Baxter Black
Baxter Black (born January 10, 1945, Brooklyn Naval Hospital, Brooklyn, New York) is an American cowboy poet and former large animal veterinarian.
Baxter F. Black DVM | |
|---|---|
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| Born | January 10, 1945 Brooklyn Naval Hospital Brooklyn, New York |
| Occupation |
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| Nationality | American |
| Education | Doctor of Veterinary Medicine |
| Alma mater | Colorado State University |
| Genre | Cowboy Poetry |
| Subject | Cowboy and ranch life |
| Notable works |
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| Years active | 1970's–present |
| Spouse | Cindy Lou |
| Children | Jennifer and Guy |
| Relatives | Parents: Robert and Theodora Black |
| Website | |
| baxterblack | |
Black grew up in Las Cruces, New Mexico, where he would attend New Mexico State University. He completed veterinary school at Colorado State University, graduating in 1969. His writing and speaking work began in the early 1980s. Since leaving his veterinary career, he has published nearly three dozen books of poetry, fiction—both novels and children's literature—and commentary, selling over 2 million books, CDs, and DVDs.
During 2002–2009, he was a regular commentator for National Public Radio's Morning Edition.[1] Baxter Black on Monday, the weekly syndicated radio program, has been on the air since 1989 and his weekly syndicated column, On the Edge of Common Sense, is carried by more than 150 publications.[2]
He currently resides in Benson, Arizona, where he owns Coyote Cowboy Company, the publishing company which releases his works.
Biography
Black was born at the Brooklyn Naval Hospital in Brooklyn New York in January 1945. In high school, he became the Future Farmers of America (FFA) president, the senior class president, and lettered in wrestling one year. Beginning in high school, he began riding bulls in rodeos and continued riding throughout college. Black attended college at New Mexico State University and Colorado State University, and graduated in 1969. Before becoming a poet, he practiced medicine as a veterinarian. This career lasted from 1969 to 1982, He specialized in large animals, such as cows and horses. Baxter worked for three different large companies, and two of the three changed ownership. During his last veterinarian job, Black gained popularity through public speaking. He continued his job as a veterinarian for two years, and during that time he spoke at over 250 programs. After this, his career as a poet was beginning. Black also hosted the public television series Baxter Black and Friends.[3]
He continues to write a column, speak on the radio, and has a short segment on RFD-TV as well as The Cowboy Channel. He resides in Benson, Arizona, with his wife, Cindy Lou, and has no cell phone, television, or fax machine. One of his philosophies of life claims: "In spite of all the computerized, digitalized, high-tech innovations of today, there will always be a need for a cowboy." When asked what made him decide to become a cowboy, he says, "Ya either are one, or ya aren't!"."[4]
In late 2021, Black retired from writing and speaking engagements because of health issues.[5] Black's wife, Cindy Lou, reported on January 15, 2022, Baxter Black is in hospice care. His son-in-law explained, however, that the hospice consists of a home health care worker checking on Black every few days because of various medical issues.[6]
Radio
Black's radio career began as a chance occurrence. During a news-worthy local event, he submitted some of his work to a radio station. Black specified in an interview, "It was the year Yellowstone caught on fire, 1988. We were listening and they didn't have any coverage to speak of, and it was a huge deal in our life. It was a huge deal in Colorado (where I lived) and the sky smelled like smoke and I had this big tumultuous poem about range fire... So I sent them this. I just sent it to "Public Radio" in Washington D.C. And two or three days later I get a call back."[7]
Bibliography
| Title | Genre | Publisher | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Cowboy and His Dog : or, "Go, Git in the Pickup!" | Poetry | Record Stockman Press | 1980 |
| A Rider, a Roper and a Heck'uva Windmill Man | Poetry | Record Stockman Press | 1982 |
| On the Edge of Common Sense : the Best So Far | Poetry | Record Stockman Press | 1983 |
| Doc, While Yer Here | Poetry | Record Stockman Press | 1984 |
| Cowboy and Sourdough Buckaroo History | Poetry | Record Stockman Press | 1985 |
| Coyote Cowboy Poetry | Poetry | Record Stockman Press | 1986 |
| Croutons on a Cow-Pie | Poetry | Record Stockman Press | 1988 |
| The Buckskin Mare | Poetry | Record Stockman Press | 1989 |
| There's Mountain Time, There's Daylight Savings Time, and Cowboy Standard Time | Poetry | Record Stockman Press | 1990 |
| Hey, Cowboy, Wanna Get Lucky? | Fiction | Record Stockman Press | 1990 |
| Croutons on a Cow-Pie II | Poetry | Coyote Cowboy Co. | 1992 |
| Dunny and the Duck | Poetry | Coyote Cowboy Co. | 1994 |
| Cow Attack | Poetry | Coyote Cowboy Co. | 1996 |
| Cactus Tracks & Cowboy Philosophy | Literary Collection | Penguin Books | 1997 |
| Loose Cow Party | Poetry & Anecdotes | Coyote Cowboy Co. | 1998 |
| A Cowful of Cowboy Poetry | Poetry | Coyote Cowboy Co. | 2000 |
| Storey's Guide to Raising Beef Cattle | Livestock Forward only | Storey Books | 2000 |
| Cowboy Mentality: And the Big One That Got Away Blues | Poetry | Coyote Cowboy Co. | 2001 |
| Horseshoes, Cowsocks, and Duckfeet: More Commentary by NPR's Cowboy Poet & Former Large Animal Veterinarian | Commentary | Crown Publishers | 2002 |
| Baxter Black's Ag Man : the Comic Book | Graphic Novel | Coyote Cowboy Co. | 2003 |
| Hey, Cowgirl, Need a Ride? | Fiction | Crown Publishers | 2005 |
| The West Limited Edition of 50 | Poetry | Poetry Center of Chicago | 2005 |
| Blazin' Bloats and Cows on FIRE! or, It's Hard to Blow Out a Holstein | Poetry | Coyote Cowboy Co. | 2006 |
| The World According to Baxter Black: Quips, Quirks and Quotes | Poetry | Coyote Cowboy Co. | 2008 |
| The Back Page: the Best of Baxter Black From Western Horseman | Literary Collection | Coyote Cowboy Co. | 2009 |
| Rudolph's Night Off | Children’s Poetry | Coyote Cowboy Co. | 2011 |
| Lessons From a Desperado Poet with Wilford Brimley | Literary Collection | TwoDot | 2012 |
| Ride, Cowboy, Ride! 8 Seconds Ain't That Long | Fiction | TwoDot | 2012 |
| Reindeer Flu | Poetry | Children’s Fiction | 2013 |
| Poems Worth Saving | Poetry | Coyote Cowboy Co. | 2013 |
| Cave Wall Graffiti from a Neanderthal Cowboy | Poetry | Coyote Cowboy Co. | 2014 |
| National Cowboy Poetry Gathering: An Anthology | Poetry | Lyons Press | 2014 |
| Tinsel, Mistletoe and Reindeer Bait | Poetry | Coyote Cowboy Co. | 2016 |
| Scrambled Wisdom | Poetry & Anecdotes | Coyote Cowboy Co. | 2017 |
| A Commotion in Rhyme | Poetry | Coyote Cowboy Co. | 2018 |
References
- NPR. "Stories By Baxter Black". NPR. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
- Bunch, Joey. "Former vet found humor his calling". The Denver Post. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
- Watts, Jr, James D. "Black humor". Tulsa World. Retrieved 2020-08-02.
- "COLUMN". Baxter Black. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
- Bartlett, Melissa BartlettMelissa. "Baxter Black Is In Hospice Care But Not Like You Think". Mix 94.1. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
- Home on the Range with Baxter Black