Cowboy Poetry Matters: From Abilene to the Mainstream : Contemporary Cowboy WritingRobert McDowell Story Line Press, 2000 - 273 pages In his groundbreaking essay "Can Poetry Matter?" (reprinted here), Dana Gioia suggested that many types of poetry, assumed by some readers to be marginal art, should not so easily be deleted from mainstream American literature. Throughout the twentieth century, perhaps no important writing has been as seriously -- and mistakenly -- overlooked by the literati as Cowboy poetry. Essentially connected to the folk tale, to legend, myth, the ballad, and song, and vitally enhanced by the contemporary voices of independent ranch women, Cowboy poetry vividly connects us to our past and our fragile, threatened natural environment. The writers included here, both working horse-and-cattle people and mainstream authors, share the brand of bold expression and independent thought found only among the best literary artists. Here is not literary theory. Here is literary life. An anthology as diverse as America herself! |
From inside the book
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Page 7
... appear with the permission of the author ; Dana Gioia's essay appears courtesy of the author and Graywolf Press ; Tami Haaland's poems are reprinted here courtesy of the author ; Donald Hall's " Names of Horses " appears here with the ...
... appear with the permission of the author ; Dana Gioia's essay appears courtesy of the author and Graywolf Press ; Tami Haaland's poems are reprinted here courtesy of the author ; Donald Hall's " Names of Horses " appears here with the ...
Page 224
... appears in the handful of small magazines and quarterlies that consistently discuss a broad cultural agenda with ... appearing each year for anyone to evaluate , the reader must rely on the candor and discernment of reviewers to ...
... appears in the handful of small magazines and quarterlies that consistently discuss a broad cultural agenda with ... appearing each year for anyone to evaluate , the reader must rely on the candor and discernment of reviewers to ...
Page 233
... appear after one printing . ) Occasionally a book of new poems would capture the public's fancy . Edwin Arlington Robinson's Tristram ( 1927 ) became a Literary Guild selection . Frost's A Further Range sold 50,000 copies as a 1936 Book ...
... appear after one printing . ) Occasionally a book of new poems would capture the public's fancy . Edwin Arlington Robinson's Tristram ( 1927 ) became a Literary Guild selection . Frost's A Further Range sold 50,000 copies as a 1936 Book ...
Common terms and phrases
ain't Albert American poetry anthologies asked audience Baxter Black branding broncs Buck calf calves canon cattle Charles Badger Clark contemporary cowboy and ranching Cowboy Poetry Gathering coyote creative-writing critics culture Dana Gioia Dofflemyer Donald Hall dream earth Elko essay etry eyes fence gate grass hands hear heard heart herd horse Hussa knew Lariati listen literary literature living look magazines Marianne Moore Montana Nevada never night numbers oral pastoral Paul Zarzyski poems Poetry Gathering program poetry's poets popular poetry Press published R. P. Blackmur rancher ranching poetry range readers recited Review rhyme Richard Hugo ride Robert Frost Robinson Jeffers rodeo rural saddle shoe singing song story subculture There's things town tradition trail turn verse Wallace McRae Wallace Stevens Wallis West western Western Folklife Center wild wind words writing