November 2022
We’ve had this question come over the wire a few times now. And, while the phrasings vary, the concern is the same—how do I get heard? how do I get better? how do I put my poems out there? So, we chose one version that we thought would yield advice from the panel fitting for all who have asked this question…and then we sat on the edge of our seats and waited for their replies. So, without further ado, this month’s intrepid inquiry:
“I know how this sounds, but I think I'm one of the best new cowboy poets out there. My style is unique, and while there are some really great cowboy poets and poems–mine stand out on their own. But, I'm late to the roundup, as they say. So, how might you suggest the best way to get the poems out there where the public can judge if I'm as good as I say, or just full of myself?”
- Putting Myself Out There
The panel moves from the page to the stage for a live Ask a Cowboy Poet show on Fri, Feb. 3, 2023 at the 38th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering. Submit your questions for consideration in the monthly column, and possibly the live show!
Waddie Mitchell:
I guarantee Casey Tibbs was a better bronc rider on his hundredth nod than on his first, but I will also say he could've probably beat me on his first and my hundredth. Some folks are naturally gifted in different fields. The best say that they had luck and the harder they worked the more luck they had.
A friend sang in parking lots, at gas station openings, funeral halls, schools, old folks homes, hospitals, and a lot of open mics before he got his lucky break. He was prepared for that break and took off from there.
If I were serious about being called a cowboy poet, I'd first ask which kind? The page poet, which leaves it to the publisher? The reciter? Or both? If both, and that is what most people like, I would then ask which I'm better at and work on the other. You never know who might be in the audience.
It is best not to talk cows if you don't savvy them, or cars if you don't drive. Write what you know, admire, live, and love, or what makes you laugh or scares the heck out of you.
I suggest when one's ready, they build their submissions to their liking and go to submitting, put in some miles and get heard. Let the art do the talking, be persistent to self and in effort and for gosh sakes, keep on keeping on.
Virginia Bennett:
Cowboy poetry, like any literary effort, is subjective. What is one person’s young, tough range bull with proven bloodlines might be a sale barn reject to someone else. You say that you think you are one of the best new cowboy poets out there, and my initial response is, “Well, the audience and fans will be the judge of that.” You might be a hair biased. I also think that for some folks who are new to the Cowboy Poetry Gathering scene, there is a misconception that it is a competition. It is not and never has been. It is actually a family reunion, local “grange hall meeting” experience, where it’s not the place to put yourself on a pedestal above all others. Going into it with that sort of ego isn’t going to get you anywhere or win you any points. To me, anyway, the best way to approach it is to go there wanting to learn (especially if it’s your first gathering), to hear others, and to share what you have to say. Amongst cowboy poets, few that I know will say anyone is the “best out there.” Let alone refer to themselves that way.
That being said, if you make an adjustment in the way you are approaching this and have the right kind of attitude, you should do what most cowboy poets who are respected and oft-invited did when they first started: go to a gathering and participate in an open mic session. Or two or three. Get yourself out there and present your stuff. It’s good to have self-confidence within yourself but, outwardly, humility and that good old, cowboy, “Aw, Shucks” attitude is going to make the audience and event presenters love you the more. Get the mindset that you have a lot to learn, that you can’t wait to hear others and see who is out there and all they have to share, listen to the longtime, experienced poets to get a feeling for what works (while not in a way that makes you want to copy anybody), and just be your humble, authentic self and you will have a great time. And in the end, that is what any cowboy poetry gathering is all about.
Yvonne Hollenbeck:
Dear "Putting Yourself Out There,"
I'm going to start my response by first telling how I was on a committee that started a cowboy poetry gathering 33 years ago, and it is still going strong. Before we put together our first event, we consulted with several people of great experience. The first piece of advice which we followed was, "Whenever someone tells you how great they are, you can bet they are not...do not hire them!" In other words, I would hesitate patting yourself on the back too much or you might end up with nothing but a sore elbow.
You may very well be the best cowboy poet on the planet, but you have not heard everyone, I'm sure. There are millions of poems and thousands of writers, so it would be virtually impossible to judge your work with all of the rest. Baxter Black was, without a doubt, the Godfather of cowboy poetry. You never ever heard Baxter brag on himself, and he was always striving to improve. The same goes with the likes of Red Steagall, the late Rodney Nelson, Pat Richardson, Jess Howard, and Elizabeth Ebert. Many others are writing and performing, all without any ego.
The best way to get your poems out there is to literally get them out there any way possible. Every gathering has open mic sessions. Get on them. Volunteer to present your poetry at schools, even church events. You never know when someone will hear you and like what they hear (especially if it is as good as you say it is) and you will be on your way to stardom. Post some of your poetry on social media sites and even send them to local newspapers. One thing I have learned through my many years of writing and performing cowboy poetry, is that the ladder to success in the cowboy poetry genre is not much of a ladder. It is more like a step-stool. Just enjoy what you are writing, get it out there, join open mic sessions, and get to know your audiences and fellow poets, and enjoy the ride. You will meet some wonderful people and that is the biggest reward you will gain.
Dick Gibford:
All I can pull outta my suggestion hat is, saddle up and trot on up to the Elko cowboy poetry gathering so you can get in on as many open microphone sessions as are available, so we can hear you perform and recite your poems. That would be a good place to start. Good luck, and I for one will sit and listen if I am not too busy elsewhere.
DW Groethe:
Dear Putting Myself Out There,
If you're serious about being out there as a poet, then start performing at any gatherings you can get to. Most all of them have open mic sessions where you can get up and do your stuff. I'll wager that's how the majority of us got started. Then there's always the local service clubs that might be interested in some entertainment. Submitting your work to various rural/ranching magazines can be another route. Really, tho, you just have to go out and let the world know who you are, and for cowboy poetry hitting the "gathering" circuit is the best way to go.
Thanks for asking,
dw
Bill Lowman:
That's good, I like folks that are original, real, and do their own thing. That's what records our way of life. There are many subcultures within our culture, from geographical sprawl to climates. Stay within your own for authenticity. I have known at least two poets that tried and failed to copy Baxter Black. One had so many emotional problems over it that he had to receive professional counseling. Be yourself, there was only one Baxter.
To try and answer your question, it would be very helpful if I was made aware of your background and current life. It's an unwritten and unmentioned "LAW" in our tradition to not "blow your own horn." If your material is authentic and real, others will applaud it. It turns people off like a light switch when one proclaims they're personally the best new cowboy poet out there. I realize times have changed to where cowboy poetry has gone commercial, rather than its original meaning of its existence. I would recommend, if you do have a local budding reputation, ask them if you can use their names and influence in recommending you to key contacts. Try your local or state stockmen's conventions or any other ag-related meetings to do a few poems. Stay away from bars and nightclubs–a few drinks produces obnoxious hecklers. Your state arts council folklorist is a very good outreach. They do a very wholesome job in helping identify our culture and are trained to leave it as they find it as yours, not to edit or correct slang and ethics as many news reporters do.
I wish you luck, but keep the arrogance quietly to yourself–others will like you and your poetry much better.
Note from the Western Folklife Center: No, we did not ask the poets to promote open mics! But, the common thread in their answers illuminates the importance of open mics, not just to budding voices, but to the growth (and learning) of cowboy poetry as it has shifted from the campfire to the convention center. More information on open mics at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering can be found here.
