Speak Your Piece: a podcast about Utah's history

The past is never truly “in the past.” It’s all around us, it informs us. It speaks to our shared and to our separate identities. “Speak Your Piece” is a podcast where contributors share their insights and discoveries about Utah's 12,000 year (plus) human story. Hosted by Brad Westwood, Senior Public Historian (Utah Dept. of Culture & Community Engagement), and co produced by Chelsey Zamir, a new episode is released every other week, sometimes more, sometimes less. SYP explores the key arguments with new and worthwhile older publications, articles or websites; or delves into a notable museum, archival collection, archaeological report; or allows a respected writer, curator or historian to speak freely, sometimes about difficult history. SYP seeks to tell a history of Utah in a way you might not heard it before., told by the people who know it best: historians, writers, curators, archaeologists, rare book dealers, archivists, librarians and more. Speak Your Piece is recorded and engineered at the Utah State Library in Salt Lake City. Jason Powers is the sound and post-production engineer. The SYP logo is a photograph entitled "Canyonlands," taken by Utah outdoor photographer Al W. Morton, circa 1955, within the Canyonlands National Park (NPS). The lone man in the image is Kent Frost, looking over a series of needle rock formations located in San Juan County, Utah. The image and rights are owned by the Utah State Historical Society.

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Speak Your Piece: a podcast about Utah's history

Reissued: “Intermountain Histories,” the Podcast “Writing Westward” and More: A Conversation with Brenden Rensink (S1, E9 - Part 2)

March 09, 2023 • Brad Westwood, Senior Public Historian, Utah Dept. of Culture & Community Engagement • Season 1 • Episode 9

Date: January 13, 2020 (Season 1, Episode 9 — Part 2: 23 minutes long). For the entire show notes and additional resources for this episode, click here. Are you interested in other episodes of Speak Your Piece? Click here. The episode was co-produced by Brad Westwood and Chelsey Zamir, with help (sound engineering and post-production editing) from Conner Sorenson of Studio Underground.

This SYP episode is a conversation with Brigham Young University historian Brenden Rensink with SYP host Brad Westwood, regarding his 2018 book “Native but Foreign: Indigenous Immigrants and Refugees in the North American Borderlands” (Texas A&M University), his website and app “Intermountain Histories,” and his podcast “Writing Westward.” Rensink discusses the central arguments for his book, the inspiration behind his public history website, including a few post examples therein, and what his periodic podcast is all about.

Of note for listeners: as of 2023 there are 650 posted stories on the “Intermountain Histories” site, some of which are part of the 55 different “tours” with unique themes.

For the guest's bio, please click here for the full show notes plus additional resources and readings.

Do you have a question? Write askahistorian@utah.gov.