CLAREMORE, Okla. — Jay Snider, award-winning cowboy poet and official poet laureate of Oklahoma, will showcase his cowboy poetry in Claremore on Monday, April 20. His visit is a collaborative effort by the Friends of the Will Rogers Library, the Oklahoma Arts Council, and the Will Rogers Memorial Museum.

Snider was born in Southwest Oklahoma to a ranching and rodeo family. He has been featured in various national cowboy poetry gatherings and earned awards for both his written and recorded poetry. In 2023, he was chosen by Governor Kevin Stitt as the official poet laureate of Oklahoma.

“The great state of Oklahoma has a rich history, and much of our heritage has been passed down through generations as oral history and through the writings of great authors. I have been fascinated by the storytellers of the past, the “Old Timers,” if you will. I felt the need to listen to those stories and hopefully keep them alive. Often, when the “Old Timers” are gone, the stories are gone. Poetry has helped keep the old stories alive,” said Snider.

The poetry reading will be held on Monday, April 20, at 6 p.m. at the 320 on Main event center in Claremore. Admission is free and open to everyone.