Saddlebag Dispatches-January 2026

Step into the grit, conflict, and enduring power of the American West with the newest issue of Saddlebag Dispatches, a magazine that takes a hard look at where Westerns stand today and where they're headed next.Our headline features this issue are already sparking conversation. On the cover, legendary author David Morrell opens up about storytelling, moral consequence, and how the Western has shaped modern literature, drawing on a career that redefined both Western and action fiction. Sharing the spotlight, "This Ain't Your Grandaddy's Western," by Saddlebag Dispatches co-founder and Western publisher Casey W. Cowan and New York Times bestselling author Reavis Z. Wortham, takes aim at the genre's status quo, challenging authors to stop writing for yesterday's audience and start confronting today's realities, with tips and tricks from Morrell, Craig Johnson, Marc Cameron, and other industry insiders.There's also bold fiction, cowboy poetry, and historical features you can't put down. You'll meet the winner of the third annual Longhorn Prize for Western Short Stories, our mark of excellence for short-form Western storytelling at its sharpest. Check out "Louisiana Nightriders," the conclusion of Anthony Wood's two-part historical examination of the notorious West-Kimbrel Gang in the lawless Reconstruction South, while New York Times bestselling author Chris Enss debuts Cowgirls of Legend, an exciting new column celebrating the women who helped forge the frontier.Unflinching, thoughtful, and unapologetically Western, Saddlebag Dispatches delivers the voices and ideas shaping the frontier today. Read more