James McMurtry Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Book Explores Mysteries Of White Tail Deer And James McMurtry Has Our Song Of The Week, This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, Erika Howsare is the author of The Age of Deer: Trouble and Kinship with Our Wild Neighbors, a book that takes some of the mystery out of the white tail deer that have lived on the edge of humanity for a very long time.

On this West Virginia Morning, few wild animals live as close to us as white tail deer. Graceful and majestic, they’re prized by hunters and hated by backyard gardeners. Deer are everywhere and misunderstood.

Erika Howsare is the author of The Age of Deer: Trouble and Kinship with Our Wild Neighbors, a book that takes some of the mystery out of these animals that have lived on the edge of humanity for a very long time.

Bill Lynch spoke with Howsare for Inside Appalachia.

Also, in this show, our Mountain Stage Song of the Week comes to us from James McMurtry and our 40^th anniversary celebration. We listen to McMurtry’s performance of “Painting by Numbers,” which appears on his 1989 album Too Long In The Wasteland.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.

Our Appalachia Health News project is made possible with support from Marshall Health.

West Virginia Morning is produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Jack Walker, Liz McCormick, and Randy Yohe.

Eric Douglas is our news director and producer.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

The Oldest Town In The State And Our Song Of The Week, This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, Shepherdstown and Romney both lay claim to being the oldest town in West Virginia – but there’s some confusion as to which town is actually correct. Shepherd Snyder spoke to Appalachian historian and Shepherd University professor Benjamin Bankhurst about why the answer is more complicated than it appears.

On this West Virginia Morning, Shepherdstown and Romney both lay claim to being the oldest town in West Virginia – but there’s some confusion as to which town is actually correct. Shepherd Snyder spoke to Appalachian historian and Shepherd University professor Benjamin Bankhurst about why the answer is more complicated than it appears.

Also, in this show, officials are encouraging vigilance as smoke from intense Canadian wildfires makes its way south on changing wind patterns. Emily Rice has more.

The nation’s drug czar visited West Virginia University Thursday as the start of a multi-day tour of the state. As Chris Schulz reports, the purpose of the trip is to discuss local and national efforts to address the overdose epidemic.

And, this week’s encore episode of Mountain Stage features one of Americana music’s most heralded and admired writers, James McMurtry. Our Song of the Week is McMurtry’s song “Vaquero,” where his writing manages to capture the unique human experience in particularly vivid ways.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from Concord University and Shepherd University.

Our Appalachia Health News project is made possible with support from CAMC and Marshall Health.

West Virginia Morning is produced with help from Eric Douglas, Bill Lynch, Caroline MacGregor, Liz McCormick, Emily Rice. Chris Schultz, Curtis Tate, and Randy Yohe.

Eric Douglas is our news director. Caroline MacGregor is our assistant news director and producer.

Teresa Wills is our host.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

Student Safety, Success And Our Song Of The Week On This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, Education Reporter Chris Schulz sat down with West Virginia teachers Shane Healy and Robin Chancey on our latest episode of The Legislature Today to discuss the state of our schools and some of the proposed changes.

On this West Virginia Morning, Education Reporter Chris Schulz sat down with West Virginia teachers Shane Healy and Robin Chancey on our latest episode of The Legislature Today to discuss the state of our schools and some of the proposed changes.

Also, in this show, our Mountain Stage Song of the Week comes to us from journeyman songwriter James McMurtry. We listen to his song “Canola Fields,” which is the opening track of McMurtry’s acclaimed New West release The Horses and the Hounds.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from West Virginia University, Concord University, and Shepherd University.

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting with support from Charleston Area Medical Center and Marshall Health.

West Virginia Morning is produced with help from Bill Lynch, Caroline MacGregor, Curtis Tate, Chris Schulz, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Liz McCormick, Randy Yohe, and Shepherd Snyder.

Eric Douglas is our news director and producer.

Teresa Wills and Chuck Anziulewicz are our hosts.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

LISTEN: James McMurtry Has The Mountain Stage Song Of The Week From Our ‘Love’ Special

This week’s episode of Mountain Stage touches on that greatest of subjects – love. We approach the topic in four parts, with performances by Robert Cray Band, Rhiannon Giddens, Adia Victoria, Emmylou Harris and more.

This week’s episode of Mountain Stage touches on that greatest of subjects – love. We approach the topic in four parts, with performances by Robert Cray Band, Rhiannon Giddens, Adia Victoria, Emmylou Harris and more.

As love slowly fills the air, Mountain Stage is heading into February with a very special episode, hosted by Kathy Mattea and curated by our artistic director Larry Groce, with help from the Mountain Stage team of producers Jeff Shirley, John Inghram and Patrick Stephens. The show is presented in four parts: “Isn’t Love Great,” “You Get It All,” “The Same Love That Makes You Laugh,” and “I Know Love Is All I Need.”

Our Song of the Week is the narrative love song “Canola Fields” by journeyman songwriter James McMurtry, who sings about “Cashing in on a 30-year crush/You can’t be young and do that.”

“Canola Fields” is the opening track of McMurtry’s acclaimed New West release The Horses and the Hounds.

We’ll also hear performances by the likes of Los Lobos (“Luz De Mi Vida”), Joy Oladokun (“If You Got a Problem”), Emmylou Harris (“Love Hurts”), Joan Osborne (“Brokedown Palace”), Rhiannon Giddens (“Black is the Color”), and many others.

Check out the playlist and listen on one of these public radio stations starting Friday, Feb. 3.

Be on the look out, because this special episode drops as a podcast on Valentine’s Day, Tuesday, Feb. 14.

Listen: Dawes Has The Mountain Stage Song Of The Week

Our Listeners’ Choice episodes of Mountain Stage continue this week with a classic show from 2011 featuring Dawes, Jason Isbell & 400 Unit, Blitzen Trapper, James McMurtry and Matthew Sweet.

Check out the playlist here and find out where you can listen on these public radio stations starting Friday.

In October 2011 California quartet Dawes were touring in support of their acclaimed album Nothing is Wrong. Our Song of the Week is a performance of the final track on that album, a creative and emotional high watermark for the band, “A Little Bit of Everything.”

In March the band released “I Will Run,” a previously unreleased song from the recording sessions for their 2018 album Passwords. All proceeds will benefit the North Shore Animal League America and the MusiCares Covid-19 Relief Fund.

James McMurtry, performing on Mountain Stage in October, 2011. Catch an encore broadcast of this show starting May 15 on Mountain Stage affiliate stations.

Hear the entire set from Dawes, plus performances by Jason Isbell & 400 Unit, James McMurtry, Matthew Sweet and Blitzen Trapper, on this week’s encore broadcast of Mountain Stage. We hope you can find comfort in the sound of the applause that we hear in these classic episodes.

Be sure to follow Mountain Stage on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. We’re not sure when we’ll be back to producing new episodes, but you can sign up for our email newsletter to be among the first to hear about it when we do.

Listen: James McMurtry on Mountain Stage

Songwriter James McMurtry is highly admired by listeners and peers alike for his astute observations and ability to develop characters while painting scenery with just a few, well-chosen words. This week’s Song of the Week is McMurtry’s “State of the Union,” which depicts a family’s inner-conflicts, long-standing grudges and stubborn optimism.

"We're all in the family/The Cursed and the Blessed/It's the State of the Union I guess."

You’ll hear the rest of James McMurtry’s set, as well as performances from Inara George, The Low Anthem and John Moreland, on this week’s broadcast. Find out where you can listen on a station in your area here, and be sure to subscribe to the podcast below so you never miss a song.

UPDATE: You can hear McMurtry’s entire set, including songs not heard on the radio broadcast, at NPR Music. Scroll down to listen.