American Regional Folklore: A Sourcebook and Research Guide

(Hardback)

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Description

An easy-to-use guide to American regional folklore with advice on conducting research, regional essays, and a selective annotated bibliography. Tales, songs, superstitions, beliefs, rituals, crafts, and customs: these aspects of folklore are common to almost every region of the United States, from California to New York, and from the redwood forests to the Gulf of Mexico. But how do students, scholars, and enthusiasts carry out research into local folklore American Regional Folklore provides the answers. The volume begins with a chapter on library research, including how to locate a library suitable for folklore research, how to understand a library's resources, and how to construct a research strategy. Mood also gives excellent advice on researching beyond the library: locating and using community resources like historical societies, museums, fairs and festivals, storytelling groups, local colleges, newspapers and magazines, and individuals with knowledge of the field. The next half of the book is divided into eight sections, each one highlighting a separate region (Northeast, South and Southern Highlands, the Midwest, the Southwest, the West, the Northwest, Alaska and Hawaii). Each regional section contains a useful overview essay, written by an expert, on the folklore of that particular region, followed by a selective, annotated bibliography of books, journals and web sites. Each section also contains checklists providing samples of tales, characters, and collections for the reader to look out for. All in all, this is a thorough and helpful resource for anyone interested in American folklore.

Reviews

"Everything from the content, to the ease of access, to the thoughtful design makes this a worthwhile purchase ... It provides access to sources so that interested patrons can find information in a variety of sources ... American Regional Folklore: A Sourcebook and Research Guide will be useful in many ways in all types of libraries. It will not languish on your shelves. It can be used to answer many different patron requests, and those who work with schoolchildren as well as undergraduate or graduate students can use it with ease ... It is straightforward, has a wealth of useable information, and is enjoyable to read-what more could you ask for I recommend it highly.' " - Reference & User Services Quarterly "An excellent starting point for any campaign of intense personal research into a given American tall tale, and very highly recommended, especially for academic, public, and personal library reference shelves." - The Bookwatch "Mood's user friendly sourcebook on a broad range of American regional folklore (including songs, tales, legends, and material culture) offers guidance on conducting research ... Recommended. Undergraduates and graduates." - Choice "[A] useful collection development tool for librarians collecting American folklore... This is also a recommended sourcebook for those interested in American folklore research, including storytellers looking for new material." - Library Journal "For the academic or public library, or museum, this is a must buy." - Library Media Connection "The book is a treasure trove of information for those researching or studying American folklore, and for those looking for specific museums, archives, societies, and other places to contact for more information." - American Reference Books Annual

Author Bio

Terry Ann Mood is professor emeritus at the University of Colorado, Denver, CO.