I Ain't Leavin' My Road Dog, Part Two: Thoughts On Homelessness

Montana jazz icon M.J. Williams was singing in clubs in the early 1960's. Fifty years later, her gorgeous voice and innovative style have reached new levels of warmth and maturity. Listen to this piece and you'll hear why she's a jazz legend in the Rocky Mountain West.

(Broadcast: "Mountain West Voices,"  7/26/15, Monday afternoons, 4:53 p.m., or via podcast.)

A retired history professor from Montana reflects on a childhood during the Depression, and on the nature of poverty...and happiness.

(Broadcast: Mountain West Voices, 7/30/14)

A really moving love story worthy of Shakespeare - only no one drinks poison. There's some plant biology and Irish music thrown in for good measure.

(Broadcast: "Mountain West Voices," 7/23/14 and 2/15/16, Mondays, 4:53 p.m., or via podcast.)

Mo Thao reflects on her chaotic early life in Laos and on coming to Montana...and on gardening.

7/9/14: This week on Mountain West Voices: 94-year-old activist Meyer Chessin talks about his journey from his Yiddish-speaking Bronx neighborhood during the Depression, to a career in plant pathology at the University of Montana.

A middle-aged woman with grown children left a bad relationship to start her life over in Missoula, Montana. Within a couple of weeks she found herself living in a homeless shelter. She got back on her feet through the generosity of strangers, and now works for a non-profit that deals with homelessness.

This week on Mountain West Voices: A profile of  Doug and Anna Crabtree, who left good careers and invested their life savings in a farm in a remote part of north-central Montana.

6/18/14: This week on "Mountain West Voices:" Montana rockabilly guitarist Russ Nassett visits with his grandson Jack about the importance of playing music.

7/17/13: This week on "Mountain West Voices:" A visit to the Nekaneet Reserve in southwest Saskatchewan. Elder Linda Oakes talks about racism, about the importance of the Cree language, and about her people's fight to remain in their ancestral home in the Cypress Hills.

6/11/14: This week on "Mountain West Voices:" Master canoe builder Greg Morley talks about his life-long love of exploring the wilderness in his own hand-crafted cedar boats.

6/4/14: This week on "Mountain West Voices:" George Nickel survived the roadside bomb that killed his comrades in Iraq. Back home in Boise, Idaho, his readjustment to civilian life was a disaster. An armed standoff with Boise police led to jail, and almost a year of solitary confinement. Now George's life is dedicated to helping other combat veterans make the difficult transition to non-military life.

When Scott Hannon retired after 23 years as Navy SEAL and made his way to Montana, he wanted to hunt, fish, and live a quiet life. Then he discovered the therapeutic value of working with injured wildlife - especially eagles.