National Cowboy Poetry Gathering
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Poetry Out Loud gets teens from across the country reading and writing, and this morning cowboy poets Paul Zarzyski and Randy Rieman lead a workshop to get local teens up on stage sharing their talents with the spoken word. Rieman worked with Poetry Out Loud in Montana and thought that promoting youth poetry would be a great addition to the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering. He also stresses the importance of community support for youth programs like this one.
Recitations by Cody Bates, Anna Wheeler, Mikayla Bates and Mikayla Dimick showed that there is much talent to be found in young poets, and that their voices breathe life into the words that are otherwise read. Though the list of names appears short, the array of talent was invigorating. It is great to see the next generation of poets unafraid of stage and audience. These teens could be the authors of the next set of great poetry, but it takes a strong community to give opportunities to talented kids like these. Don't miss the chance to see other up and coming talent over the rest of the week.
Written by Mike Gamm
Photos by Charlie Eckburg
