Permian Basin Poetry

Patrick Ramsey
Sep 8, 2018 · 3 min read
Photo by David Klein on Unsplash

Recently an inquiry to the Permian Basin Poetry Society about local publication. I was given a history of what the organization has published in the past and encouraged to do the legwork for the publishing of a new anthology using lulu.

Through PBPS, I’ve already sent out a call on Facebook for poetry and visual submissions — up to three poems or works of art with the theme, “The Basin Experience.”

The Permian Basin, of course, is known for oil and desert, booms and busts, and not so long ago, for Friday Night Lights, which was about the Permian Panther football team, very close to where I live.

But there’s so much more here, from nonprofits, to education, to cultural and entertainment events and venues. MARC, an agency devoted to rehabilitative care and SHARE (Sharing Hands, a Respite Experience), providing respite care to parents who have children with disabilities attempt to reach out to children as their parents, as do Boys and Girls Clubs in Midland and Odessa. Both PFLAG and Out In West Texas are social nonprofits begun within the past year that aim to serve the LGBTQ plus community.

Between two major cities, Midland and Odessa, two junior colleges, Midland College and Odessa College, and one four year school, the University of Texas Permian Basin, produce teachers, engineers, welders, nurses, counselors and more.

cityseeker.com

Midland Community Theatre, adjacent to Midland College, and the Permian Playhouse, by Ector County Coliseum, provide year-round community entertainment, as do the major cineplexes in the area, two added within the last three years to accommodate the growing population. Numerous cultural events circulate creativity within the area, including Semptemberfest, held at the Museum of the Southwest. There are also county fairs, rodeos, art festivals, and other cultural events too numerous to mention.

Just these examples of goings on in the area don’t even touch the massive oil industry that produces energy enough to soon be one of the top three regions on the planet to do so.

The Basin shares its problems in the same geographic area as its positives, among them being a high cost of living and transient population. Much non-service work can take people long hours away from their families, and a current housing shortage as real estate and the hotel industry skyrocketing in cost.

It’s my hope that artists, writers and dreamers in the area will find their Permian Basin Experience worth describing visually or in poetry form. Happenings here are deeper than they appear on the surface.

Here are details:

Calling writers and visual artists to submit up to three poems or works of art with the theme “The Basin Experience.” Submissions should be emailed to pramseylpc@gmail.com. Completed Anthology will be available in Ebook and paperback Dec 1. Call 432–222–0863 with questions.


Patrick Ramsey is a therapist and crisis counselor who spends his free time chauffeuring his kids, writing stories and poems, playing Ingress and working with PFLAGG. He competes in NYC Midnight competitions and is currently plotting a novel called The Catcher. You can find him at his website, www.counselingwtx.net,@RamseyCounseling on Facebook and Writer’s Cafe.

Patrick Ramsey

Written by

Writer, therapist, lover of traveling, slave of dark chocolate almonds - pronouns he / him / his - www.counselingwtx.net

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