Nate Schweber - A Forgotten Chapter of American Conservation
Mountain & Prairie with Ed Roberson
How Did You End Up in New York City?
i always wanted to know what life in a big city was like, and boy have i found it. I'm envious of so many people who move to new york from small town; there's no sympathy for that. The process eventually led me to this book project.
Nate Schweber is an award-winning journalist whose work has been featured in the New York Times, ProPublica, Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown, and more. He’s also the author of the new book “This America of Ours: Bernard and Avis DeVoto and the Forgotten Fight to Save the Wild,” which was published in early July 2022. If you’re looking for an engaging and entertaining history book that highlights an often-overlooked era of conservation in the American West, then "This America of Ours" is your book– as you’ll hear in this conversation, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
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Nate is a native Montanan who grew up in Missoula and headed east to New York City as a young man to pursue a career in journalism. Despite building a successful life and career in the big city, Nate never lost his love for Montana– so he made an effort to pursue more stories linked to the people and landscapes of the American West. As he studied and explored the West with his journalist’s eye, he discovered the writings of Bernard DeVoto and was quickly captivated. Fast forward to today, and he has written an amazing book about Bernard and his wife Avis, and how together they were one of the most important and effective forces for conservation in the early 20th century.
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I knew I was going to enjoy "This America of Ours," but it surpassed all of my lofty expectations. While I had definitely heard of the DeVotos, I had no idea of their influence and fearlessness, especially as they faced off against powerful forces that were attempting to sell off vast tracts of our public lands. Nate and I dig into all aspects of the DeVotos’ lives and historical importance, both individually and as a power couple. We talk about why Nate became so obsessed with the DeVotos, and how the DeVotos bridged the gap between Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt’s conservation legacies and the modern-day environmental movement. We discuss the parallels between the public lands battles of today and those of the early 20th century, and how reading history helps us to better understand and process today’s current events. Nate also offers up tons of excellent book recommendations, so be sure to check out the notes for a list of all the topics we discuss and links to everything.
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A huge thanks to Nate for writing such an enlightening book and for taking the time to join me for a conversation. I hope you enjoy.
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- Nate Schweber
- “This America of Ours: Bernard and Avis DeVoto and the Forgotten Fight to Save the Wild” by Nate Schweber
- Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/nate-schweber/
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TOPICS DISCUSSED
- 4:00 - How the DeVotos captured Nate’s attention
- 8:45 - Nate describes the DeVotos' personalities
- 13:30 - Nate explains how a flood galvanized Bernard DeVoto’s passionate conservation ethic
- 20:00 - The role road trips played in the DeVotos' lives and work
- 27:00 - Nate discusses how learning the historical and legal backdrop for conservation colors his understanding of the challenges surrounding conservation and public lands now
- 32:00 - Nate introduces some of the tangles the DeVotos had with the FBI following accusations that the couple were communists
- 38:00 - Nate discusses an important friendship for the DeVotos: Julia Child
- 44:00 - Nate dives into his process of researching the DeVotos
- 49:45 - Nate talks about his career and how he ended up moving from Missoula, MT to NY City, and why he stays there now
- 55:07 - Ed and Nate discuss contradictions in each personality and how they make people more interesting
- 58:00 - Nate recommends some books
- 1:03:30 - Nate’s parting words of wisdom
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