A Quick Love Letter to the Western

"Baby sister, I was born game and I intend to go out that way."

Two months ago, I promised my thoughts on my favorite genre. This month, I am finally delivering on that promise.

With the next little girl in the Petty family arriving any day (or week) now, I’m hoping to get this edition out before she arrives. We would appreciate any prayers for our family during this time, and especially for my wife and our new daughter. We’re praying for a healthy baby and mama, and that the recovery for my wife is smooth. Well, as smooth as can be.

I hope you enjoy this latest installment of Further Up & Further In, and I’ll see you on the other side!

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There isn’t a genre in all of American literature and entertainment that is more distinctly “American” than the Western.

From the moment the first pioneers and cowboys traveled west of the Mississippi, the myth of the American West has prevailed in our culture. The rugged, “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” individualism blends perfectly with the harsh stories of perseverance and survival that came out of that historical era as sojourners, fur trappers, gold miners, homesteaders, and more began leaving the increasingly industrialized east in favor of a scrap of land they could call their own in the west.

While these pilgrimages occurred prior to the American Civil War, the trend exploded in the aftermath of America’s bloodiest conflict.

Of all the eras that the Western genre tends to revisit most, the two decades immediately following the Civil War (and just before the turn of the 20th century) are the most common. As in the actual historical accounts, this allowed Western authors like Louis L’Amour and filmmakers such as John Ford to analyze those who had fought on either the side of the Union or the Confederacy in a post-war era. Many of these men (and the women who traveled with them) ventured west to reinvent themselves and forget the horrors of war they so narrowly escaped. If only it had been that simple.

Most of your favorite Westerns take place between the mid-1860s and the late 1880s, often highlighting other military conflicts against Native Americans, a lawman’s battle against a new band of outlaws, or some other man vs. nature conflict. No more was it simply North vs South, but cowboy vs Indian, lawman vs outlaw, mountain man vs untamed wilderness.

The best Westerns did this in (at the time) fresh ways that played on familiar material. Dances With Wolves, Unforgiven, Shane, True Grit, Rio Bravo, The Searchers, 3:10 to Yuma, Broken Arrow, and Stagecoach all take place in a similar world at a similar time, yet they feel distinct from one another. Other films like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid or the video game Red Dead Redemption II purposely take place at the very end of this era,¹ expertly mixing traditional Western content with 20th-century flare as progress comes-a-knocking.

Progress is the biggest enemy in the Western. To this day, the genre remains most critical of the idea. All Western tales lament a time that has either already passed or is currently passing, a time before our world became more “civilized.” For better or worse, it’s what makes the Western work to this day. It’s what keeps it relevant no matter how much time has passed since the 1880s.

People long for “simpler times” where government overreach wasn’t a concern and folks lived off the same land they settled on. There’s an obvious pureness to the homesteading movement that has encouraged it all across the country, and others too are returning to these “old ways” that have been deemed “outdated” or “primitive” by most. Whether you grew up in the late 1800s or in the 21st century, that feels pretty apropos even now, and it’s easy to see how the genre (which is once again picking up steam) has managed to survive.

But Westerns are so much more than warnings about the supposed dangers of technological or political progress. Generally speaking, many of them are moral plays that likewise appeal to the conscience and the rational mind.

The genre speaks most to me because of the often strong moral component it builds itself upon. Generally speaking, we know exactly who the good guys are and who the bad guys are in a John Wayne picture, sometimes just by the colors of their hats. Most Westerns take place in a time when the Bible was still taken seriously by society. Fear of final judgment was a real concern, even if you weren’t willing to make yourself right with your Maker. Bad guys like Russell Crowe’s Ben Wade in the 3:10 to Yuma remake manage to still be somewhat honorable because of this, despite their criminal intent.² The same is true of many of the outlaws in Louis L’Amour’s Son of a Wanted Man.

Even in the case of a film like Tombstone, which follows real-life figures such as Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday (each man with questionable moral character), it’s clear that the Cowboys are the criminals from the get-go. Wyatt and Doc might not be the best of guys in their personal lives, but they uphold the letter of the law. Like them, we too want to see justice done, so when Wyatt utters his infamous, “And Hell’s coming with me!” line, we’re on the edge of our seats. Justice will indeed be served.

No other popular genre in modern literature is as dependent on a specific time period in history as the Western. While some might see that as a weakness, it’s a strength that makes the Western the envy of all other genres. Of course, there are Australian Westerns, South American Westerns, and even Italian “Spaghetti” Westerns (though many of those are also set in the U.S.), but the genre itself—much like the Japanese Samurai films that came before³—is notable primarily because of the time and place.

Despite this, the Western occasionally extends into the modern day, and we’re seeing more of that as time carries on. Author Craig Johnson, whose work I’ve highlighted here before, modeled his Sheriff Walt Longmire character on the archetypal Western lawman. He has a strong moral code, makes his home in the wild frontier, and comes complete with a post-war backstory (Vietnam in this case). In many ways, he’s Gary Cooper from High Noon, just without the new wife. His stories often highlight the tensions between white men and Native peoples, and on one occasion he even travels into the heart of cartel Mexico to kill his sworn enemy and rescue his daughter. Sounds like a typical Western hero to me.

Johnson isn’t the only one to pull the genre into the present (or, recent past considering his books technically take place in early 2000s Wyoming), nor is he the only one doing so exceptionally well⁴. However, his novels are particularly notable because they inspired the television series Longmire⁵, which itself became a forerunner to Taylor Sheridan’s modern horse opera franchise: Yellowstone. Frankly, I aspire to write modern Westerns as diligent and thoughtful as Johnson does.

The Western doesn’t exist in a vacuum that ignores all other genres. There are plenty of other subgenres, mash-ups, and off-brand counterparts that pull the Western’s usual components (themes, landscape, character types, etc.) together to form something new. Though, of all of these, my favorite is what’s called the “Weird Western.”

The Weird Western takes traditional Western concepts and settings and throws the whole narrative a step further. Whether it’s science-fiction, fantasy, horror, or some other genre that deals with the strange or supernatural, the Weird Western isn’t afraid to throw in aliens, time travel, demons, or other macabre ideas into the mix. The DC Comics character Jonah Hex is a prime example of a Western hero who often deals with time travel and supernatural forces. Just don’t go watching the movie version…

Growing up, my first exposure to the Weird Western was a graphic novel my brother and I were obsessed with called Cowboys & Aliens⁶. You might recognize the name nowadays as the title of a 2011 movie starring Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig, but the movie is nothing like the comic book. The book elaborated on the alien invaders, making them interesting characters while forcing our heroes (traditional Western stock cowboys and Indians) to band together in an unlikely alliance to save their land and homes. It was awesome.

More recently, the Weird Western tale Outer Range, a series on Amazon Prime Video starring Josh Brolin, has fancied my interest. Set in present-day Wyoming, the series deals with strange happenings, cults, and a black hole that’s stuck in the ground (and growing) and messes with everyone involved. It’s a fascinating show, and with the second season coming up next month, I’m certainly interested in where it’s all going.

There are a few other Western stories I’ve loved recently. The indie comic book series That Texas Blood has been a favorite of mine since it first hit shelves. It takes place in a few different periods, each following the same lead character, and even finds itself jumping genres (the second arc, taking place in the 1980s, is a particular favorite). Recently, I watched Appaloosa and Seraphim Falls, which were both more contemporary takes on the genre with strong leading men, each of which is worth revisiting down the line. Of course, I’ve been rewatching Longmire lately too, and that never gets old.

There’s something in the Western for everybody if you’re willing to look hard enough (the Little Miss loves whenever she sees a horse on screen). It’s full of deeply human stories that challenge us and, in some ways, make us yearn for different times. Perhaps that’s part of why I have such an affinity for the genre, and yet it helps me to better appreciate the era in which we live today, knowing full well the hardships that came before.

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One of the challenges I face when it comes to writing is motivation. I’ve written about this idea before, but it bears repeating since it’s an issue I continue wrestling with.

I work a few different jobs. One is as a graphic designer/web designer for our old church in Los Angeles. The other two are freelance writing gigs for two different websites where I write constantly about movies and television. For someone with a film degree, it’s nice to be using my distinct qualifications to make a living and provide for my family. But as someone who is also a writer trying to tell his own stories, it can be a bit drowning.

After x amount of hours writing about old episodes of Supernatural or Little House on the Prairie, or maybe a new movie or episode of a show currently airing, I often find it hard to sit down and write my own material. It’s not for a lack of ideas or even a lack of desire, I’m just so mentally exhausted that sitting in front of the screen any longer might either put me to sleep or corrupt my internal hard drive (my brain) beyond repair.

So far, I’ve been waking up earlier to get more time in at work, only to give myself some extra time in the afternoons before enjoying life with my wife and the Little Miss to write. It’s been going relatively well, and I’m about five-ish chapters into my current WIP⁷: a novel based on an old script I wrote (and still very much believe in).

Despite that, some days I don’t end up writing at all. Instead, I stare at the wall or call it quits early to hug my not-so-tiny baby girl. This will soon get more complicated with the additional Petty arriving shortly.

Any further suggestions on how to handle this would be helpful.

Thankfully, in the world of writing, any progress is still progress. That being said, it can be hard to consider multiple days of not writing the current thing “progress,” even if I’m still thinking about that thing.

In other news, I still don’t have an official date for when the next issue of Silence & Starsong is set to be released. My short story, Standoff at the Gates of Hell, is still set to appear in the next edition, so I will keep you all updated as to its progress as I learn more. If you’d like to check out my flash fiction short story, Dead of Night, on the S&S website, you can do so by clicking HERE.

Likewise, I’m still waiting to hear back from the Western literary magazine I submitted The Devil’s Left Hand to about a month ago. They have been sending out rejection letters the past two weeks and I have yet to receive one, so that seems like a good sign. Still, I’m hoping to hear back from them in the next week or two as they are finally sending out acceptance letters. I’ll certainly know more by next month.

Lastly, if you’re reading this on your desktop (and not in an email), then you may have noticed a new tab under the Further Up & Further In title.

“Bright Morning Star Press” is the imprint I used for the release of The Beast of Bear-tooth Mountain as well as The Middle-Night (both of which are available on Amazon, by the way). It’s also the imprint I’m using for any future short stories I’m planning on posting here⁸. Whether they’re connected to The Bear-tooth Mountain Archive or not, I cannot say, but you should see a new one here soon in the coming weeks!

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This month’s Petty Picks are as follows…

WHAT I’M READING: Death Without Company by Craig Johnson — I recently finished reading the second installment of Johnson’s Walt Longmire mysteries, and once again I am impressed. The sophomore outing is just as pulse-pounding as the first, with enough character drama and mysterious happenings to keep any murder mystery/Western fan interested.

WHAT I’M WATCHING: The Equalizer 3 — I was shocked when my wife wanted to watch the first Equalizer film with me about a year or so ago, and even more surprised when she was willing to watch Denzel Washington’s only sequel after that. The third Equalizer picture is just as electric as the first two, and Washington is still at the top of his game.

WHAT I’M LISTENING TO: “The Mountain Song” by Tophouse — This is a song and not an album, but we’ve had it on repeat here in the Petty house lately, so I thought it would be worth sharing. This upbeat, folk band from Missoula, Montana is just what you need to put a pep in your step this summer. This track in particular is a delight.

FURTHER PETTY RECOMMENDATIONS:

The Red Pony by John Steinbeck — As usual, John Steinbeck’s crisp prose flies off the page, but it’s the honest depiction of childhood that is what sets The Red Pony apart. I didn’t know this was a collection of four different stories up front, but each one is pivotal in watching Jody come of age. Expertly tackling themes of grief, perseverance, death, life, wonder, and childlike faith, Steinbeck can weave together a cohesive narrative in multiple parts.

“The Prodigal” by Josiah Queen — This is another song we have on constant repeat in our house, and the Little Miss loves dancing to it. Queen’s sweet lyrics mix wonderfully with the spirited flow of his #1 hit, and you can’t help but at least tap your feet along. It’s a great time.

Smallville episode “Ryan” - This fan-favorite episode of Smallville has stuck with me for years. The sequel to the first season’s “Stray,” this Season 2 classic puts Clark Kent in a bind, teaching him a valuable lesson with a harsh reality: you can’t save everybody. I got to write about this one for Collider recently, so it’s fresh on my mind. I loved it the first time I watched it years and years ago, and it’s one I continue to revisit on its own.

1. 1899, specifically.

2. Of course, not every Western is this way. There are plenty of Western stories out there where even the protagonist is so morally grey that they might as well be a villain. The show Yellowstone is perhaps the most relevant example, and it’s part of why I take issue with the Paramount series. Moral ambiguity is one thing (especially if it comes from only a character or two), but it’s another when everyone in the main cast is utterly unlikeable because none of them care about anyone but themselves (or their land). But that’s a story for another time.

3. In fact, The Magnificent Seven is a remake of the Japanese picture, Seven Samurai, directed by Akira Kurosawa. What’s funnier is that Clint Eastwood’s final Western, Unforgiven, was remade with Ken Watanabe in the leading role in 2013, setting the picture in the Japanese frontier during the Meiji period.

4. I would highly recommend C.J. Box as well, the author of the Joe Pickett series that inspired the television series Joe Pickett as well as Big Sky. The first novel, Open Range, is particularly grand, and Box’s standalone novel, Blue Heaven, is likewise a great thriller (though less of a Western, in my opinion).

5. Though, it’s worth noting that Johnson’s novels themselves merit particular praise for their dry wit and clever mysteries, all of which thrive because of the way the author contextualizes his characters.

6. While some consider Cowboys & Aliens a “Space Western,” I disagree since the characters never make their way into outer space. Instead, all of the action takes place on Earth, and the alien invaders—despite their sci-fi nature—are seen more as demons than aliens.

7. Work in Progress

8. If you’re not interested in any fiction content, you should be able to unsubscribe from the Bright Morning Star Press posts specifically while retaining your Further Up & Further In subscription here.