John Branch - Seeking the Extraordinary in the Ordinary

Jun 10, 2021

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John Branch is a Pulitzer-prize-winning journalist with the New York Times and the author of the brand new book "Sidecountry: Tales of Death and Life from the Back Roads of Sports." He is also the author of "The Last Cowboys: A Pioneer Family in the New West," which is one of my favorite books about the modern-day challenges facing ranching families in the American West. Whether he’s reporting on the historic ascent of the Dawn Wall on Yosemite’s El Capitan, reconstructing a deadly avalanche in the Washington backcountry, or describing the financial realities of the cattle ranching business, John’s has one of the most unique and engaging voices you’ll find anywhere in print.

Growing up in Colorado, John never had serious childhood dreams about a career in writing or journalism. He studied business at CU Boulder and graduated fully focused on pursuing jobs in the business world. But after several years of building a successful career with retail-focused companies, John found himself dreaming of a career as a writer. So, in the mid-1990s, with minimal writing experience under his belt, he applied to graduate school, was accepted, and officially began his journey as a journalist. Fast forward to 2013, and John won the Pulitzer Prize for his New York Times article titled Snow Fall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek.

In our modern-day, frenetic world that is overflowing with articles and information, I’ve found that John’s work rises above the fray and sticks with me for many years after my first reading. While he has reported on many well-known sports figures such as Tommy Caldwell or even Kobe Bryant, John says he enjoys finding meaning in less-flashy tales, telling the stories of “ordinary people tangled up in something extraordinary.” So in this conversation, we talk about his commitment to uncovering these little-known stories-- from his on-the-ground reporting to his process of sitting down at the keyboard to write. We also dig into some of his favorite outdoor-related stories, his new book Sidecountry and his older book The Last Cowboys, and his unconventional path into journalism. We talk about reporting from the top of El Capitan, his process of writing Snow Fall, his heroes and mentors, and much more. Finally, John offers up some great book and music recommendations, and well as timely advice for aspiring creatives.

I’ve been a fan of John’s for many years, so I can’t thank him enough for taking the time to chat with me. I encourage you to find copies of "Sidecountry" and "The Last Cowboys," and keep an eye out for everything he writes for the Times. Check the notes for links to everything we discuss. Hope you enjoy.

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John Branch
Sidecountry: Tales of Death and Life from the Back Roads of Sports
The Last Cowboys: A Pioneer Family in the New West
Full Episode Notes & Links: https://mountainandprairie.com/john-branch/

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TOPICS DISCUSSED:

4:30 – John discusses his childhood, education, and career shift from business to journalism
10:00 – John discusses his family’s reaction to his change in career
11:15 – John explains how he ended up in Colorado Springs
12:00 – John describes his climb through the journalism world
14:30 – John explains how he caught the attention of the New York Times
16:30 – John explains why he feels his career transition worked
19:00 – John describes the kind of stories he looks to tell in his writing and how he knows when there is a story in front of him worth digging into
25:00 – John explains how he builds trust with the subjects of his stories
27:00 – John describes his most recent book, Side County
32:15 – John describes his writing process
38:30 – John describes his editing process and explains how he still gets nervous about submitting his work
43:15 – John talks about the importance of journalism now more than ever
46:15 – John talks about how he manages the constant influx of information in his job
48:45 – John talks about his ideal writing environment
50:00 – John identifies several of his writing heroes/role models
53:00 – John talks about how he differentiates between which stories should be told in articles and which should be told in books
56:15 – John discusses his musical tastes
59:00 – John’s parting words of wisdom

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