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2007
Will Rogers Medallion Award From the Academy of Western Artists: "This is the best over-all competition we have had since the institution of the award," said Charles Williams, Chairman of the Medallion Committee. "The winners represent a truly outstanding selection of Cowboy Poetry books. It is particularly appropriate that the winners be announced during Cowboy Poetry Week, as these authors and publishers are examples of the quality that make Cowboy Poetry so popular." Will Rogers was a respected writer as well as cowboy entertainer. The Academy hopes and believes that the Will Rogers Medallion Awards will help to expand the heritage of literature which honors the traditions and values of the American Cowboy, which Will did so much to embody and demonstrate. Additionally, the Medallion Award was created to encourage the continued upgrading of the quality of published books of Cowboy Poetry. The honored books continue the establishment of this tradition of presenting Cowboy Poetry to the general public in an appealing and accessible manner. High quality publications like the books above invite readership in competition with many other forms of literature. As with Will's published words, we believe that Medallion books have that timeless quality which allows them to be enjoyed over and over again. Outstanding books are the result of a collaborative effort between authors, publishers and printers, and the award criterion emphasizes production values as well as artistic merit. The Will Rogers Medallion Award for Outstanding Merit/Excellence in Printing and Publication is awarded annually to those publishing houses that contribute the high production values, commercial viability and prestige to volumes of cowboy poetry. The Medallion Awards will be presented during the 2007 Will Rogers Award Show. The Will Rogers Medallion Awards are separate from the Buck Ramsey Cowboy Poetry Book of the Year, also presented at the Will Rogers Award Show. These books are still in strong contention for that award. The 12th Annual Academy of Western Artists (AWA) Will Rogers Awards will be held in Garland, TX on August 7th, 2007. The Will Rogers Medallion Award winning books are: West River Waltz , by DW Groethe; Arizona Women–Weird, Wild and Wonderful, by Dee Strickland Johnson; The Campfire Ain't Quite Out, by Kent Stockton;
Rhymes & Damn Lies, by Mike Puhallo; Rodeo Country, by Bette Wolf Duncan
DW is often featured at Poetry Gatherings across the nation. His voice and poems are the reflection of a true Westerner. Definitely a book of poetry you will want to add to your collection. To read more about the winners of the Will Rogers Medallion Award, click here. |
