We were about 200 years late. For us,
it started in 2011, with a concert
featuring the traditional performer Elizabeth
LaPrelle. She sang the Child Ballad “Lord Bateman,” accompanied by a table-top box, which
contained a long scrolling quilt, which as it was
unwound revealed scenes depicting the various
verses. She called it a crankie. Well, my wife
Janet is a quilter. We exchanged looks: How
neat was this? We could make something such
as this for Fine Arts Salon at the next year’s
caving convention. Janet asked me, “What
songs about caving do you have?” We selected
“ The Ballad of Pete Hauer ”— a true story I’d
written about the mysterious death of a close
friend and his involvement with the murder of
a sort of innocent bystander.
Storytelling
Book Reviews
(1) All of Us: Stories and Poems Along Route
17 is set in Middlefield, a mythical town in
the Catskills, New York. It’s one of those
villages with “real families, messy, earning
some kind of living or trying to.” (2) Jeffrey Tolbert and Michael Dylan Foster have returned to the source material, their edited volume The Folkloresque: Reframing Folklore in a Popular Culture World, with a new ensemble cast to create…Möbius Media: Popular Culture, Folklore, and the Folkloresque is a continuation of the themes….but with new applications after years of discourse.
Tonia Loran-Galban
Tonia Loran-Galban (Mohawk, Bear Clan) resides in Farmington, New York and is a Haudenosaunee Culture Bearer. She is a native traditional basket maker who has worked at Ganondagan State Historic Site (site of a 17thcentury Seneca Town) in Victor, NY as a Senior...
Vicie A. Rolling
Vicie A. Rolling of "Framing the Past", is a storyteller and oral historian who concentrates on telling the stories of African American life in the twentieth century. She says, "With historical research, I craft dialogue and narratives of their lives. I sometimes...
Voices in New York
March is a busy month for Irish storytellers. I spoke with Bairbre McCarthy on the phone about her CD, The Keeper of the Crock of Gold: Irish Leprechaun Tales. Drawn from her book of Irish stories, the CD is a combination of “old retellings”and original stories by McCarthy that “stick up for the rights of Leprechauns.” Throughout the stories, McCarthy weaves in sean-nós singing by her daughter Mary Willems and fiddle playing by Maura McNamara. In our conversation, she tells me about her roots, about her activism for Leprechaun rights, and about becoming a professional storyteller in America:
“Dead Man’s Liver”—A Jump Tale
The Paul Bunyan of the Erie Canal
A story about Red McCarthy, a legendary boat captain on the Erie Canal.
My Problematic Claim to Fame
The author, a storyteller, provides a transcript of his storytelling performance at the Liars Contest at the 2019 Susquehanna Folk Festival.
Book Review: A Jumpstart for Inspiration, A Salve for Troubled Times
Review essay of “The Poetry of Everyday Life” by Steve Zeitlin.
“The Golden Arm”: Collecting and Performing the Folktale
Tim Jennings, a storyteller of folktales, provides insights into a tale and how he presents it.
Good Read
Book review of “Omnium Gatherum: Campfire Stories and Adiondack Adventures”
From Trapper’s Cabin to Festival Stage: The Evolution of an Adirondack Storyteller
Noted storyteller and pack basket maker, Bill Smith, grew up in an environment steeped in local oral tradition. He has become well known for his personal reminiscences, tall tales, poetry recitations, and ballads. This article chronicles his life and career on the occasion of his 80th birthday.
“Once in Abaganaland”: A Folk Story
The author examines a specific Nigerian tale as a culturally produced text