Cowboy Poetry (2018)
Cowboy poetry originated on the trail drives north from Texas after the Civil War, as a way for cowhands to pass time around the campfire, telling stories to the rhythm of traditional ballads and the popular poetry of the time. In 1985, Hal Canon, with the help of several others, established the Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nevada, a town of about 10,000 people. Originally intended as a one-off weekend performance, the Gathering is now a weeklong event that brings together thousands of individuals to watch performances, participate in workshops, and gather as a community to pass down narratives and practices from the rural West. Currently in post-production.