UW’s American Heritage Center houses the research journals of author Owen Wister, who wrote “The Virginian,” which is widely touted as the first recognized Western novel. This 1902 first edition is in the AHC’s Toppan Rare Books Library.
To celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, PBS Books has teamed up with the Library
of Congress and its Centers for the Book to document the important literary heritage
of the nation. Wyoming will be featured Wednesday, Oct. 22, at 6 p.m.
“Wyoming: The Literary Frontier” includes commentary from Mary Beth Brown, of the
University of Wyoming American Heritage Center’s Toppan Rare Books Library.
Wyoming’s rugged beauty has shaped American literature for more than a century, from
Ernest Hemingway (“Death in the Afternoon”) and Owen Wister (“The Virginian,” which
defined the Western genre) to Annie Proulx (“Close Range” and “Brokeback Mountain”).
Contemporary authors featured in the program include Craig Johnson, C.J. Box, Casey Rislov and Matt Daly.
