Thursday, June 21, 2012

Writing and Writers: Poet Jeff Hildebrandt


Writer’s Block airs every Tuesday, at 9 a.m. MST on KFUN/KLVF, streaming live at www.kfunonline.com 
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Cowboy Poet Has a Powerful Message


Jeff Hildebrantdt is a former country music DJ, fireman, emergency medical technician and TV producer. Currently he is the director of on air promotion for Encore Westerns. While he's Nadacowboy he is an award winning Western humorist with a message. In 2008 he received the prestigious Wrangler Award from the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, in the Best Factual Narrative category for the 100 Years of John Wayne special he produced for Encore Westerns. Jeff has been writing poetry since the late ‘70s. 

Jeff was kind enough to respond to my questions my e-mail, making this summary a piece of cake! Thanks, Jeff. I enjoyed our chat and am impressed with his poetry.
Jeff started writing poetry when he was assistant news director at WLW radio in Cincinnati. "During the morning drive news, I’d finish with a lighter side story written in rhyme. In the ‘80s I wrote what I call, Confrontational Christian Poetry and when I moved here (Denver), I was producing material for the Encore Westerns channel, so I sort of slid into the cowboy poetry arena.”

He says that subconsciously knowing his poetry will be formed does influence how it’s written. “But I know that I write in my voice and always perform it in my head over and over before I think of it as finished.”

His work fills a variety of roles and he chooses to not pigeonhole his talent. “I use humor to introduce myself to an audience and put them at ease, then I comment on something I think people should think and maybe talk about. In one sense, I see myself in the long tradition of ‘60s folk singers. But, more than anything, I think of myself as an Evangelist, in the broadest sense of the word. God has blessed me with the ability to use poetry to make a point that we shouldn’t let religion get in the way of our faith."

Jeff shared a couple of his poems including Cowboy Up, which he has performed extensively. Written not long after 9/11 the poem’s message lingers.  

Jeff said he hopes his poetry will cause people to take stock of what they believe and why they believe it. “There’s a lot more to God’s plan for Salvation than just spending an hour a week in the Sunday Social Club a lot of churches have become.”

He enjoys being in front of an audience and performing his work. He is equally pleased when he hears from someone else they would like to perform something he’s written.

The common themes in his poetry are faith, patriotism, honor and respect for those who serve others, “… and making fun of myself.”
  
What he’s learned about himself in the course of writing it that money isn’t everything. “I also learned how much I enjoy being in front of an audience. I learned not to take myself too seriously.”  

Jeff’s website is rich with content and worth looking at. He has a number of poems posted and information about what he’s doing. Check it out.
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