In this fascinating interview, author and journalist Alex Beam joins Mormon Stories to discuss his new biography titled Wallace Stegner: Dean of Western Writers –published by Signature Books. Alex Beam is an acclaimed journalist and author known for his insightful historical biographies. Historian and executive director of Signature Books, Barbara Jones Brown is also joining us today!

Beam explores the life, legacy, and complex relationships Stegner had with Mormonism, the American West, and figures like Joseph Smith and Gordon B. Hinckley. From Stegner’s friendship and literary achievements to his nuanced understanding of Mormon culture, this conversation dives into history, literature, and faith.

Buy his new book from Signature books: https://www.signaturebooks.com/books/p/wallace-stegner

00:00:00 Introductions00:01:13 Who was Wallace Stegner?00:04:25 Who is Alex Beam?00:12:08 Who was Joseph Smith and his character?00:17:37 Why did Signature publish this book?00:20:10 Professor Vardis Fisher was a talent spotter00:24:47 Mormon adjacent life of Wallace Stegner00:34:07 Stegner had old fashioned values and dating Mormon women00:37:47 His experience at the University of Utah00:47:18 Stegner’s career and the main books he wrote00:57:07 His mother and brother died in Salt Lake City00:57:32 The picture of his mother’s gravestone01:04:08 Stegner on polygamy01:10:08 Stegner’s work on Bernard DeVoto01:19:35 Stegner won the Pulitzer Prize for his book “The Year of Decisions 1846”01:23:21 Four historians whom he has complete trust in (including Juanita Brooks)01:30:06 Stegner wasn’t there to quarrel with the Mormon church01:32:17 Closing remarks

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