Arizona Herstory [Hardcover]

Dee Strickland Johnson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2003

Cowboy Poetry Tales from her storied past

Editorial Reviews

Review

What a great idea! To present Arizona and her colorful stories in the form of rhyme and meter in order to make it "greasy easy" for folks of all ages to appreciate and remember. In my opinion, the most significant work that Dee Strickland Johnson has ever done. Not that her other works are not wonderful. They absolutely are, this book is bound to become a familiar sight in libraries and classrooms across our state. Muchas gracias,Dee, for sharing with all of us you love and devotion for the "herstory" and folklore of Arizona. --Dolan Ellis Arizona's Official Balladeer

In Arizona Herstory: Tales From Her Storied Past, Dee Strickland Johnson has used the lyrics of poetic imagery to relate the exciting, and often, little known accounts from Arizona's past. Topically divided into six chapters with each section focused on a broad chronological time frame, she skillfully blends history and the beauty of poetry to the advantage of each medium, creating a fascinating new look at Arizona's rich and varied history. --James McBride, Ph D Faculty Associate Department of History Arizona State University

Dee Strickland Johnson has gathered a lot of Arizona history and lore and interpreted it in carefully crafted rhyme. Reading Dee's poetry, I hear the same remarkable voices that she uses in her stage performances. Her sad, pensive voice tells of the hanging tree where 3 young men died unjustly. She is a master of comic dialect when she describes the antics of cowboys, outlaws, greenhorns and tin horns. I like sensitive way she represents the viewpoints of Hispanic and Native Americans. This remarkable book gives me a new feeling for my native state, and I'm not lyin'! --Jim Cook "Official State Liar of Arizona" Author of Arizona Liar's Journal

Product Details

• Hardcover: 265 pages
• Publisher: Cowboy Miner Productions (October 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931725055
• ISBN-13: 978-1931725057
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,815,339 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

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5.0 out of 5 stars Celebrating Arizona History in Engaging Verse, October 14, 2004

By 

oc (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Arizona Herstory (Hardcover)

Dee Strickland Johnson's new book, "Arizona Herstory:Tales from Her Storied Past," is an impressive work that celebrates the history of her beloved native state with careful scholarship, captivating tales, and no small amount of humor.

Her expertly crafted, engaging stories in verse never speak in a detached historian's voice, but rather through the colorful and convincing words of the native people, vaqueros, soldiers, cowboys, outlaws, sheriffs, mule skinners, chuckwagon cooks, and settlers who populate this book. She brings the past alive vibrantly, and this unique volume delivers a panoramic view of the history and the settlement of the West.

Nearly 60 poems appear in chronological groupings. Those in the "Heroes and Hard Cases" chapter are full of Old West excitement. "Johnny Behind the Deuce" tells of a little known episode in Wyatt Earp's life, which the author says many historians view as his finest hour. There's the story of "The Rhyming Robber" and cowboy W. R. "Red" McNeill, who in taunting his victims with verse was perhaps was inspired by Black Bart. Johnson, with her signature wit, writes in a footnote (they are all worth reading) "Some of Red's verses have been slighted edited for meter. I am sure he could have done as well himself but, after all, he was often pressed for time." In the amusing and quick-moving tale of "one of the most notorious cattle rustlers and elusive prisoners in northern Arizona territory, "Climax Jim," nicknamed for the famous chewing tobacco, puts his habit to good use during a courtroom appearance.

In the "Just Plain Folks" chapter, one moving and timeless poem is "Shadows," narrated by a weary rebel soldier who heads west seeking work and comes to some profound realizations about war and the men he used to fight against, saying "...they'd risk hell for my damn sake/ And I fight as hard beside 'em, battlin' cows in wild stampede / As I used to fight agin' 'em -- just 'cause someone said I needed." "Belle of the Bar" is the intriguing tale of the baby who appears among the gamblers on Prescott's Whiskey Row, and is won with a roll of the dice.

Several poems concern the "Them Hash Knife Cowboys," the Aztec Land and Cattle Company that went from Texas to Arizona in 1885. The poem of that name tells how some of the Arizona cattlemen changed from their Spanish (California) methods and took on Texas ways: "They looked at our long tapaderos / That flip-flapped and flopped as we rode; / Called us "chaps, taps and latigo straps" / And it wasn't too long till we'd stowed / Our seventy-foot long reatas / Away with the rest of our gear. / We just gave up takin' our dallies, / All tied hard and fast in a year."

One chapter holds legends, lore, myths, "lies told as practical jokes," and finally, "unlikely stories told as fact," those latter two categories having particularly creatively told tales. One gem is "Stilt Stock Stampede," which is said to be based on an accident during an ostrich stampede in 1914. Johnson dedicates this poem to "the brothers Cook"; Jim Cook is the "Official State Liar of Arizona," who she writes "has graciously suspended his Liar's commission when supplying information for this book." Other fun poems in this section include "Cyclone Bill's Big Windy" and "Swap Me a Biscuit."

There's a glimpse of Johnson's own history in several poems in the "Later History: 20th Century" chapter. A poignant note after her poem "Two Old Hash Knife Cowboys," about two kind old hands who told her stories and were an audience for her cowboy songs when she was a girl, tells "Much later I learned that [one] had explained his kindness to me with these words: "Poor little devil; she ain't got no mama."

The multi-talented Johnson (also known as "Buckshot Dot") is a recipient of the AWA's Best Female Poet award) and is a sought-after performer, singer, and artist. The book includes her distinctive scratch board illustrations, many inspired by historical photographs and with subjects as varied as Wyatt Earp, Sharlot Hall, and the Yuma Indians of 1800.

For reciters, there are some "performance cut" versions of a number of poems, particularly crafted for stage delivery. Those interested in history will be further gratified by the well-researched timelines, footnotes, maps and bibliography. Others who simply appreciate good writing and engaging tale spinning will be equally pleased with this large collection of entertaining tales in verse. This is one of those lasting volumes that you can give as a gift to most anyone, and one that you'll be glad to have in your own library.

Margo Metegrano, editor, CowboyPoetry.com