Jim Hawkins, Cowboy Poet

Jim was raised in a rural agricultural community of north-central North Carolina, called Ellisboro.  The community itself was named for his great-great grandfather, Ellis.  Ellis began his farm there in the 1800’s.  His focus was acquiring land and lots of it, raising fine beef cattle, good using horses and tobacco.  In a fairly short time, he had one of the largest operations in the area. 

Jim now spends part of the year living on the farm, raising, training and hauling horses, producing hay and writing.  He spends part of the year hauling the young ones to horse camp in the mountains of Virginia, logging miles in the saddle and getting the young ones ready for the world! And the remainder of the year, he's buried deep in the Cowboy life somewhere just beyond the edge of the map in Montana and Wyoming.  

At an early age, Jim and most people who knew him at all, knew he was born 100 Years Too Late.  His appreciation and love for the Cowboy way soon took over and he began traveling throughout the west, spending time on ranches in Montana, Wyoming, Arizona and Nevada.  

In 1992 in Buffalo,Wyoming, Jim wrote what would become the first of a lifetime of stories straight from the heart of the west.  These stories would come from Jim's own life experiences and from his never-ending over-active Cowboy imagination!  He began performing in the mid 90's and has been on the Cowboy Poetry Trail since. 

To quote Jim, "I truly enjoy writing, but for me Cowboy Poetry really comes to life when presented well to a listening audience.  Thanks so much to all of you who have taken your time to read or listen to a story I wrote.  You can give no greater gift than that to a Cowboy Poet!"

In recent years, Jim has been on a mission to spread this traditional art to those east of the Mississippi.  Jim writes what he lives.  From ranch work to horse training, Jim’s stories come straight from personal experience and the life that he loves.  These stories truly come to life when told as only Jim can tell them.