Folklore Concepts

"This welcome collection brings into clear relief just how foundational Dan Ben-Amos's writings have been to modern folklore thought. His complementary efforts at elucidating the history of the discipline and at charting new directions for the future, brought conveniently together in this volume, forge a powerful intellectual synthesis that will stand as a model for years to come."—Richard Bauman, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Indiana University, Bloomington

"At his advanced and vibrant age of more than eight decades, Dan Ben-Amos is without doubt the distinguished doyen of international folklore studies. He has enriched scholars and students throughout the world with his groundbreaking books and erudite articles. Twelve of his magisterial essays make up this comprehensive volume of Folklore Concepts: Histories and Critiques. They deal with such theoretical matters as communication, context, definition, genres, orality and literacy, motifs, and the history of folklore as well as the name of the discipline itself. Together they present a critical overview of the multifaceted nature of folkloristics. As such, they have been and will continue to be guideposts for the informed direction of the study of folklore as a system of communicative acts in ever-changing contexts."—Wolfgang Mieder, University Distinguished Professor of German and Folklore, University of Vermont

"Dan Ben-Amos rocketed into the firmament of cultural scholarship fueled with ideas on context, text, genre, structure, and performance that have opened our minds to new intellectual vistas. This book brings together the essays that taught a generation, shook our world, and re-shaped multiple fields. With this book, readers can view the development of Ben-Amos's thought over his illustrious career and use it to inspire exciting forays into lore and life."—Simon J. Bronner, Dean of the College of General Studies, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

"In Folklore Concepts: Histories and Critiques, Dan Ben-Amos traces the emergence of a voice that has upset and reconfigured disciplinary truths for a half century. More than a 'must-read' for folklorists, it is a prolegomenon to analytic revolutions that are yet to come."—Charles L. Briggs, Alan Dundes Distinguished Professor of Folklore; co-author of Voices of Modernity, University of California, Berkeley

"Now Folklore Concepts is a more comprehensive anthology, and its significance equals the "greatest hits" volumes of other leading folklorists such as Alan Dundes (2007) and Lauri Honko (2013), whose works belong to the primary readings in academic training. The editors Henry Glassie and Elliott Oring have done an impressive and thoughtful job in selecting the articles, tying them together, and writing the introductions."—Ulo Volk, International Society for Folk Narrative Research, Asian Ethnology