"In this text, author and editor David Fillingim turns his attention to the West - West Georgia that is. This book examines how the contemporary cowboy poetry revival that sprung up in 1985 in Elko, Nevada, has borne fruit in the Peach State. First, Fillingim traces the history of cowboy poetry and its emergence as a cultural phenomenon. Then he recounts the story of how Georgia became home to a vibrant cowboy poetry scene. But the largest part of the book is an anthology of poems by some of the finest cowboy poets anywhere, and they all happen to be in Georgia." "As celebrated cowboy-poet Doris Daley says in the preface, "everywhere is west of somewhere". So settle in, and travel with Fillingim to someplace west of wherever you are, and enjoy this unique combination of shrewd scholarly analysis and heartwarming cowboy poetry." --Book Jacket.

The poems in this book were inspired by things Mike Booth learned along life's path and through stories that he heard from so many of the people he became friends with, and the cowboys along the way who taught him the ways of the cowboy. As you read this book, I hope you will appreciate Mike's feelings about the cowboy way and the people who aspire to it. With the reading, in some small manner, it may either take you back or maybe introduce you to the cowboy and his way of life.

Author Sharon Carpenter was introduced to the cowboy poetry writing and performing style by Joel Hayes, founder of Douglas Countys Poetry Writers Group located in Douglasville, Georgia. She was a performing poet with the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Annual Georgia Cowboy Gatherings. Now, she has collected her cowboy poetry into one volume. Western Cowboy Poetry: An African American Perspective is an engaging collection of poems specifically written to be delivered at cowboy poetry gatherings. These verses provide an imaginary yet entertaining perspective on what life experiences might have been like for African Americans who strived to live in the western region of the United States during both the pre- and post-civil war era. These poems offer historical and contemporary cowboy viewpoints and they are based upon research of historical contributions of African Americans. Western Cowboy Poetry consists of four sections, emphasizing the journey and contributions of African American cowboys; the work experience for these cowboys; cowboy love stories; and the perspective of African American cowhands of the time on values. Isom Dart Let me tell you the story Of ol Isom Dart, How he broke my will and my soul, And also my heart. He was as elusive as them horses He was always chasin; You think you landed him, Then you findtime, it was a wastin Sharons unique style brings an African American perspective on western cowboy poetry. Douglas County Sentinel

The National Cowboy Poetry Gathering is the granddaddy of all cowboy poetry events, proclaimed by the US Senate in 2000 in recognition of its pioneering role in the preservation and revitalization of this important American tradition. In conjunction with the 30th anniversary of the event, this commemorative volume collects 100 poems by various cowboy poets who have appeared at the gathering over the last three decades, from Baxter Black and Wallace McRae to Georgie Sicking and Paul Zarzyski. Representing the best contemporary cowboy poetry from the first gathering to the present, the poets and poems are culled for their importance and quality with consideration for a wide range of topics that represent the richness and depth of this broad genre. In addition to poems that will make you smile, sigh, or sit up straight in your saddle, the anthology features expressive photos of the contributors, biographical and explanatory headnotes, relevant artwork from the Western Folklife Center's extensive archives, and illuminating sidebars on various topics such as working cattle; life on the land; the relationship between cowboy poetry and song; gear, horses, or cattle mentioned in poems; and profiles and photos of important cowboy poets from earlier times. Cowboy poet extraordinare Baxter Black will provide a foreword, and Charlie Seemann, executive director of the Western Folklife Center, will write an introduction that gives context both to the event itself and to cowboy poetry in general, from the days of the trail drives in the nineteenth century to the lives of the hardworking men and women who still ranch and live on the land in the West today.

Author Sharon Carpenter was introduced to the cowboy poetry writing and performing style by Joel Hayes, founder of Douglas County's Poetry Writers Group located in Douglasville, Georgia. She was a performing poet with the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Annual Georgia Cowboy Gatherings. Now, she has collected her cowboy poetry into one volume. Western Cowboy Poetry: An African American Perspective is an engaging collection of poems specifically written to be delivered at cowboy poetry gatherings. These verses provide an imaginary yet entertaining perspective on what life experiences might have been like for African Americans who strived to live in the western region of the United States during both the pre- and post-civil war era. These poems offer historical and contemporary cowboy viewpoints and they are based upon research of historical contributions of African Americans. Western Cowboy Poetry consists of four sections, emphasizing the journey and contributions of African American cowboys; the work experience for these cowboys; cowboy love stories; and the perspective of African American cowhands of the time on values. Isom Dart Let me tell you the story Of ol' Isom Dart, How he broke my will and my soul, And also my heart. He was as elusive as them horses He was always chasin'; You think you landed him, Then you find—time, it was a wastin' ... "Sharon's unique style brings an African American perspective on western cowboy poetry." —Douglas County Sentinel

This book offers the first in-depth examination of a distinctive and community-based tradition rich with larger-than-life heroes, vivid occupational language, humor, and unblinking encounters with birth, death, nature, and animals in the poetry.

These recent works are from America's best cowboy and cowgirl poets, most of whom are regular participants in local cowboy poetry gatherings and in the Granddaddy Gathering held each January in Elko, Nevada. Included here are some of the best-known poets, such as Waddie Mitchell, Wally McRae, and more who breathe reality into the myth of the ranching life. Cowboy Poetry is a cultural phenomenon that continues to spread like wildfire across the country.