Cowboy Poets of Utah

NOTES FROM ELKO!

The 23^rd National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nevada has just concluded, and many of our members attended. Colen Sweeten and Jerry Brooks were both featured poets – Colen for the 22^nd time – and as expected both of them gave outstanding performances. Brooksie made the front page of the Elko Free Press (local paper) on Wednesday, for her part on the Tuesday night show – which apparently was pretty dang impressive. We’re proud of you, Brooksie. Colen was featured on Murphey’s Friday night concert at Stockmen’s, and Murph was still braggin’ him up when I saw the show on Saturday. CR Wood and Rod Miller were both there, and I shared a set with Smoke Wade – who was very, very good. Kenny Hall had a couple of sets on stage in the auxiliary, as did STAMPEDE! – who also performed at the museum on Friday night as part of the opening reception. Our good friend Jeff Wolf had an exhibition at the museum, and demonstrated the process of creating in clay at the opening.

This year Elko brought in some of my favorite poet buddies, DW Groethe, Jay Snider and Bimbo Cheney, as well as the usual crowd of names we all recognize, and it’s always fun to cheer on friends – especially when they’re so awfully good! Michael and I of course would have gone out just to hear Dave Stamey, who was featured this year, and he surely did not disappoint us. He shared songs from his new CD – still in the works – and it seems he’s come up with a new collection talking about the indios during the mission years in old California. Some powerful stuff. Can’t wait until the CD is actually available.

One of the highlights of the festival for me was an open mic session when two fisher-gal singer/poets from the northwest stood up and belted out a couple of Celtic/Native American folk tunes, a capella and in great voice. Very gutsy little ladies. I also sat in on a jam session with Juni Fisher, Patty Clayton and Jill Jones, and felt very privileged for the opportunity. Some of the best shows in Elko are unscheduled. Got to play music with Dave Bourne, Kenny Hall and Mike Tcherkassy (they tolerated me) at Bimbo’s house, and there is ALWAYS something going on at night at the Folklife Center or upstairs at Stockmen’s.

Margo Metegrano from Cowboy Poetry.Com was in town, although as seems to happen at busy events we didn’t get much time to visit. And I HEARD that Janalee Martin had come home for the festival – but unfortunately for me our paths never crossed. I did have a nice visit with Carol Edison, from our own Utah Arts Council, and found dozens of other reasons to grin, nod enthusiastically, or just be thrilled. I know there are CPU members who’ve never been to Elko, and I’m going to offer the suggestion once more that you make it a point to be there for the 24^th gathering, next year! Don’t wait for an invitation – they don’t invite me, either! There is plenty to do without one, and lots of performance time available if that’s what you’re looking for. We always come back glad to have been there, rejuvenated and spiritually invigorated. Ja, sure, you betcha.

(You would’ve had to have been in Elko…)

-Jo Kirkwood

Hi everyone - I've updated my cowboy poetry website/blog. The new version contains embedded videos, audio files, interesting links - and of course traditional photos and text. Take a look . http://paulkern.com

All the best! Paul

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Stan Tixier has a new email address:

s-jtixier@oValley.net

MOAB WESTERN STARS GATHERING is coming up in just two weeks, and we’ll be having a very important CPU meeting on Saturday night at the gathering. Everyone who can be there should plan to attend, whether or not you’re currently scheduled to perform. There is a complete schedule of events here in the newsletter, and you’ll notice we’ve also included UNSCHEDULED times for folks who decide to come on down, but aren’t now listed as performers. PLEASE SCHEDULE YOUR TIME in advance, if you’d like to participate. You can call me (JO) or send an email – but be sure I reply so that YOU KNOW that you’re scheduled for the time you’d like to be scheduled.

There will also be performance times available during the Saturday night jam session, and on Sunday during Cowboy Church (please schedule Cowboy Church performance time with Curly Syndergaard – lazyCS@wmconnect.com) OR you could just go ahead and take your chances and wait until you’re there to schedule a time. HOPE ALL OUR MEMBERS can attend.

Michael Martin Murphey will perform on Saturday. Tickets required.

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We have several new members. Add them to your mailing list, and be sure and say “Howdy” if you get the chance.

Probert Family

PO Box 560146

Scipio, Utah 84656

435-758-2404

Brooke Turner, Brook

3424 260th

Clarinda, Iowa 51632

712-585-3549

Laurali Noteman

1299 South Stewart Drive

Kanab UT 84741

Jacob Winterton

2730 West 2400 South

Charleston UT 84032

It has been brought to my attention that some new members occasionally feel excluded because they don’t receive invitations to events. We hope everyone feels a part of the group, but if you haven’t been given a good shot here is an opportunity for you to start performing and get to know folks. Just so you know… I first met Val Carter AND Kenny Hall at jam sessions, not shows… and they’re currently our president and vice-president. So….. Come on down to Moab!!!!

MOAB WESTERN STARS Schedule

FRIDAY

Noon --Don Weller Art Show Opens at the Overlook Gallery

Noon --Western Art Exhibition and Competition Opens at the MARC

Noon—Children’s Art Exhibition and Competition Opens at the MARC

4:00 – 6:00 p.m. Opening Reception for Don Weller at the Overlook Gallery

7:00 p.m. – Andy Nelson kicks off the weekend with Saddle Strings, Paul Bliss, Jo Lynne Kirkwood and Sam DeLeeuw at the MARC

SATURDAY

Good Morning Cowboys and Cowgirls! At the MARC.

9:00 a.m – 10:00 a.m. Andy Nelson, Al Clark, Sam DeLeeuw

10:00 a.m.—11:00 a.m. Poetry Workshop with JoLynne Kirkwood at the MARC

10:00 a.m. –11:00 a.m. Paul Bliss, Jerry Brooks, Gordon Thomas, Barbara Hall

11:00-12:00 Saddle Strings, Jo Kirkwood, Colen Sweeten

Noon—1:00 Lunch with Michael Martin Murphey

1:00 – 1:30 (or as needed…) Kenny Hall (music)

1:00 – 2:00 P.M – Book signing Bette Ramsey (Mrs. Buck) - Buck Ramsey’s Grass

1:30-2:15 Children’s Cowboy Poetry Performance with Sid Hausman/Sid Hausman

2:15—3:00—Book signing with Sid Hausman children’s books

2:00 –3:00 p.m. Mule jumping demo and mule rides at the MARC

2:15 –3:00 p.m. Al Clark, Curly Syndergaard, Doug Keller

3:00 – 4:00 Saddle Strings, Carl Ellison, Sam DeLeeuw, Barbara Hall

4:00 – 5:00 Kenny Hall, Paul Bliss, Doug Keller, Gordon Thomas

5:00 – 6:00 Jerry Brooks, Curly Syndergaard, CR Wood, Ken Stevens

6:00 p.m. Cowboy Poets of Utah Meeting at Buck’s Grill House -Jam around the fire after

7:00 Michael Martin Murphey at Red Cliffs Lodge (Andy Nelson too) (Ticket required.)

SUNDAY

9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Cowboy Sunday with Curly Syndergaard

10:00 a.m. – Dutch Oven Cooking Contest begins

Noon—Dutch Oven Cook-off judging and public tasting begins

1:00 p.m. – Dutch Oven Winners Announced

1:00 p.m. –2:00 p.m. Paul Bliss, Colen Sweeten, Val Carter, Ken Stevens

2:00 p.m. –3:00 p.m. CR Wood, Doug Keller, Jo Kirkwood, Roy Holcomb

3:00 – 4:00 – Barbara Hall, Val Carter, Curly Syndergaard, Kenny Hall

4:00 – 5:00 Sam DeLeeuw, Al Clark, Jerry Brooks , Gordon Thomas

Open Mic (Sign up with Jo in advance – 435-896-1856 or jolynne.Kirkwood@sevier.k12.ut.us )

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Event finishes MONDAY 11:00 A.M.

Plans are underway for this year’s Cedar City Cowboy Poetry Gathering, in (where else?) Cedar City! Saturday Night’s headliner group will be the Bar J Wranglers from Jackson Hole, and the event will feature two days of poetry, music, vendors and displays. This year’s festival runs from March 15^th through March 18^th, at SUU’s Sharwan Smith Center. Contact Curly Syndergaard for more information. PO Box 600212, Paragonah, UT 84760 or call 435 – 477 – 1545 email: lazyCS@wmconnect.net

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Cowboy Poetry Rodeo Moving to South Dakota…

By now most of our members are probably aware that Sam Jackson’s Cowboy Poetry Rodeo will be heading out of state, to South Dakota. Sam has invested years of hard work into the rodeo, and we want to acknowledge the huge contribution he has made to the world of cowboy poetry through this amazing effort. Hundreds of poets have come into our state to participate in the rodeo, or sometimes just to visit other poets there. I’ve personally made many friends through the event, and I suspect there are many others of us who can say the same thing. Thank you, Sam, for the incredible gift you have given us. May the rodeo live long and prosper, and may you see clearly the great worth of your labors.

Next year’s rodeo will take place in Hot Springs, South Dakota, September 28^th and 29^th. There are still some spots available, if you’d like to sign up. Contact Sam by writing to him at 4675 E. Vermillion Ave.; Kanab Utah, 84741 or call (435) 644-5459/5444 or (435) 899-1100.

Sam, however, along with the other southern Utah poets, has not given up on poetry in Utah! The Kanab group has banded together, and will host a festival this April, during Cowboy Poetry Week.

Our annual CPU dinner will be included as part of the event, scheduled now for Friday evening, April 20^th. The group has planned daytime events throughout the weekend, and a Saturday night headliner show will feature Brenn Hill. Featured poets include Don Kennington, Jo Lynne Kirkwood and Braden, Caib and Aubree Brian, but the schedule is still unfolding. If you would like to participate in this event, please contact Doug Keller at bardpard@yahoo.com. We plan to finalize details about the CPU portion of this event during our CPU meeting in Moab, so please come and share your ideas. Let’s band together and help keep poetry alive in the south, and make this first festival a great one.

In Other News…

Dave Anderson is recently home from the hospital, so treat him gently when you see him. A fairly serious surgery, I believe, but he’s up and walking about so we hope he’s fine!

Barbara Hall had a pacemaker put in just after Christmas, but she’s bounced back just like a trooper and has been gallivanting all over the place. She’d love a call or a card.

We have another freeze tap frozen. That’s the third one. Funny, this one waited until things started warming up a bit… wonder what that means. Fortunately the tap down where the cows are is still working just fine. Hate to be hauling water clear down there. It’s bad enough moving hay, especially last month when the ice was so thick under the top layer of snow. Not even that big old heavy-duty case could get traction. Ended up loading the major, then pulling it with the case. Ingenuity? Just plain stubbornness? Well, we got it done.

I remember the best tardy excuse I ever received from a student. Little Kalie Anderson, when I used to teach eighth grade.

We’re thawing out now, though. Spring is in the air. Had a heifer bawling all afternoon yesterday. Ah, love. She’ll breed, then calve next year right when it’s cold.

Last year at Elko the Texas folks got together and had a Texas party. This year Montana did the same thing, and invited friends. Lots of fun, good food, great people. And in passing, to another poet there, I commented that Montana surely does have its fair share of talent. Stephanie Davis, DW, The Ringling Five (you’ll like ‘em when you figure out who they are…) Wallace McCrea – this isn’t a complete list. And I speculated about how Montana compared to us here in Utah.

My friend shrugged off the conversation by saying there aren’t enough ranches in Utah. Everybody lives in the city, he said. We “have some pretty good people,” but the pool’s small because (we) don’t have enough folks living the lifestyle. (You) have to know what you’re talking about in order to write or sing about it.

Well, okay. So the guy was wrong. There are plenty of us here in Utah who still mop-up manure puddles off the kitchen floor when it’s raining. But he was also right. We do have to know what we’re talking about if we’re going to write about it. And the “ranching” business in Utah is a little different, at least for most of us, than it is in some other places. Cathy Brian and the kids still work cattle on horseback; so do the Proberts. But here in Sevier County my family and I bale hay and feed our cows in a corral, graze off the field in the fall. Stan Tixier breeds horses, Kenny’s connection is through rodeo and his mules. Curly is a dude wrangler. Sam D. works with rodeo kids, and Sam Jackson is (ahem) an old sheepherder. But by dang, our blood runs sky blue, and our hearts beat with the hoof beats of the west just as strongly as anyone’s from Montana, or Nevada… and I do believe I’d stack our talent up against theirs, too! I’m proud of us, and proud of our organization. Our membership is growing steadily, and each time we come together I find I’m pleasantly surprised by a new poem or song someone has written.

Cowboy Poets of Utah

Newsletter

February – March, 2007

CPU Board: Curly Syndergaard, Sam DeLeeuw, Terri Taylor, Gene Jones