This is one of my absolute favorite youth radio pieces! It takes some really great twists and turns. Some technical aspects which stand out: great use of sound and music (the call with grandpa was really well integrated into the piece especially) and Lacy's voice was very engaging throughout the entire story. It might have to get cut a little at points to be played, (maybe start with some of the longer music portions.) but that 14 minutes still went by amazingly fast, and kept my attention riveted the entire time.

This engaging first-person essay by Lacy Roberts of the Ladies Village Improvement Society Podcast takes listeners to America's heartland, serving as a friendly reminder that America encompasses more than just the two coasts. Roberts shares how she grappled with her Montana roots as a freshman in college at Providence, Rhode Island, where most of her classmates knew next to nothing about life in her home state. "Are there cities in Montana? Is there an airport there?" one asks, in a particularly funny voice montage of her classmates sharing how much they knew about Montana. The highlight of this piece is Roberts's phone conversation with her "Grampa." The rapport between grandfather and granddaughter is so natural that listeners may feel like they're eavesdropping. Throughout the piece, Roberts creates memorable scenes, beginning with her ancestors, five generations ago, "[planting] their pitchforks in the dust of southeastern Montana." She makes effective use of Western-themed song clips for story transitions, and her narration sounds natural and at ease. This piece would be a natural fit for some hybrid program of "This American Life" and "A Prairie Home Companion." I would challenge Roberts to create a shorter version of the story, with a tighter focus on her relationship with her grandfather. In any case, thank you for sharing your story, "Montana Lacy, Genuine Cowgirl."

Technical note: There's a 6-second delay (silent) until the piece begins.