Bryce Andrews is a Montana-based rancher and writer, and he’s the author of the brand new book Holding Fire: A Reckoning with the American West. Longtime Mountain & Prairie listeners will remember my first conversation with Bryce back in 2019 when we discussed his writing, conservation work, ranching experience, and his first two books. I thoroughly enjoyed that first conversation and was so impressed with Bryce’s thoughtfulness, curiosity, and humility, so I was thrilled to have him back on the podcast to discuss Holding Fire.
Holding Fire is a thought-provoking memoir that explores Bryce’s complicated and evolving relationship with the landscape, culture, and history of the American West. Much of the story focuses on his grandfather’s Smith and Wesson revolver– a gun that he inherited and owned for many years while living and working in Montana. But despite being a committed big game hunter and owner of many guns, Bryce’s feelings toward the revolver began to change. As you’ll hear him explain, he eventually befriends a master blacksmith, learns to forge steel, and transforms the revolver from a gun into a tool that he now uses to plant trees on his property.
I loved the book, and it forced me to reexamine many of my baked-in notions about everything from the history of the West to my ideas about hunting for food, mental health, and the culture of the modern-day American West. We talked about why Bryce chose this particular topic for the subject of a book, his long-standing love of hunting, and why he decided to repurpose the revolver into a ranch tool. We discuss what he learned about craftsmanship from the blacksmith, the importance of converting guilt into action, and how fatherhood has changed his approach to life and work. We also talk about this summer’s Old Salt Festival, he and his wife’s stewardship of their ranch, and he offers up lots of excellent book recommendations.
And if you want to read and discuss a chapter of Bryce’s book for free, then download the new social reading app called Threadable. I have recently partnered with Threadable to highlight and discuss a number of readings about the history of the American West, including chapters from Sara Dant’s Losing Eden, and Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz’s An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States. Threadable allows users to read portions of great books, then discuss them in a fun and interactive way. As of this recording, Threadable is only for iOS, but if you want to read a sample of Holding Fire and discuss it with the Mountain & Prairie community, follow this link to download the app (on your mobile device). I’ve really been enjoying it.
Thanks to Bryce for another wonderful conversation, and thank you for listening. Hope you enjoy.
Photos courtesy of Bryce Andrews
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RESOURCES:
Topics Discussed:
- 3:00 – Bryce’s process for choosing the topic of Holding Fire
- 6:15 – Bryce’s father’s choices of nonviolence during the Vietnam War
- 11:30 – How guns became a part of Bryce’s life
- 13:45 – Bryce’s background in hunting
- 18:45 – Bryce’s scariest interaction with people and guns
- 21:45 – The problem with “tough guys with guns”
- 24:00 – A winter’s impact on Bryce’s thoughts regarding guns
- 29:45 – Exploring the concept of guilt
- 30:30 – Exploring the cultural significance of fire and firearms with women of the Salish and Kootenai Tribes
- 34:30 – What Bryce has done on his property since purchase
- 38:00 – How writing fits into Bryce’s busy life
- 44:45 – How having a daughter has changed Bryce’s work, writing, and life
- 48:30 – How Bryce became involved in the Old Salt Festival
- 51:30 – What Bryce learned about creativity from a metalsmith
- 54:30 – Discussing action as the antidote to despair
- 55:45 – Bryce’s book recommendations
Information Referenced:
- Holding Fire by Bryce Andrews
- Bryce Andrews
- Conscientious Objector
- The Sun Ranch
- Laurel, MT
- Ed’s Elk Hunt Episode
- Badluck Way by Bryce Andrews
- Missoula, MT
- .357 Magnum
- Dr. Katherine Hayhoe
- Germaine White
- Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes
- Plymouth Colony
- Rotational grazing
- Flathead Reservation
- The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven by Nathaniel Ian Miller
- Old Salt Festival
- Old Salt Co-op
- Cole Mannix
- Blackfoot Valley
- Helmville, MT
- David James Duncan
- Debra Magpie Earling
- Perma Red by Debrah Magpie Earling
- Chris Dombrowski
- Jeffrey Funk
- The New Agrarian School
- Smelting
- Salish Sea Region
- A Story as Sharp as a Knife by Robert Bringhurst
- Haida people
- The River You Touch by Chris Dombrowski
- Sun House by David James Duncan
Enjoy this episode? Then you might like these too:
- Chris Dombrowski, Part 2 – “The River You Touch”
- Cole Mannix – Building Community through Land Stewardship and Local Food
- Amber Smith – Creating Connection & Community
- Dr. Eric Arzubi – A New Approach to Solving the West’s Mental Health Crisis
- Reflections On My First Elk Hunt, with Adam Gall
- Elliott Woods – Stories from Dangerous Places
- Heather Hansman, Part 2 – The Fascinating Story of Skiing’s Past, Present & Future
- Antonia Malchik – Exploring Culture & Complexity
Visit the podcast page for a full, searchable list of episodes
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