In the twenty-first century, populism became popular again in American politics, it included politicians with widely varying ideologies like Vermont senator Bernie Sanders and US president Donald Trump.

Carr traces her family's history to reveal the roots of populism’s connections to racism. The author drew connections between U.S. agrarian populism, spiritualism, and eugenics to help readers understand populism’s tendency toward racism and exclusion and makes clear why so many of these topics are still an issue in the present, ultimately asking whether we can embrace the Populists' profound hopes for a just economy while rejecting the barriers they set up around who was considered fully human enough to be part of this dreamed society.

The author's inspiration for the book came from her curiosity about the homestead act and the populist movement. “So, the story that I'm telling is about the movement from populism, which is a kind of egalitarian vision. A vision of equal rights for all, and special privileges for none, which was their slogan. To become somebody that's supported and advocated aggressively for eugenic thinking.” says Carr.

Omer Madison Kem was a spiritualist and one of the founding members of the Populist Party who represented Nebraska for three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1891-1897 and was a eugenicist, which is a belief that was very popular through the 1930s. Kem then moved to Montrose, Colorado, to grow fruit and raise cattle. He got back into politics by being elected as a member of the Colorado House of Representatives in 1907.

Carr is scheduled to speak about her book on Sept. 25 at the McMenamins Kennedy Theater in Portland. The event is co-sponsored by the Oregon Historical Society. She has a virtual event coming up June 9. The writer has received several praises from various authors.

“Julie Carr brings alive the disquieting and kaleidoscope history of her great-grandfather, a radical Populist who homesteaded in the U.S. West at the turn of the century. She unflinchingly shows how his struggle for survival was characterized by an unruly combination of hardscrabble determination, spiritual longings, eugenic beliefs, and white supremacy. As she poignantly reconstructs an intensely personal past, Carr grapples with the ghosts of violence, silence, and memory in the politically volatile present.” says Alexandra Minna Stern, author of Eugenic Nation: Faults and Frontiers of Better Breeding in Modern America.

Carr is a unique author who has established a voice that draws attention to the experiences of her great-grandfather. Her use of language and tone captures the complex nature of human relationships and pushes the boundaries of conventional literature. The book spans through 356 pages of detailed history and features 26 photographs.

Through her work, Carr speaks about struggles, hopes, and aspirations. Carr's contributions to the literary world have not gone unnoticed and have established her as an accomplished author, winning the National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship for Poetry in 2011. It is clear that her writing will continue to inspire readers and reflect the complexities of the world around us.

To purchase a hardcover, paperback copy or e-edition of Mud, Blood, and Ghosts: Populism, Eugenics, and Spiritualism in the American West, please visit the University of Nebraska Press Website at: www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/nebraska/9781496228024/