Sketch by cowboy poet Duane Kerr

The Cowboy Poetry Roundup

Cowboy poets recall with nostalgia life on the ranch and on the range, and recount in verse the humor, pathos, and excitement of a cowboy's life. The strong story content, regular rhythm, and casual grammar of cowboy poetry appeals to a diverse audience - ranch, rural, urban, Western and Eastern. This appeal has led to the growing popularity of the Trementon Cowboy Poetry Roundup. Held in the Bear River Valley of northern Utah, the roundup features local cowboys reading their own poems as well as those of others. It was organized in 1990 when the Elko Cowboy Poetry Gathering inspired a small group of local poets to create their own audience and an opportunity to hear each other's work. Each year 400 to 600 people attend the event in the Bear River High School auditorium at Tremonton-Garland. Documenting the event are a report on the background of the roundup, photos, a booklet of selected cowboy poems, sketches, news releases and clippings, an audio cassette of "Cowboy Poetry, 1990" and a videotape of the Cowboy Poetry Roundup.

Originally submitted by: James V. Hansen, Representative (1st District).

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