Adriana Herrera: 0:01

Hello and welcome to the introductory episode of Unbound, the podcast that explores the intersection of pop culture and the steamy world of romance literature. Join us as we celebrate the voices and stories often left in the shadows and unravel the threads of joy, passion and heartache that keep us coming back to the page and the screen. I'm Adrena Herreraera and I write hot romance books.

Nikki Payne: 0:27

And I'm Nikki Payne, and I write romance books based on the books you were forced to read in the ninth grade. Welcome y'all to Unbound, a podcast where we dive deep into the unexplored terrains of romance subgenres through a BIPOC lens. We're unearthing stories and intertwining them with the broader cultural context of their time. Each series focuses on a specific subgenre and we unravel its nuances and its evolution. Our inaugural series y'all how the West Was Won. It's a journey through the rugged yet romantic world of cowboy romance. Yeehaw, thank you. Thank you, it was high time we got a yeehaw. Here's what's in store for episode one of how the West Was Won.

Nikki Payne: 1:09

This episode is going to focus on the two Wests that we've constructed the historical and the mythic one and their influence on romance novels. We're going to discuss the creation of the frontier myth and its romanticization in American culture. We're going to talk about the Western as a genre and how its themes are the perfect landscape for romance. We're going to talk about iconic media like Bonanza Little House on the Prairie. If anyone's ever been babysat by their granny, they know these stories and how they reflect these myths of the West. We're also going to dive into some complex themes in Western romance such as man against nature and the savage trope. We're going to analyze a lot of media iconic 1970s pop culture media films like Two Mules for Sister Sarah and Blazing Saddles and Buck and the Preacher, and how they also intersect with the blaxploitation film era. It's all connected, y'all Tinfoil hats, western tinfoil hats on.

Adriana Herrera: 2:06

I just have to give a shout out to Shirley MacLaine and Clint Eastwood because that movie Two Meals for a Sister Share I watched that thing dubbed in Spanish and it still hit. Okay, come on, come on, I can't, all right. So for our episode number two, we're going to do a deep dive into the inimitable oeuvre of the one, the only, beverly Jenkins. Episode two will be Beverly Jenkins rewriting the West and we're going to have discussions about two of her most iconic books, topaz and Forbidden, which are two of our favorites I think of Ryan Fontaine at least once a week, and we will discuss Jenkins' use of real historical figures and events in her work and her subversion and masterful employment of the themes of the Western.

Nikki Payne: 3:02

Episode three y'all. We're on some gay shit Queering the West, lgbtq plus stories of the Western. Episode three y'all. We're on some gay shit Queering the West, lgbtq plus stories of the frontier. We discuss why the Western is, was and always will be pretty damn gay. So some of the things we're going to discuss is the historical presence of queerness in the Western and the impact of intentional LGBTQ plus representation in the genre. We're shouting out specific works that highlight these narratives, like Rebecca Weatherspoon's stories of Black gay cowboys and Sarah Black's Marathon Cowboys. From Brokeback Mountain to Amo Dovar's upcoming Strange Way of Life. We'll touch upon some Westerns that were gay and didn't even know it. I'm looking at you, rio Bravo.

Adriana Herrera: 3:43

The fringe, the chaps, the very, very tight Levi jeans. Come on, it's been gay, it's been real gay. They knew what they're doing. Yeah, for episode four, we're going to a part of the West that was actually Mexico. So we're going to do Vaqueros, Sabrina, Sol and Beyond. So we're going to talk about representation of Latina characters in Western romance, the undeniable influence of Mexican culture in the Western, the West, West Mexico, and the rich and prolific presence of vaqueros in Mexican film and telenovelas featuring icons like Pedro Infante, Maria Felix and Dolores del Rio, who were actors who were actually able to cross over to Hollywood in the 50s and 60s. We are going to do an analysis of Sabrina Soto's portrayal of Mexican-American cowboys in her Rancho Lindo series and we will briefly discuss one film in particular Salt of the Earth from 1954, which perfectly captures the undeniable connections of Mexican life and the American West.

Nikki Payne: 4:45

Oh, this media. We're going to be movie buddies. In episode five, we're talking about modern cowboys. Cowboys today do they exist? Are they real? Our discussion points we're going to talk about how authors like Mia Hopkins and Rebel Carter have updated the cowboy narrative. We're going to talk about the relevance of these modern cowboy stories in the current landscape of Western romance.

Adriana Herrera: 5:08

And, along with our serial episodes, every season of Unbound will have topical and superstitial episodes discussing broader issues in the romance genre. Some of the topics for this season include an episode dedicated to Beyoncé's renaissance, the album the tour, our many feelings about it. An episode where we talk or squeal about Queen Charlotte, farmer George and why that love declaration reset the culture, cleared our skin and lowered our interest rates. We'll talk about politics and romance, the do's and don'ts of being a Black or Brown hero in a romance, and so much more. So please join us, bike weekly on Unbound and be part of our conversation.

Nikki Payne: 5:50

Now it's time for your part. Your thoughts and stories are the lifeblood of this exploration, so we invite you to engage with us, share your insights, your favorite moments and the romance narratives that have touched your life. Find us on all major podcast platforms and follow us on TikTok, YouTube and Instagram for updates and behind the scenes content. We'll have a reading list, a listening list and a watching list for you to follow along with us as we go west, but this time nobody's catching dysentery. And don't forget to tune in for our very first episode, where we'll really get into sex in the West, Was it?

Adriana Herrera: 6:27

dusty Sandy or the chap still on, I'm into it.

Nikki Payne: 6:32

Until next time. Keep your hearts unbound.