Tom Swearingen
Oregon horseman Tom Swearingen is an award-winning cowboy poet who tells stories of the people and land of the American West through original poetry that is often inspired by his own experiences and observations from the saddle. With ranching and farming on both sides of his family tree, Tom’s love of the cultural tradition and art form of western and cowboy poetry began at an early age. Writing and performing poetry himself comes from a desire to continue the tradition, and his western lifestyle provides much inspiration. Tom brings his stories to life with rhythm and rhyme and a style that makes him a popular performer not only at cowboy gatherings and horse camps, but at libraries, historical centers, private functions, and wherever else you find folks who appreciate the cultural heritage of the West. Swearingen is a two-time winner of the National Finals Rodeo Cowboy Poetry Contest and 2022 and 2019 International Western Music Association Male Poet of the Year. He has also been nominated for Male Poet of the Year by the Academy of Western Artists. Nearly thirty of Swearingen’s poems have been published in contemporary cowboy poetry anthologies and publications. His own book Reflection was named IWMA 2020 Cowboy Poetry Book of the Year. He has recorded three live concert CDs, each a finalist for IWMA Cowboy Poetry CD of the Year. Swearingen has been a headline and featured performer at major western music and cowboy poetry festivals throughout the West. For more on Tom see oregoncowboypoet.com.