All Around Cowboy

You can almost smell the Brut cologne wafting through the pages as you read Scot Youngs new book of poetry All Around Cowboy. The book is filled with firsts: first rock gig first ballgame first love crush first Dodge. He writes of his early dreams back home Mom and Dad at the center a childs mind running wild with empathy considering young mothers from strange towns hes never met wondering if they too blow bubbles in their dreams. The poems about his barfly father are crushing. Plainly said brick by brick the words lay out like a low budget 70s cop caper. You see every move before your eyes and its heavy at times. And its all there beyond the tavern dust. And Young is never alone. Even when the poet is struggling through a sleepless night he sniffs at the air and listens quietly for anything recognizable in the house - the smell of cigarettes the squeak of linoleum - and its in those moments where the poets words are delivered so powerfully. -Rob Azevedo Turning on the Wasp (Kung Fu Treachery Press 2020)Scot Young may not want to hear this but he isnt a cowboy not in the movie poster sense anyway. This book his first is the history of the man hes become stronger than his heroes Richard Brautigan and Charles Bukowski educating young people publishing countless others without thought given to personal reward often helping them when theyre not in a position to help themselves opening his heart and sharing a great love of literature Scot Young is a great poet but anyone can do that hes an even greater man so I take it back maybe he is a cowboy but lets be clear John Wayne would never have the balls to be Scot Young. -John Dorsey Author of The Prettiest Girl at the DanceA beautiful touching and often insightful journey that hits its mark Scot Youngs All Around Cowboy is a country rock rodeo get down. A place suspended in time where Mickey Mantle meets Jack Kerouac on the cosmic baseball diamond with Hendrix on guitar and a lonesome Whippoorwill calling the play by play in the voice of Hank Williams singing my jukeboxs got a hole in it. A down to earth collection of first love brotherly love and true love straight from the heart these poems are life and death lessons swimming in a swirling beer while sitting in an old school bar called fathers office somewhere in the land of sky blue waters. - S.A. GriffinWhen archeology digs up a book of poetry from this changing planet it will reveal a bit of Herodotus Americana as Scot Youngs good cowboy rides into the sunset of the greatest generation and plays the last number on the jukebox. Like the songs the poems of tragedy and joys from mini skirts to baseball grows up and glows up in the middle of the countrys golden era of post war years from the 50s to 70s. This all around cowboy knew the greats from Butterfly to Buk while metaphorically herding the storm clouds out of the sky. Tragic rough & rowdy hip and cool delicate for the heart and head his poems like Robinson hits the balls and touches all bases a book I surely dig and so will you with Hey good lookin on the cover times two. Plus one can learn his great definition of poetry and discover the worst insult in Western idiom. - Charles Plymell