Annie Proulx on crafting the characters of 'Brokeback Mountain'

NPR | By Scott Simon

Published November 7, 2026 at 7:40 AM EST

Annie Proulx, master of short stories, talks with NPR's Scott Simon about writing and about how she created the characters in her most famous short story, "Brokeback Mountain."

Scott Simon

Scott Simon is the host of Weekend Edition Saturday and is one of the hosts of NPR's morning news podcast Up First.

See stories by Scott Simon

Support nonprofit, fact-based public service journalism

WEKU depends on support from those who view and listen to our content. There's no paywall here. Please support WEKU with your donation.

Contribute now

Related Content

NPR News

Democrats plan to widen their probes of fatal ICE shootings

Meg Anderson

The killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti during the ICE surge in Minneapolis last winter was a pivotal moment for the country. After Democrats' sweeping wins this week, their deaths at the hands of immigration agents will likely be the targets of renewed investigations.
NPR News

Perspective: Simon Winchester was here to tell a story

Scott Simon

British American reporter and author Simon Winchester died of a heart attack Nov. 3. We take a moment to remember his long career, which included covering Bloody Sunday and Watergate.
Google, Meta and TikTok sue to block California youth social media law

Rachael Myrow, Scott Simon

Google, Meta, and TikTok have sued California to block the enforcement of a state law meant to protect children from getting addicted to social media.
Research confirms historic 'mummy medicine' contained real human remains

Pien Huang

Ancient Egyptian mummy remains were once marketed as medicine. Research finds at least some of these products came from real human remains and that mummy materials keep bodies preserved for millennia.
How the new Senate majority shifts control over the federal judiciary

Nina Totenberg, Scott Simon

The change in the Senate's majority party means that starting Jan. 3, Democrats will run federal judicial appointments and may continue to until at least 2030.