Montana Book Festival

Karla Theilen is currently in the home stretch of writing a raconteuse’s tale of six summers on a wilderness fire lookout following a slapdash recipe of one part nature writing, one part reflection, a measure of humor and a pinch of madness. The memoir is finished with a light, lyrical glaze, served on a bed of humility and best enjoyed with a tall glass of booze. Her writing has been featured on National Public Radio’s Morning... Read More →

Russell Rowland is a fourth generation Montanan, born in Bozeman in 1957. He has a Master’s in Creative Writing from Boston University. His latest book is his first non-fiction effort, titled Fifty-Six Counties: A Montana Journey. He has published three novels, In Open Spaces, The Watershed Years, and High and Inside. In Open Spaces made the San Francisco Chronicle’s bestseller list, and was named among the Best of... Read More →

Robert R. Swartout, Jr., is Professor Emeritus of History, Carroll College, Helena, Montana, where he taught both United States and East Asian history from 1978 to 2014. Professor Swartout was born in Portland, Oregon. He received both his bachelor's and his master's degrees from Portland State University and his doctorate from Washington State University. Dr. Swartout served as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in Korea from 1970 through 1972, and... Read More →