Writing the West: A Literary Life with Tracy Daugherty

What's Your Why?

You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to develop a habit. Even when you don’t feel like writing, you show up—and the mind begins to wake up. – Tracy Daugherty

In this episode of What’s Your Why?, host Emy DiGrappa welcomes acclaimed author and biographer Tracy Daugherty for a deep and thoughtful conversation about the craft of writing, the influence of landscape, and the shaping power of culture. From his West Texas upbringing to his literary inspirations like Larry McMurtry and Joan Didion, Tracy shares his journey into storytelling, his disciplined writing habits, and the physicality of language.

They discuss what it means to grow up in a place that feels “unliterary,” how personal and public histories intersect in the writer’s work, and why Tracy is drawn to biography as a form of cultural history. He also opens up about his current project on Cormac McCarthy and the ethical complexities of writing about real lives.

Whether you’re a writer, reader, or lover of Western landscapes and literary voices, this episode offers rich insights into the rhythms of a writing life—and the meaning we find in the stories we tell.

Key topics:

• Writing habit vs. inspiration

• Larry McMurtry’s legacy and the myths of the American West

• Biography as cultural history

• AI and authorship in the digital age

• Sky watching, family, and finding your place through story

Resources:

👉 Learn more about Tracy Daugherty and his work at tracydaugherty.com

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