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Steve Garrett Podcast

Garrett takes love of storytelling to podcasts

by Renee Fite

City of Stilwell Director of Public Relations and Media


History can be fascinating, especially when told from a humorous perspective as Steve Garrett does in his podcast "Within the Realm." He started the podcast in early 2018 and has published more than 100 episodes, which can be found on his website Within the Realm or on nearly any podcast platform, like Apple or Spotify.


The podcast contains stories about Stilwell and other areas of interest to Garrett, that connect people.


“It’s all within the realm,” Garrett said.


He started the podcast after his son Jacob passed away.


“I wanted to do something to honor him and his creativity. He was a musician, he dabbled in film making and other pursuits, but mainly was a musician and songwriter,” he said. 


Garrett felt he needed to do something creative.


“Taking some of the recording equipment of Jacob's and the help of his bandmates, I was able to start recording these stories I have collected over a lifetime. I put them out there in the ether and they started resonating with people,” he said.

Steve Garrett recording his podcast

Ozark Giraffe houses, those rock houses built with creative stone work resembling the hide of a giraffe, is one.


“I present things I know about. I say the show comes from where the Great Plains, the Ozark Mountains and the Indian Territory collide. The stories and thoughts come from these places I have known and where my family had settled,” said Garrett.


The topics are about things he learned or observed while growing up.


“I covered the Going Snake Massacre, Sequoyah's syllabary, things we take for granted in our part of the world, to tell about the resiliency and strength of character of the folks from this place,” he said. 


He attempts to tell the story from a point of view different than the usual narrative. “Much of the time, our stories get told by others. They talk about the "outlaw" Zeke Proctor, but here in our country, he was a dangerous man but actually elected by his neighbors as sheriff and Senator for his district. The truth always makes a better story,” he said.

Also a musician, he enjoys the challenge of putting together the story in a way that gets the point across. 


“Here in our corner of the world we tell stories and I want to continue and expand on that. It's gratifying to know that these things I put together are enjoyed by others,” he said.


A script is written, as opposed to ad libbing as he goes although he may toss in a bit of humor or detail if it comes to mind during the taping.


“I'm not quick enough to do it off the cuff,” he said.


Decades have gone into developing his talents as a storyteller.


“Storytelling is in the DNA of these hills, so I think I came by it honestly. Lots of good story tellers in the Adair family, my grandmother's people. And living next door to J.L. Hallford, one of the greatest all-time storytellers, didn't hurt either,” said Garrett. 


In jest, he added, “I just assumed everyone always wanted to hear what was on my mind.”


Ideas for the podcasts are inspired by events, people and places.


“Many of them have been floating around in my head for years, even before I knew what a podcast was,” he said. 


Sometimes he comes across something and begins researching it, like the episode about shopping carts. 


“When I worked at Walmart, I rounded them up and pushed them back to the store, but then I got to looking more closely at them. They are part of our everyday lives, but they are amazing things that changed the way we shop. And it all started in a grocery store in Oklahoma City,” he said.


Garrett has received quite a bit of positive feedback from folks that enjoy the stories and the way he tell them. 

“I’m always eager to hear from folks, especially if they have some new info on a story I have presented,” he said. 


Something about Garrett not everyone might know?


“I think my life is a fairly open book, but if I had a little secret, I would hold onto it. You never know, it might become a podcast episode one day,” he said.


He is married to Angel, a kindergarten teacher, and they're parents to three sons. No grandkids, yet. 


“I consult with local governments in the region to improve services for citizens and I am always on the scout for a good tale,” said Garrett. 


You can reach out to Garrett at www.withinpodcast.com or on his facebook page.

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