This Week in the West: Cowboy Poet Badger Clark

🤠This Week in the West 🎙️ Episode 47: Cowboy poet Badger Clark

📢 Episode Summary: Charles Badger Clark was the first poet laureate of South Dakota and one of the most enduring cowboy poets of the American West. Born in 1883, his life took him from Iowa to Dakota Territory and eventually to the deserts of Arizona, where a battle with tuberculosis set him on the path of writing. His time working on ranches gave him a firsthand understanding of cowboy life, which would become the heart of his poetry.

Clark’s verse captured the rugged independence, loneliness, and beauty of Western life. His first published poem, Ridin’ (1907), quickly resonated with readers, and his collection Sun and Saddle Leather cemented his reputation as a voice of the plains. His work combined simple language with deep insight, making it accessible to both cowboys on the range and urban readers fascinated by the West.

Later in life, Clark returned to South Dakota and lived in a cabin in Custer State Park, where he wrote and welcomed visitors for three decades. His poetry not only preserved the cowboy experience but also shaped how generations imagined the American West—an enduring contribution to both literature and cultural identity.

🔍 What You’ll Learn:

• How Badger Clark’s early struggles and time in the Arizona desert shaped his poetic voice
• Why Sun and Saddle Leather became a foundational work of cowboy poetry
• How Clark’s life in a remote cabin reflected the themes of independence and solitude found in his verse

👥 Behind the Scenes Host: Seth Spillman Producer: Chase Spivey Writer: Mike Koehler

🔗 Further research:

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