The Woman Who Wrote the West

Julia Bricklin's book profiles Nell Campbell, the journalist known by the pen name Polly Pry, situating her life within broader themes of journalism and gender in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Bricklin disentangles myth from fact, using archival research to reassess Campbell's sensational stories, activism, and controversies.

The book highlights Campbell's investigative work on prisons, Indian boarding schools, and other social issues, and explores her influence on Denver's media landscape.

Bricklin presents Campbell as a complex figure—progressive in some causes but biased in others—arguing that Campbell paved the way for later women reporters.

Through narrative biography and critical analysis, the work illuminates the challenges faced by women in journalism and the power of the press in shaping public opinion.