Doris Daley, who was born and raised west of Granum, has fashioned a career as a poet and performer. Photo by Mikaela MacKenzie.
Alberta cowboy poet Doris Daley has published Lucky Me, a new book of poetry.
Daley, who is from Granum, will host a book launch party on Friday, Sept. 6 at 7 p.m. at the Sheep River Library in Diamond Valley with music and refreshments.
Daley is well-known for her cowboy poetry, but writes in many other forms.
“In Lucky Me, I step off the cowboy poetry stage and share poetry about life and all its wonders: tomatoes, rivers, cold weather, insomnia, aging, books, Zorro, jazz vibraphone, and much more,” Daley wrote on her Web site.
Although the content is diverse, the 144-page Lucky Me does contain 10 of Daley’s most requested cowboy poems in the last chapter.
Lucky Me is available at www.dorisdaley.com.
Daley began writing cowboy poetry for the Pincher Creek Gathering in 1990. Since then, she has been a featured performer and emcee at every cowboy gathering in Canada and several in the U.S.
Born and raised west of Granum, and a graduate of F. P. Walshe school in Fort Macleod, Daley is a recipient of the Will Rogers Award from the Academy of Western Artists.
The Academy of Western Artists is an international organization formed to recognize and honour outstanding individuals who preserve and perpetuate the traditions and heritage of the cowboy.
Each year, Academy members recognize individuals in various categories — western music, cowboy poetry, rising star, entertainer of the year — who excel at their craft and who are helping to bring the cowboy movement into the 21st century.
This is not Daley’s first venture into publishing.
During the COVID-19 pandemic that stalled live performances, Daley wrote That’s a Good Answer, a book filled with answers to questions she posed to friends across North America.
Daley, who now lives near Diamond Valley, asked friends aged six to 90 years to collaborate on a book.
Daley took That’s a Good Answer from concept to published book, posing 45 questions on a variety of subjects to doctors, lawyers, cowboys, farmers, poets, pastors, polo players, opera singers, teachers, hikers, bakers and banjo players.
Three of Daley’s cowboy poems were published in the coffee table book Vistas of the West.
An accomplished artist, Daley has performed for Parks and Heritage Canada, Rural Women’s Conferences, the Calgary Stampede Foundation, United Church of Canada, and the World Angus Congress.
Daley has also made frequent appearances in Alpine, Texas; Elko, Nevada; Sierra Vista, Arizona; Kamloops, B.C.; Stony Plain; Golden, Colorado, and many more shows.
In addition to performing at cowboy festivals, western events and corporate parties, Daley has led poetry workshops for school and creative writing groups.
Following the book launch Sept. 6, Daley will perform at the Caroline Cowboy Music and Poetry Gathering Sept. 20-22 and the Durango Cowboy Poetry Gathering on Oct. 2-6.
Then Daley is on to the Cowpoke Fall Gathering on Nov.7-9 at Loomis, California, and the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering on Jan. 27-Feb. 1 in Elko, Nevada.
