Journalist publishes new Western poetry book

George Rhoades publishes a second book of Western poetry, “After the Chisholm,” with Outskirts Press.

George Rhoades’ first book of poetry, “Along the Chisholm Trail and Other Poems,” was honored with the Will Rogers Medallion Award for cowboy poetry, the Benjamin Franklin Award and was a finalist for the Western Music Association poetry book of the year award.

“I just thought I had more poems I wanted to put into book form because of the significance of the Chisholm Trail,” Rhoades said. “This book focuses on how the Chisholm Trail has developed with the cities, towns and highways.”

He is a longtime journalist who grew up on a farm in Cotton County before coming to Duncan. Rhoades’ upbringing inspired poetry about the Chisholm Trail and farm life.

“The Chisholm Trail gave rise to the American cowboy legend and western myth,” he said. “The settlers who came later tamed the prairies and made them productive. This is an epic story and needs to be honored.”

During his journalism career, Rhoades worked for UPI wire service in Tulsa and newspapers, including The Watonga Republican, The Duncan Banner and The Lawton Constitution. He also taught journalism at several universities and retired from the University of Texas at Arlington before moving back to Duncan, where he owned a hay farm.