Behind the Chutes by Dennis Doty

I NEVER GOT TO see the big man under the even bigger Stetson, hear his booming voice welcoming one and all, or the sound of his great laugh. Yet these things are with me every day. For nearly six years now, I’ve lived my life as a writer, editor, and publisher in the shadow of the late great Dusty Richards. This magazine was his brainchild. He and his friend and publisher, Casey Cowan, founded SaddlebagDispatches to give a voice to the many western writers who were finding fewer markets for their work.

As the Managing Editor, and more recently, the Publisher, as well as the curator of Dusty’s works both published and unpublished, I feel in awe of the man, the writer, and the sharer of knowledge and wisdom that he was. Dusty watches over this enterprise, and I’m constantly aware of his presence. He was ever ready to take a young, or not so young, writer under his wing and give them a push in the right direction. He always found a kind word for them and for their work. I hope we’re carrying on that tradition.

So, nearly five years after his untimely passing, this issue of Saddlebag Dispatches is intended as a lasting tribute to one of the truly great men of his generation. In these pages, you will find tributes from those who knew him, those who were lucky enough to work with him or travel with him, and those whose lives he touched for the better. You will also find some of Dusty’s own short stories, most previously unpublished or published only in small regional publications. We are proud to offer them to the world at last.

In addition to the loss of Dusty and his wife, Pat, Saddlebag was hit hard again this past summer with the untimely passing of our regular contributor, Michael McLean. Michael was one of the first authors whose work I fell in love with as an editor here. Whether a mystery or a hardcore western story, Michael always delivered superb copy and a thrilling story. He has become the gold standard we hold other writers to when deciding which stories we will publish and which we will pass on. Michael was the consummate professional in his craft, and he is sorely missed.

In addition to our losses, we’ve also had some marvelous gains. Nature loves a balance, and she hasn’t shorted us yet. This year we welcome some great new assets to our staff.

First and foremost, we’re proud to announce the promotion of Bob Giel to Managing Editor. A retired businessman and prolific Western writer, Bob will now be taking the reins in terms of acquisitions and editorial direction for the magazine. He will be joined by his new Assistant Managing Editor Anthony Wood, who is a prolific historical author in his own right, as well as a winner of the coveted Will Rogers Medallion for his short story, “Not So Long in the Tooth.”

The one and only Chris Enss has joined as Advertising Sales Manager and Marketing Director Many, if not most of our readers, will know her from her work as President of Western Writers of America or Executive Director of the Will Rogers Medallion Awards as well as her award-winning nonfiction. Her vision and ideas are already making a huge difference.

Also joining us as our official Saddlebag Dispatches Poet Laureate is Marleen Bussma. Many of you are already familiar with her work. Marleen won the 2018 Spur Award for “She Saddles Her Own Horse.” She recently won a Will Rogers Silver Medallion for her book of poetry, DeepTracks, which also won the Cowboy Poetry Book of the Year from the International Western Music Association.

But that’s not even all of our new additions. Rachel Patterson has joined the staff as our new Social Media Manager—look for her posts on our new Saddlebag Instagram page—talented California-based artist Victoria Marble has taken on the mantle of Chief Illustrator, and Waynetta Ausmus, longtime WRMA board member and the voice behind LuckyMe Productions, has signed on to become our newest Staff Writer. To say that we lucked out in recruiting such a talented crop of new associates would be the understatement of the year.

In addition to all the new personnel, we are proud to announce that we will be starting a series of western anthologies to expand the market for western short stories even more. These will be themed to coincide with the themes of our upcoming issues beginning with Dodge City for our Summer 2023 issue.

We are also exceptionally excited to announce that Saddlebag Dispatches is now a paying market for short fiction, as will be the anthologies. For more information, see the Wanted page on our website at www.saddlebagdispatches.com.

Finally, a reminder that our 3rd Annual Mustang Award for Western Flash Fiction will open for submissions on February 1st and close on March 1st. This year, we are offering a $50 cash prize and publication to the winner. Entries must be received during the submission period and are limited to 1,000 words each. We look forward to some great stories.

So, pull up a log, pour yourself a cup from the camp pot, and enjoy some great western writing.

DENNIS DOTY, Publisher