News since the last newsletter Cowboy Poetry at the BAR-D Ranch www.CowboyPoetry.com

Montana ranch hand and songwriter Martha Scanlan (marthascanlan.com) is featured on NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday's "What's in a Song," broadcast April 29, 2012.
She tells about the inspiration for her song, "Up on the Divide" and comments on ranch life, the importance of preserving heritage, and observes, "...there's knowledge that people only gain by doing the work." Listen to the broadcast here.

Martha Scanlan was a featured performer at Western Folklife Center's 2012 National Cowboy Poetry Gathering and is a part of their Expressing Montana project.

"What's in a Song" is an occasional series from the Western Folklife Center "that weaves together a tapestry of American music, one song and one story at a time..." Previous programs have included Baxter Black, Mike Beck, Stephanie Davis, DW Groethe, Connie Dover, Stan Howe, Tom Russell, and others. Find many of the broadcasts here at NPR and also here at the Western Folklife Center.
[photo by Dawson Dunning courtesy of the Western Folklife Center]

Posted 4/30

Henry Real Bird, Montana Poet Laureate (2009-2011), rancher, author, artist, storyteller, educator and Crow elder, was a featured speaker at New Hampshire's Phillips Exeter Academy on April 11, 2012.
An article on the school's web site, "Native American Poet Visits Exeter," by Nicole Pellaton, tells about Henry Real Bird and his presentation; shares some of his advice to students (including, "The sheet of paper is freedom, the first line is free...the art is controlling after that."); includes a slide show; links; and more. Henry Real Bird's grandson attends Phillips Exeter Academy, a respected secondary school founded in 1781. Read the entire article here.
Henry Real Bird's 2010 poetry collection, Horse Tracks (Lost Horse Press), received Montana's 2011 High Plains Book Award. Four poems from that book are included in our feature here: A Cottonwood Leaf, Thought, Night and Day, and Flowers.

His poem, "Rivers of Horse," is included on the just-released The BAR-D Roundup: Volume Seven.

In July, 2010, while he was Montana Poet Laureate, Henry Real Bird made a 500-mile ride across Montana, giving out books of poetry. A National Public Radio broadcast, "Across Montana on Horseback, Poet Hands Out Poetry" covered the journey.

Find more about Henry Real Bird in our feature here.

[photo by Jeri Dobrowski; see her gallery of western performers and others here.]

Posted 4/13

The eleventh annual Cowboy Poetry Week, sponsored by the Center for Western and Cowboy Poetry (CowboyPoetry.com), was celebrated April 15-21, 2012.

Inaugurated in 2002, Cowboy Poetry Week was officially recognized by unanimous resolution of the United States Senate. The celebration, with a special focus on rural libraries with its Rural Library Program, is held during the third week of April each year, in conjunction with National Poetry Month in the United States and Canada.

"Heads or Tails," a painting by noted Western artist R.S. Riddick was selected as this year's Cowboy Poetry Week poster art. The painting, made at Colorado's Diamond Tail Ranch, depicts a cowboy bringing in horses the traditional way, with one halter lead. The lead rope of one horse is tied to the tail of the horse in front of it, thus the painting's title. Posters are sent to libraries as a part of the Center's Rural Library Program and are available to Center supporters. Find more about the art and the artist here.

Find selected poems inspired by "Heads or Tails" in the special Cowboy Poetry Week Art Spur.

The BAR-D Roundup, the Center’s annual compilation recording of the best in classic and current cowboy poetry is also offered to libraries and available to the public. Read more about it below and find all the details for The BAR-D Roundup: Volume Seven (2012) here.

To date, twenty-three states' governors and other officials have issued Cowboy Poetry Week proclamations. Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer has commented, "In the tradition of written and oral history, cowboy poets preserve our rich cultural history, opening the door for the generations to come to discover the heritage of the years past....we are proud of our numerous well-respected contemporary cowboy poets and look forward to the next generation of storytellers..."

There were activities at libraries, in communities, at shows, gatherings...read about some of those in our Cowboy Poetry Week news.

Updated 4/23

We're pleased to announce the availability of The BAR-D Roundup: Volume Seven, our compilation CD of some of the best classic and contemporary cowboy poetry.

Among the many highlights are Wallace McRae's "Reincarnation," in a recording from the 2012 National Cowboy Poetry Gathering; Joel Nelson's recitation of Stephen Vincent Benét's "The Ballad of William Sycamore"; and Benét's own 1940 recitation of his poem. Find a narrative description of all of the selections, with poem excerpts, here.

From our announcement:

This seventh annual edition of The BAR-D Roundup includes the works of three National Endowment for the Arts Fellows (the late Buck Ramsey of Texas, Wallace McRae of Montana, and Joel Nelson of Texas); two recipients of the Wrangler Award from the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Andy Wilkinson of Texas and John Dofflemyer of California; past Montana Poet Laureate, Crow elder Henry Real Bird; and the voice of American man of letters, Pulitzer Prize winning poet Stephen Vincent Benét (1898-1943) in a vintage recording from the Library of Congress.

There are other fine selections of original works by Gary McMahan (Colorado), Amy Hale Auker (Arizona), Jay Snider (Oklahoma), Elizabeth Ebert (South Dakota), Rod Miller (Utah), Yvonne Hollenbeck (South Dakota), Ken Cook (South Dakota), Carole Jarvis (Arizona), Andy Nelson (Wyoming), Diane Tribitt (Minnesota), Rodney Nelson (North Dakota), Deanna McCall (New Mexico), DW Groethe (Montana), and Doris Daley (Alberta).

Outstanding reciters present classic cowboy poetry, including Randy Rieman of Montana (a poem by Bruce Kiskaddon), Andy Hedges of Texas (a poem by Buck Ramsey), and Keith Ward of North Carolina (a poem by S. Omar Barker). Contemporary poems of others are recited by Jerry Brooks of Utah (a poem by Andy Wilkinson), Pat Richardson of California (a poem by Jess Howard), and Jess Howard of Montana (a poem by Pat Richardson)—Jess Howard and Pat Richardson are brothers.

A 1955 photo of Pat Richardson is on the cover of The BAR-D Roundup: Volume Seven.

Seventh-generation Texan, poet and writer Linda Kirkpatrick delivers a radio public service announcement about the Center for Western and Cowboy Poetry.

The CD is sent to libraries in Cowboy Poetry Week's Rural Library Program, is a premium for supporters of the BAR-D, and is available to the public.

Find more on The BAR-D Roundup: Volume Seven (2012) here.

Posted 4/2

The Arizona Cowboy Poets Gathering has received the prestigious Arizona Governor's Arts Award, chosen from among many outstanding nominees. The organization was recognized during the 31st annual Governor's Arts Awards in Phoenix, March 27, 2012.

The Arizona Commission on the Arts describes the gathering in its news about the award:

The Arizona Cowboy Poets Gathering, the oldest in Arizona, will celebrate its 25th anniversary in August to support its mission to educate, promote and preserve cowboy poetry, music and western heritage culture and history. The Gathering not only provides entertainment, but an opportunity for poets and bearers of cowboy oral traditions to assemble in a spirit of mutual appreciation and support and to strengthen ties with the ranching community and general public. In recent years, the organization has brought poetry into fourth-grade classrooms in the Prescott area to introduce students to poetry, the ranching heritage of Yavapai County and the music of the cowboy.

An article by Nicholas DeMarino in the AZEdge quotes the gathering's president, Jim Buchanan; poet and musician Sally Bates; and others. It comments on the growth of event, "The Cowboy Poets Gathering launched in 1987, pulling crowds of about 300-400...Today it nets roughly 3,000 attendees."

The 25th annual Arizona Cowboy Poets Gathering takes place August 9-11, 2012 in Prescott. Find information at www.azcowboypoets.org.

Posted 3/30

Top poet Doris Daley is featured in the February/March issue of Ranch & Reata. An article by Montana writer Melissa Mylchreest, "For the Love of the West," profiles the popular Canadian poet and includes her comments "on language, landscape, and laughter." Doris Daley is quoted about what inspires her writing, saying it is, "...mostly instinct. When you grow up on a ranch, the line between your inner landscape and your outer landscape is so blurred that it almost doesn't exist."

The recipient of multiple awards and recognitions for her poetry, Doris Daley performs at events across the West. In recent months she has made return appearances to the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering and the Texas Cowboy Poetry Gathering. She has a recent book, West Word Ho! and recordings. Her work is included on each volume of The BAR-D Roundup. Find more about Doris Daley and some of her poetry in our feature here and at www.DorisDaley.com.

Also among the highlights in the current issue: Songwriter and artist Tom Russell's wide-ranging article centered on Curley Fletcher's "The Strawberry Roan," which delves into "The Art of the Bucking Stock Lyric," the literacy of cowboy writers, the history of Curley Fletcher's work, and more; Kathy McRaine's cover story about rodeo photographer Bev Pettit, "Images Fueled by Light and Passion," accompanied by Pettit's stunning photography; an article and recipe featuring ranch hand, writer, and poet Amy Hale Auker's "Amy's Stew; award-winning Range Radio DJ Bruce Pollock's "Ten Best Rodeo Songs"; publisher Bill Reynolds' piece on young Utah poet Augusta "Gussie" Keech; celebrated horseman Buck Brannaman's "What's the Rush"; an excerpt from Western writer and photographer Dane Coolidge's (1873-1940) Hidden Water, which is being serialized in the magazine; and much more.

The impressive print edition of Ranch & Reata is published in limited editions. Find some entries about Ranch & Reata at editor A.J. Mangum's blog and find more information here at www.rangeradio.com, where you can also view on-line versions of the current and past issues.

Posted 3/22

Poet and writer Rod Miller is the recipient of two Spur awards from the Western Writers of America. His poem "Tabula Rasa," from his recent book, Things a Cowboy Sees received the Best Western Poem Award, and his story, "The Death of Delgado," from The Traditional West; a Western Fictioneers Anthology, received the Best Short Fiction award.

Rod Miller has contributed a number of essays to CowboyPoetry.com about writing and reciting cowboy poetry. Find a list here in our feature that includes more about him, his publications, and some of his poetry. His poem, "The Beauty of Mountains," is included on the forthcoming edition of The BAR-D Roundup. Find more at writerrodmiller.com.

Western singer and songwriter Jon Chandler received the Best Western Song Spur Award for "Morning Star Moon" from his album, The Gang. He has previously received Spur awards for Best Novel and Best Song.

Cindy Meehl and Julie Goldman received the Spur Award for their documentary script for Buck, the widely acclaimed film about legendary horseman Buck Brannaman.

The organization notes, "Since 1953, Western Writers of America has promoted and honored the best in Western literature with the annual Spur Awards, selected by panels of judges. Awards, for material published last year, are given for works whose inspiration, image, and literary excellence best represent the reality and spirit of the American West...
Winners and finalists will be honored June 12-16, 2012 at the WWA Convention in Albuquerque, New Mexico."

Find the winners in all 17 categories in our Awards News here.

Posted 3/26

Senior editor Jennifer Denison offers an insightful look at horseman, singer, and songwriter Mike Beck in "Roaming Troubadour" in the April, 2012 issue of Western Horseman magazine. The illustrated feature article delves into his cowboying history, his time spent with the legendary horseman Bill Dorrance, and how his experiences influence his music.

Mike Beck is quoted Bill Dorrance, "Bill taught me that to do something well, you have to live it, breathe it, never stop thinking about it, and then start over the next day. If I'm learning a new melody, I remind myself to go slow, take my time and put it all together. That's the same thing Bill taught me to do with horses."

Mike Beck's songs, "Don't Tell Me" and "In Old California" (written with Ian Tyson) were cited as among the "top 13 songs for the trail" in the April, 2009 issue of Western Horseman. In this issue, "Beck's Picks" include his favorite ten albums in a range of genres.

See our feature about Mike Beck here.

The April issue also includes a review of R.J. Vandygriff's (cowboyaintdeadyet.com) "The Cowboy Ain't Dead Yet." R.J. Vandygriff's "Keep the Campfire A Burnin',” recently received the Western Heritage Wrangler Award for Outstanding Original Composition from the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.

The issue's cover is Tim Cox' painting, "The New Foal," and the work is featured in a "concept to completion" article about the painting. ("At His Own Pace" by Tim Cox was the image selected for the 2007 Cowboy Poetry Week poster. See our feature about Tim Cox here.)

Other interesting articles include contributing editor Ryan T. Bell's cover story, "Wide Open," about a three-day horse drive through western Idaho, accompanied by his striking photos; Assistant editor Kate Bradley's "Time Stands Still," about California's Gabilan Ranch, with photographs by Western Horseman publisher Darrell Dodds; and the third and final part of "Moon & Mozaun," about the training of a 2-year-old gelding, written by Susan Morrison, with photographs by Western Horseman editor Ross Hecox.

Baxter Black's commentary, "New Horses, Rough Country," is in his regular On the Edge of Common Sense column and there is an audio version of the column here on the Western Horseman web site.

Many additional articles on cowboy culture, ranching, horsemanship, and rodeo are included in the magazine's Cowboy Style, Ranchlands, Hands-on Horseman, and Inside the Arena sections.

Visit www.WesternHorseman.com for more about the current issue and web-only features, including many audio pieces by Baxter Black and a slide show of top Western artist Bill Owen's 30 Western Horseman covers, with his commentary.

[image of Mike Beck at the Dorrance Ranch by John McCleary]

Posted 3/12

Legendary songwriter Ian Tyson's words have become public art in Calgary. A March 28, 2012 article in the Calgary Herald quotes a local official, "We wanted to embed poetry...and the thought was cowboy poetry," and the reporter comments, "And only words from the West's consummate cowboy poet would do."

The words etched into the large limestone sculpture are from Ian Tyson's song "Land of Shining Mountains," from his 2005 Songs from the Gravel Road album.

See the article here.

A separate March 28, 2012 article by CBC-Canada includes a video of the song, which is also here on YouTube.

Ian Tyson has been named the Parade Marshall for the Calgary Stampede, which celebrates its centennial July 6-15m 2012. Read more in an article here.

Find more about Ian Tyson at his site, www.IanTyson.com.

Updated 3/30

With the deepest sadness, we have learned of the death of Doc Stovall, popular singer (Georgia's Official Balladeer), songwriter, radio host, poet, and Entertainment and Sponsorship Manager for the Booth Western Art Museum. He died in an auto accident on Wednesday, March 21.

Doc was the organizer of the Booth Museum's two annual cowboy gatherings and was an important force in their educational outreach.

From a March 21st Booth Museum media release:

It is with great sadness Booth Western Art Museum shares the news of the sudden passing of Entertainment & Sponsorship Manager Doc Stovall.

Executive Director Seth Hopkins states, "Booth Western Art Museum is so sorry to have lost our long-time friend and employee, Doc Stovall, in a tragic accident this morning. He will be sorely missed."

A native Virginian, Doc was well known as a Western singer and cowboy poet throughout America, having performed in twenty-five of the fifty states. Honored in 2002 as Georgia's Official Cowboy Balladeer by the Georgia State Legislature, he entertained audiences both young and old as he strived to keep alive the history of the West in music and song. In November of 2004, Doc was inducted into the Atlanta Country Music Hall of Fame, the first cowboy singer so honored, and in October of 2009 he received the Cowboy Keeper Award from the National Day of the Cowboy Association for his contributions to the preservation of Western heritage and cowboy culture. He had been employed as the Entertainment and Sponsorship Manager for Booth Western Art Museum since 2004.

Continued Hopkins, "We are appreciative of the condolences and kind words received throughout the day. We will let people know of arrangements as they become available.

Find a March 24, 2012 article from the Atlanta Constitution here.

Doc Stovall has several recordings and was working on a book of his cowboy poetry and a recording.

Mike McLean/McLeanPhoto.com

Photographer Mike McLean (www.McLeanPhoto.com) was working with Doc Stovall on an album project. He has shared selected images from the project here and commented on the one above, "He was a special man who touched so many lives. Of all the images I shot last year this was the one we all agreed captured his spirit most."

See Doc Stovall and his Tumbleweed Band in a video here. Find some of his poetry and lyrics in our feature here.

Find services information in our post here.

[photo at top by Jeri L. Dobrowski]

Updated 3/22

Wylie Gustafson, Wylie & the Wild West, and "rodeo poet" Paul Zarzyski perform in Russia, March 21-31, 2012, at the American Traditional Music Festival, part of "American Seasons in Russia," under the auspices of the U.S.-Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission. From the program's description:

CEC ArtsLink, in collaboration with the American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress, brings to Russia American performing groups that have made a significant contribution to the preservation and awareness of cultural heritage. With support from the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, the exciting concert series Festival of Traditional American Music as part of the "American Seasons in Russia" program will present a view of American cultural life that makes a distinct statement about the diversity of our artists and the vitality of our communities. The performers are true masters of their genres, dedicated to sharing their knowledge and ensuring endurance of these art forms for generations to come.

A March 16, 2012 article by Kristen Inbody in the Great Falls Tribune, "Montanans in Russia are ambassadors for cowboy culture," reports on the tour and quotes both Wylie Gustafson and Paul Zarzyski.

Wylie & the Wild West and Paul Zarzyski just finished a tour of the West coast, sponsored by the National Council for the Traditional Arts, Don't Fence Me In; Songs, Music, and Poetry of the American West.

See more about Wylie Gustafson in our feature here, and more about Paul Zarzyski here.

[photo by Jeri Dobrowski; see her gallery of western performers and others here.]

Updated 3/16

Wickenburg, Arizona's Desert Caballeros Western Museum hosts "Cowgirls with a Camera," March 10-May 27, 2012.

From their description:

Featuring the work of some of the most talented women photographers in the nation working in the Western genre, this first annual invitational Cowgirls with a Camera exhibition will thrill fine art photography lovers. The subject matter ranges from mustangs to working horses, ranch life to rodeo, and the stunning landscapes of the American West.

Lori Faith Merritt, noted equine photographer and an official photographer for the Western Music Association, is among the invited photographers. She shared the image above, "One Day," which will be included in the exhibit.

Lori Faith Merritt's photograph, "Heading Out," was featured in a special National Day of the Cowboy Art Spur in 2009. See the image and the resulting poems here.

Find more about Lori Faith Merritt and her galleries at photographybyfaith.com.

Find more about the exhibit at the Desert Caballeros Western Museum web site.

Posted 3/6

Respected cowboy balladeer Don Edwards is featured in an interview in the April/May, 2012 issue of American Cowboy magazine by Deputy Editor Tom Wilmes.

Don Edwards tells about his latest project, "a forthcoming album that explores the crossroads of cowboy music and the blues," his cowboy music roots and interest in the history of cowboy songs, and more about his work and life.

Update 3/8: Find the entire article and a video here.

Find more about Don Edwards in our feature here and visit his web site, www.donedwardsmusic.com.

The magazine's fold-out cover features the work of master photographer of David Stoecklein (stoeckleinphotography.com) and inside, a feature includes his images of cowboys, from Texas to Montana.

Top cowboy singer and songwriter Dave Stamey's recent CD, Twelve Mile Road, is a featured review, in a piece written by Charley Engel of Calling All Cowboys radio. Dave Stamey is quoted, "It's the best thing I've done...It's more about my experiences in the ranching world and my history." Charley Engel also has a capsule review of Jean Prescott's America, Home Sweet Home ("moving songs about those who have answered the call to duty"), and Tom Wilmes has a brief review of Wylie & the Wild West's Rocketbuster ("Every note...echoes with joy").

There are many additional articles and features in this issue, which includes a cover feature, "Homes on the Range; the 20 Best Rural Towns in the West." Regular departments include Frontiers, Cowboys, Travel, Gear, KnowHow, and Then & Now. The American Cowboy web site has additional features.

[photo by Donald Kallaus]

Updated 3/8

Rancher and Wyoming Poet Laureate Patricia Frolander's recent poetry collection, Married Into It, is the recipient of the 2012 Western Heritage Wrangler Award for Outstanding Poetry Book from the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum

South Dakota rancher, poet, writer and editor Linda M. Hasselstrom has commented about the book, "Patricia Frolander’s tough and tender poems introduce us to the history of a community and a loving family. She portrays the labors of ranch life in exquisite and sometimes bone-chilling detail, explaining why both 'Commitment' and 'Denial' mean so much. Her 'Attitude' makes the difference between success and failure, and she finds joy in every day.”

Find more about Patricia Frolander and read some of her poetry in our feature here.

Some previous recipients of the Outstanding Poetry Book Western Heritage Wrangler Award include Paul Zarzyski, J.B. Allen, Andy Wilkinson, Linda Hasselstrom, Linda Hussa, Bruce Roseland, and John Dofflemyer.

Recipients of 2012 music awards are R.J. Vandygriff (Outstanding Original Composition) and Dan Roberts (Outstanding Traditional Western Music Album). Find all 2012 Wrangler Award recipients in all other categories in our news here and at the Museum's site here.

Awards will be presented at the 51st Anniversary Western Heritage Awards at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, April 21, 2012.

[photo of Patricia Frolander by Francie Ganje; award photo courtesy of the National Western and Cowboy Heritage Museum: "The coveted Wrangler, a stunning bronze sculpture of a cowboy on horseback, is presented by the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in 15 categories of Western music, film, television and literature in the Western genre." ]

Posted 2/29

Montana ranch hand, poet, picker and songwriter DW Groethe is featured on NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday's "What's in a Song," broadcast February 26, 2012. He tells about the inspiration for his song, "One for the Workin' Cowboy," and performs it. You can listen to the broadcast here.

DW Groethe has performed many times at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering and at other events, including the National Folk Festival in Richmond, Virginia, and Butte, Montana. In 2005, he was invited to Washington, D.C., by the American Folklife Center and the Library of Congress, with performances at the Library and on the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage. Find more about DW Groethe in our feature here.

"What's in a Song" is an occasional series from the Western Folklife Center "that weaves together a tapestry of American music, one song and one story at a time..." Previous programs have included Baxter Black, Mike Beck, Stephanie Davis, Connie Dover, Stan Howe, Tom Russell, and others. Find many of the broadcasts here at NPR and also here at the Western Folklife Center.

The March, 2012 edition of Western Horseman magazine, with a cover by noted Western artist Bill Anton, features Senior Editor Jennifer Denison's cover story "Ranching on the Rocks," about the lives and work of Gail Steiger and Amy Hale Auker on Arizona's remote Spider Ranch. Jennifer Denison writes, "If Gail has learned anything for certain about ranching in Arizona's high desert, it is that he must compromise and let nature take its course. As Amy points out, this country will guarantee that cowboys learn to be flexible."

Songster Andy Hedges is featured prominently in the magazine's Cowboy Style section in a profile, "Digging up Roots," also by Jennifer Denison. Aptly described as blending "tradition with vanguard," Andy Hedges is recognized for his study of early cowboy and folk songs, his fine performances of that music, and his outstanding poetry recitations. The article discusses his own roots and his recent collaborations with Andy Wilkinson (the two received the Western Heritage Wrangler Award for their 2010 album, Welcome to the Tribe.) Andy Hedges is quoted in the article, "I'm interested in seeing cowboy music become part of the broader realm of of American folk music..."

Also of cowboy cultural interest in the March issue: a review of Daron Little's Ranch Cowboy Music; a review of the Vaquero Series DVDs (tapadero.com); a piece about the cover artist Bill Anton; Baxter Black's commentary, "Fowl Play," in his regular On the Edge of Common Sense column; and more on craftsmen, artisans, collectibles, and cooking.

Many additional interesting and generously illustrated articles on ranching, horsemanship, and rodeo are included in the magazine's Ranchlands, Hands-on Horseman, and Inside the Arena sections.

Visit www.WesternHorseman.com for more about the current issue and web-only features, including audio pieces by Baxter Black and a slide show of top Western artist Bill Owen's 30 Western Horseman covers, with his commentary.

Posted 2/20

Fort Worth's Amon Carter Museum presents selected works of "cowboy artist" Charles M. Russell in an exhibit, Romance Maker: The Watercolors of Charles M. Russell, February 11, 2012–May 13, 2012. From their description:

More than 100 of the finest and best-preserved watercolors by Charles M. Russell (1864–1926) will be featured in this special exhibition. Never before have so many of these singular depictions of the Old West been brought together.

Russell’s advice to a fellow artist to “cinch your saddle on romance” defined his work, where vivid subjects culled from his own youthful experiences were fused with the power of his artistic imagination to create unforgettable images of the mythic American frontier....

The Amon Carter Museum "...was established through the generosity of Amon G. Carter Sr. (1879–1955) to house his collection of paintings and sculpture by Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell..."

Find more about the exhibit at the museum's web site here.

Posted 1/4

The December 2011/January 2012 Ranch & Reata, the magazine's fifth issue, includes features accompanied by striking photography and art.

Among the highlights in the current issue: illustrated stories about the late, much-admired cowboy singer and songwriter Chris LeDoux (pictured on the cover) by Mark Bedor and by Bruce Pollock; a profile of popular songwriter and musician Corb Lund (accompanied by editor A.J. Mangum's insightful "Editor's Note"); celebrated horseman Buck Brannaman's "Making the Right Things Easy"; Kathy McCraine's profile of young cowboy Joel Maloney, "Making a Hand"; a beautifully illustrated article about Luis Ortega and his legendary rawhide creations; Tom Russell's extensive piece, "Blood on the Saddle; the long Shadow of Tex Ritter"; a profile of notable Western artist Jack Swanson by William Reynolds; a pictorial featuring the bronzes of sculptor John Coleman; a Q&A with author William Kittredge; a pictorial of photographer Will Brewster's "Winter in the West" images; Jameson Parker's feature about Utah saddlemaker Jeff Hanson; articles about rare cowboy books and about interesting web sites; an excerpt from Western writer and photographer Dane Coolidge's (1873-1940) Hidden Water, which is being serialized in the magazine; and much more.

Find some entries about Ranch & Reata at A.J. Mangum's blog and find more information here at www.rangeradio.com, where you can also view on-line versions of the current and past issues.

Posted 1/19

The Winter, 2011 Persimmon Hill magazine from the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum includes Jeri Dobrowski's feature article about cowboy poet, humorist, and celebrated chuckwagon cook Kent Rollins. "Wrasslin' Pans and Pots at the Red River Chuck Wagon Boot Camp" explores the experience of "a taste of life in an Old West cow camp" and profiles Kent Rollins. In the lively article, which includes Jeri Dobrowski's photography, she comments, "Rollins wants folks to get more out of the experience than just learning to cook. He serves up life lessons and turns out friends."

Find more about the Red River Chuck Wagon Boot Camp at www.kentrollins.com and find more about Kent Rollins in our feature here. Jeri Dobrowski's monthly Cowboy Jam Session column appears at CowboyPoetry.com and in other publications. Find more about her and her photography, including a gallery of Western performers and other personalities at www.JeriDobrowski.com. There are images from her experience at the Chuck Wagon Boot Camp here.

Also in the current Persimmon Hill issue: top cowboy singer and songwriter R.W. Hampton is profiled by Edna Mae Holden in "R.W. Hampton—On the Road & at Home"; articles including those about the recent Cowboy Crossings art show and sale by the Cowboy Artists of America and the Traditional Cowboy Arts Association, Will James' art, Western actor Ed Harris, and the Calgary Stampede; additional features, articles and commentary; photos from recent museum events; exhibit and event information; and more.

Persimmon Hill is described as "the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum's award-winning journal on the West." It is available to museum members and by subscription. Find information here.

[photo of Jeri Dobrowski by Jen Dorbrowski; photo of Kent Rollins by Jeri Dobrowski; see her gallery of western performers and others here.]

Updated 1/18

Top cowboy poet Waddie Mitchell received the 2012 Nevada Heritage Award from the Nevada Arts Council during the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering on February 2, 2012.

From the official media release:

Mitchell was nominated by the Western Folklife Center and supported by letters from his community of Elko, as well as the community of cowboy and western poets. “Waddie Mitchell has become an icon of Nevada, of buckaroo culture (cowboys of the Great Basin), and of cowboy poetry itself,” wrote Charlie Seemann, director of the Western Folklife Center.

The Nevada Heritage Award honors Nevada folk artists and tradition bearers who are the finest and most influential masters of their particular art form(s) and who have had a significant impact on the people and communities of the state.

Waddie Mitchell is a popular and respected cowboy poet and exponent of western heritage and Buckaroo traditions; a gifted performer and teacher of cowboy poetry and oral traditions; a veteran cowboy and rancher; and a skilled interpreter of the history and environment of the Great Basin from the perspective of the cowboy/rancher.
....

Created in 2010, the Nevada Heritage Award honors and recognizes Nevada master folk and traditional artists who, at the highest level of excellence and authenticity, carry forward the folk traditions of their families and communities through practice and teaching.
....

Waddie Mitchell was inducted into the Nevada Writers Hall of Fame in November, 2011. See our news item about the award here.

Find more about Waddie Mitchell in our feature here and at WaddieMitchell.com (where there are two audio poems).

Waddie Mitchell recites his poem, "No Second Chance" on The BAR-D Roundup, Volume Five and Larry McWhorter's poem, "Cowboy Count Yet Blessings," along with Larry McWhorter, on The BAR-D Roundup: Volume Six.

[photo by Donald Kallus]

Posted 1/25

The February, 2012 edition of Western Horseman magazine, with a cover by artist Clark Kelley Price, features Senior Editor Jennifer Denison's "Chronicle of a Cowgirl Camp Cook," about her experience at Kent Rollins' (pictured) Red River Chuck Wagon Boot Camp. She writes that the days spent there, "...were about more than cooking or earning a diploma. They were meant for sharing, becoming a family, preserving traditions and gaining a little wisdom we can apply to our daily lives." (Find more about Kent Rollins in our feature here.)

Jennifer Denison also devotes a generous amount of space to a review of writer, poet, and ranch hand Amy Hale Auker's recent, acclaimed collection of essays, Rightful Place. She writes, "...Auker's eloquent, descriptive narratives fill readers' imaginations with vivid imagery, and intimately connect them to her and the West." (Find more about Amy Hale Auker in our feature here.)

The February issue, which is a special travel issue, also includes a feature, "Small Towns, Cowboy Charm," about 10 "favorite small towns with the most authentic cowboy ambiance," which includes Elko, Nevada, home of the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering; Alpine Texas, home of the Texas Cowboy Poetry Gathering; Prescott, Arizona, home of the Arizona Cowboy Poets Gathering; and Wickenburg, Arizona, home of the Cowboy Christmas Poets Gathering. There is also a "Travel and Adventure Guide" with a focus on equine adventures.

Also included in the February issue: Assistant Editor Kate Bradley's articles about working cattle ranches that welcome working guests, about California's Varian family's V6 Ranch, and about the Casey Tibbs South Dakota Rodeo Center; Contributing Editor Ryan T. Bell's story on a national network of riding trails that follow abandoned railroad lines; Western Horseman publisher Darrell Dodd's report on a David Stoecklein photography workshop; part one of Susan Morrison's three-part series on a colt, "Moon," being trained by Mozaun McKibben; Guy de Galard's interview with Wyoming blacksmith Jill Sorenson; Editor Ross Hecox' article about the status of the horse market and his story about taking part in the first Working Ranch Cow Horse Camp; Baxter Black's commentary, "The Scars to Prove It," in his regular On the Edge of Common Sense column; and more.

The many articles are collected in regular departments: Ranchlands, Hands-on Horseman, Inside the Arena, and Cowboy Style. Visit www.WesternHorseman.com for more about the current issue and web-only features, including audio pieces by Baxter Black and a slide show of top Western artist Bill Owen's 30 Western Horseman covers, with his commentary.

Posted 1/23

The Back at the Ranch e-newsletter was sent Tuesday, January 31 to the generous supporters of CowboyPoetry.com and the Center for Western and Cowboy Poetry. The occasional newsletter includes previews of news and forthcoming features and projects from CowboyPoetry.com and the Center for Western and Cowboy Poetry.

Contact us if you are a supporter who did not receive the newsletter. Find information about supporting the BAR-D here.

Posted 1/31