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Living Folklore (Second Edition)
Martha Sims & Martine Stephens
6x9, est 344 pages

Published: 2011

ISBN 978-0-87421-844-2
hardcover $26.95

ISBN 978-0-87421-845-9
e-book $22.00 (Jan 2012)

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Martha Sims is a senior lecturer in the English Department at The Ohio State University, teaching composition and introductory folklore. Her scholarly interests include folk art and material culture and composition theory and pedagogy. She has performed fieldwork for the Traditional Arts Apprenticeship program of the Ohio Arts Council and profiled traditional artists for the Arts Council and its Ohio Traditions website. She lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband.

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Martine Stephens is assistant Writing Center director and associate professor in the English Department at Ohio Wesleyan University and has conducted fieldwork work for the Ohio Arts and Humanities Councilsý Joint Programs in the Traditional and Ethnic Arts and for Americaýs Industrial Heritage Project. Her academic interests include aesthetics, vernacular architecture, personal narrative, and composition theory and pedagogy. She lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband and two children.

Living Folklore

(Second Edition)

An Introduction to the Study of People and
Their Traditions

Martha Sims & Martine Stephens

"A student-oriented entry to the study of
folklore . . . Rich with examples from the field and the
class-room . . . Helps students to see that folklore is really about understanding people."
—Jacqueline S. Thursby, Journal of American Folklore

"Students are going to love this book: the examples will stimulate their interest in other cultures, and the approaches to the study of folklore will open up new meanings in their own lives.
  "The authors draw upon their extensive teaching experience and in-depth scholarly research to produce a textbook that sets a new standard for introductory folklore courses."
—Patrick B. Mullen

This revised edition incorporates new examples, research, and theory along with added discussion of digital and online folklore.

Living Folklore is a comprehensive, straightforward introduction to folklore as it is lived, shared, and practiced in contemporary settings. Drawing on examples from diverse American groups and experiences, this text gives the student a strong foundation—from the field's history and major terms to theories and interpretive approaches.

Living Folklore moves beyond genres and classifications and encourages students who are new to the field to see the study of folklore as a unique approach to understanding people, communities, and day-to-day artistic communication.

Book Review Journal of Folklore Research October 10, 2012 / Paul Cowdell