Cowboy Poetry Comes To Prescott

PRESCOTT - Get your cowboy hats, boots and kids and head over to the Prescott Library this Thursday to enjoy a special performance of cowboy poetry by Bruce and Sue Matley, who call themselves, Nevada Slim and Cimarron Sue.

With the help of Humanities Washington, this special performance "Lasso Your Heritage! Cowboys and Cowgirls in Story & Song" will come to Prescott to honor Cowboy Poetry week, said Amy Rosenberg with the Prescott Library.

The performance will be a historical narrative woven with music, tracing the origins and ongoing influence of pioneers in the cattle industry. The event will begin at 7 p.m. at the Prescott Lion's Hall.

The performance is free to the public and will also feature a raffle in support of the library.

Sue Matley said the performance will be comprised of narrative, song and poetry. Some songs have been written by the Matleys and they have borrowed a couple from other writers and artists, she said. The narrative is based on historical research.

Cowboy poetry is a long Western tradition. Matley said the poetry comes from the 1860s to 1880s when cowboys were driving herds of cattle across the West. Most cowboys were illiterate and they told stories around the campfire that were turned into poems and songs, she said.

The poetry mostly includes themes of "nights on the range when there's nothing else (for the cowboys) to do," Rosenberg said.

The words are often exuding feelings of individuality and can be charming with a sense of humor, she said.

Matley said she enjoys the songs and stories about man's relationship with nature and animals and the value of a good, long day of hard work.

"It's really moving but funny at the same time," Rosenberg said.

Keeping the tradition alive is not only important to the Matleys, but to other contemporary cowboy poets. Rosenberg, who grew up in Pendleton, Ore., said she remembers having a designated cowboy poet in her town.

This specific show by the Matley duo will be a great way to honor this tradition in the Prescott community, she added.

This specific show has been performed about two dozen times by the duo, but not yet in Prescott.

"They are a good fit (to honor the week)," Rosenberg said. "It's a big treat for the library."

The performance from the Matleys, who actually live in Prescott, will be fun and informative. And for the duo, who has been performing together since 1999, it's more than just about entertainment.

"We perform it to help keep the tradition going," Matley said.

Rosenberg hopes to get a good crowd for the event that will be a little longer than an hour. Rosenberg says it is a bit longer than the regular programming for the younger children and they may get a bit restless during the performance.

The library has been selling raffles tickets leading up to the event and will continue to sell them at the performance. Up for grabs are two rides with AJ Carriages, a horse and buggy ride through downtown Walla Walla. You can buy one ticket for $2 or five tickets for $3. The winning tickets will be drawn Thursday evening.

For more information about the event, call 509-849- 2411.