, with Dale’s wondrous take on a gal dear to both of us for numerous reasons: Nellie Cashman.
Sincerely, Suzann Ledbetter
Author of Nellie Cashman: Prospector and Trailblazer
Update from Dean [Dean Strickland, the “Hitchhiking Cowboy” whom we profiled in the June/July issue, sends us this update from the road. –ED]
I'm in Nashville today, where I have a couple of gigs booked this week. The lady that has been giving me a ride to my gigs for almost the last 7 months now, who is from Nashville, will be giving me one last ride to my gig in Fort Worth, Texas the last week of May. Then I will be hitchhiking to my gigs again like I did for two years consistently. I'm very optimistic about the future. I really do appreciate all of the hard work you put into the story in American Cowboy Magazine.
—Dean Strickland, via email
Defends the Distaff Side
In your April/May issue, in your article “Cowgirl Legacy,” photographer David Stoecklein is quoted as saying, “She may … have more bling on her belt, but there are some out there that ride better than the boys.” Some? You should know that the first and third persons to saddle up and ride from coast to coast in this century were women (Linda Losey and Lisa Wood). Moreover, right at half the members of the Long Riders Guild are women. To be sure, men dominate riding a bull for 8 seconds. However, when it comes to spending 24/7 for months with a horse and riding and caring for a one for thousands of miles on end, women are at least the equal of men in toughness, courage, and ability.
—Howard J. Wooldridge, Frederick, Md.
Authors Accoladed
I want to thank you for the article on new Westerns (“The Literary West,” April/May 2008). I grew up on Louis L’Amour Westerns and they are still my favorites but I have been looking for authors that present the contemporary West. Tony Hillerman has become one of my favorite authors in recent years and I am glad to find some new authors writing stories set in the modern West. I plan to head to the bookstore tomorrow to check out some of the offerings from the authors in your article. Can you suggest to bookstore owners that they place these books in the Western section so they would be easier to find? Thanks again for a wonderful magazine.
—Mike Luckett, Prairieville, La.
Mike—We’ll consider your note our recommendation to bookstore owners that they get those stray Westerns herded together with their own kind, and meanwhile, thanks for being a reader! –ED
Cowtown Championed
After reading “20 Best Places to Live the West” in the April/May issue, I am dumbfounded as to how Mr. Wilmes could have left Fort Worth, Texas, off this list. Will Rogers once said, “Fort Worth is where the West begins…” Any discussion of Fort Worth, nicknamed “Cowtown,” and its Western heritage and culture begins with the National Stockyards Historic District. The Stockyards was the major stopping point along the Chisholm Trail as cattle were driven from south Texas to points north. The history of the cattle drive is re-enacted here twice a day as Longhorn steers are driven right through the middle of the Stockyards. The Cowtown Coliseum, located in the Stockyards, is the venue where the first indoor rodeo occurred over 100 years ago and where bullriding was first introduced as a rodeo event. The Stockyards Championship Rodeo is held here every Friday and Saturday night throughout the year. Here also is the Stockyards Collection and Museum, the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, and Billy Bob’s Texas. In the cultural district is the Will Rogers Memorial Center, home to the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, as well as host to numerous livestock and equine events held throughout the year, including many national and world events. The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, as well as the National Cowboys of Color Museum and Hall of Fame, are located in Fort Worth. The Sid Richardson Museum is dedicated to Western art, mostly the works of Remington and Russell, and the Amon Carter Museum also hosts a collection of works by these artists. The National Cattle Raisers Museum pays tribute to both the past and the present of cattle ranching. Fort Worth is home to the American Paint Horse Association, the National Cutting Horse Association, and the Texas Longhorn Breeders Association of America. Yes, Will Rogers, the West did begin in Fort Worth, and Western heritage and culture it is still alive here today!!!
—Richard Clark, Joshua, Texas
We couldn’t have said it better. Few magazines have given more ink to Fort Worth than this one, so in leaving them off we felt we were only giving needed publicity to overlooked or lesser-known towns. But yes, Cowtown is certainly the consummate cowboy crossroads. —ED
Please address any letters submitted for publication to Letters to the Editor, American Cowboy magazine, 921 Walnut, Suite 250, Boulder, CO 80302. Or send email to jmullins@americancowboy.com. With email, as with regular mail, please specify if the correspondence is intended as a letter to the editor. American Cowboy reserves the right to edit letters for length or clarity.
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