The National Cowboy Poetry Gathering is the granddaddy of all cowboy poetry events and was recognized by the US Senate for its pioneering role in the preservation and revitalization of this important American tradition, and just in time for our 30th Gathering, the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering-The Anthology, a commemorative book of 264 pages, collects over 100 poems by various cowboy poets who have appeared at the Gathering from 1985-2013!

In addition to poems that will make you laugh, sigh, or sit up straight in your saddle, the anthology features expressive photos, biographical head notes, and artwork from our archives here at the Western Folklife Center. It also features illuminating sidebars on topics such as working cattle, life on the land, the relationship between cowboy poetry and song, gear and horses, and profiles of important poets from earlier times.

A foreword by large animal veterinarian and cowboy poet extraordinaire Baxter Black and an additional introduction give context both to the event itself and to cowboy poetry in general from the days of the trail drives in the 19th century to the lives of the hardworking folks still ranching and living on the land in the West today.

(2013) Lyons Press - paperback edition