Spotlight

Congratulations!

We were saddened with the passing of Barbara Hall and Colen Sweeten Jr. this year, they will be greatly missed.

CowboyPoetry.com, and/or the Bar-D Ranch, just named our very own Brenda "Sam" DeLeeuw of Manti the BAR-D's thirteenth Lariat Laureate for her poem "Spring". http://www.cowboypoetry.com/winner.htm#Media

The Winter 2007 issue of RANGE Magazine includes a poem by Rod Miller entitled “The Staff of Life.” It is a “true” poem, based on the life and untimely death of a woman whose boys he ran with in his youth.

The new (November/December) American Cowboy magazine includes a poem by Rod Miller “The Second Book of Job” as the “End of the Trail” feature. The “Dallies and Tallies” section in the magazine also includes an item about the Editor “discovering” Rod as a “literary talent.”

Once again one of Rod Miller's poem, "Hot Time," can be found in the October, 2006 issue of Western Horseman

In a special tribute ceremony, Doug Keller was named Kane County’s Poet Laureate. Way to go, Doug! It’s an honor well-deserved, and we ARE PROUD of you!

The Acakemy of Western Artists has announced its winners of the Will Rogers Awards in Cowboy Poetry and the female winner was our own "Brooksie"

"Brooksie" as well as Colen Sweeten has also been selected to be performers for the 23rd National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko (January 27 - February 3, 2007).

2006 Kanab Cowboy Poetry Rodeo - CPU Winners

Van Criddle won the Poet Serious category in the Rising Star division.

Smoke Wade won the Riciter Serious category in the Rising Star division

Sam DeLeeuw won three of the four categories in the Silver Buckle division. The categories were: poet/humorous; reciter/humorous; reciter/ serious; and she won second in poet/serious! Holy Cow!! She was awarded a bronzed sculpture, prize money and you can bet lots of compliments!

Doug Keller won Second Place in three of the four categories in the Silver Buckle divisions, poet/humorous; reciter/humorous; reciter/ serious.

Congratulations Van, Smoke, Sam and Doug!

Jo Lynne Kirkwood’s poem "Spring" is in the March 2006 issue of American Cowboy. It can be found inside the magazine's back cover.

Rod Miller has a poem, entitled "Nothing Extra" in the February, 2006 issue of Western Horseman. Rod says it's a poem about Will James - "or else it's about the different names we assign to things and people."

“A Border Dispute,” a short story by CPU member Rod Miller, is winner of a Finalist Award in Western Writers of America’s 2006 Spur Awards. The story is from the anthology Lone Star Law, edited by Robert J. Randisi and published by Pocket Books in March, 2005. Spur Award winners and finalists will be honored at the Western Writers of America convention in June in Cody, Wyoming. This is a high honor, and we know Rod deserves it! Congratulations, Rod!

Well Rod's at it again... The new and current (June 2006) issue of Western Horseman includes a poem Rod wrote called “Semiretired” about a good old horse turned kid horse. He says "I used a lot of slant rhyme in the piece (on purpose) so it won’t be to the liking of some folks, but there you go." In the same magazine is “Backcountry Explorer,” an article he wrote about John Muir and some of his adventures with horses. The editor also writes about the article in his “Leading Off” column.

In the Spring 2006 issue of Range Magazine, Colen Sweeten is featured in a great article that talks about his ranching life. It can be found at

http://www.rangemagazine.com/features/spring-06/sp-06-survivors.pdf

Colen was honored by the Cowboy Poets of Utah as the first recipient of the "Pioneer Heritage Award" Congratulations Colen. Read about it here.

Marion Manwill has a new book out "The Tin Star"