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Coffee in the Gourd
A Publication of the Texas Folklore Society. The topics include Indian pictographs in the Big Bend, the cowboy dance, a miscellany of Texas folk songs, blues as folk songs, German customs in Gillespie County, customs and superstitions of Texas-Mexicans along the Rio Grande, and weather wisdom along the border. Contributors include L. W. Payne, Walter P. Webb, A. W. Eddins, Dorothy Scarborough, J. Frank Dobie.
110 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1923
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21 people want to read
About the author
J. Frank Dobie
218 books51 followersCalled the "Storyteller of the Southwest," James Frank Dobie was born in 1888 on his family's cattle ranch in Live Oak County. During his long life, J. Frank Dobie would live astride two worlds: a rugged life on a Texas cattle ranch and the state's modern centers of scholarly learning.
Dobie came to Austin in 1914 to teach at the University of Texas. In time he pioneered an influential course on the literature of the Southwest. By the late 1920s, Dobie discovered his mission: to record and publicize the disappearing folklore of Texas and the greater Southwest. Dobie became secretary of the Texas Folklore Society, a position he held for 21 years.
J. Frank Dobie Dobie was a new kind of folklorist—a progressive activist. He called for UT to admit African-American students in the 1940s—long before the administration favored integration. Dobie's vocal politics led to his leaving the University in 1947, but he continued writing until his death in 1964, publishing over twenty books and countless articles.
The inscription on Dobie's headstone in the Texas State Cemetery reads: "I have come to value liberated minds as the supreme good of life on earth." J. Frank Dobie was not content to simply preserve Southwestern heritage within libraries and museums. He gave life to that heritage and informed generations of Texans about their rich history.
Dobie came to Austin in 1914 to teach at the University of Texas. In time he pioneered an influential course on the literature of the Southwest. By the late 1920s, Dobie discovered his mission: to record and publicize the disappearing folklore of Texas and the greater Southwest. Dobie became secretary of the Texas Folklore Society, a position he held for 21 years.
J. Frank Dobie Dobie was a new kind of folklorist—a progressive activist. He called for UT to admit African-American students in the 1940s—long before the administration favored integration. Dobie's vocal politics led to his leaving the University in 1947, but he continued writing until his death in 1964, publishing over twenty books and countless articles.
The inscription on Dobie's headstone in the Texas State Cemetery reads: "I have come to value liberated minds as the supreme good of life on earth." J. Frank Dobie was not content to simply preserve Southwestern heritage within libraries and museums. He gave life to that heritage and informed generations of Texans about their rich history.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 13, 2024
I picked this up from Global Grey Ebooks earlier in the year mainly for the cover. Without reading the description I thought it was going to be a collection of folktales of texan cowboys; it is but it isn't its higher brow than that.
This anthology is made up of entries from the Texas Folk-Lore Society dating 1935. Some of the entires are very interesting folk-lore and some are not worth reading for their archaic social thoughts. Some include folk songs (some I've never heard and some I can't find on the internet outside this book).
The few entries that stuck out the most to me are:
- Human Foundation Sacrifices In Balkan Ballads
- Customs And Superstitions Among Texas Mexicans On The Rio Grande Border
- Pedro And Pancho
- Weather Wisdom Of The Texas-Mexican Border
I had never heard of the act of sacrificing humans (or animals) to guard or protect buildings, bridges and churches upon building them. I like the idea from a fantasy novel aspect but sucks for all those folks killed for no reason other than fearful customs.
You'll notice the last three entries are about 1930s Texas-Mexican folklore which is how this book went from a 2 star to a 4 star. There's so much interesting cultural points (from the perspective of white folklorist) that may be lost to time I'm glad I randomly discovered.
The one on weather is especially interesting as a casual Weathersoft fan. The introduction to La Epacta has me wanting to calculate how many days old the December moon is on Jan 1st - As there's only 2.5 weeks left this year. We really do take for granted the weather and the ability to instant get a forecast at any moment. What a bother it must have been to worry about the rain all the time and trying to predict nature. But at the same time this book has shown me that most of society has lost its ability to listen to nature and feel it for what it may provide. I say this as I haven't looked at the moon in weeks, maybe months, I don't even remember.
It's great these kinds of books are free in the public domain. It might sit out there for decades unread but someone might find it and bring back to life the authors who took the time to write it.
This anthology is made up of entries from the Texas Folk-Lore Society dating 1935. Some of the entires are very interesting folk-lore and some are not worth reading for their archaic social thoughts. Some include folk songs (some I've never heard and some I can't find on the internet outside this book).
The few entries that stuck out the most to me are:
- Human Foundation Sacrifices In Balkan Ballads
- Customs And Superstitions Among Texas Mexicans On The Rio Grande Border
- Pedro And Pancho
- Weather Wisdom Of The Texas-Mexican Border
I had never heard of the act of sacrificing humans (or animals) to guard or protect buildings, bridges and churches upon building them. I like the idea from a fantasy novel aspect but sucks for all those folks killed for no reason other than fearful customs.
You'll notice the last three entries are about 1930s Texas-Mexican folklore which is how this book went from a 2 star to a 4 star. There's so much interesting cultural points (from the perspective of white folklorist) that may be lost to time I'm glad I randomly discovered.
The one on weather is especially interesting as a casual Weathersoft fan. The introduction to La Epacta has me wanting to calculate how many days old the December moon is on Jan 1st - As there's only 2.5 weeks left this year. We really do take for granted the weather and the ability to instant get a forecast at any moment. What a bother it must have been to worry about the rain all the time and trying to predict nature. But at the same time this book has shown me that most of society has lost its ability to listen to nature and feel it for what it may provide. I say this as I haven't looked at the moon in weeks, maybe months, I don't even remember.
It's great these kinds of books are free in the public domain. It might sit out there for decades unread but someone might find it and bring back to life the authors who took the time to write it.
June 15, 2013
A collection of short stories by Texas folklorist J. Frank Dobie. Easy too read and suitable for young and old alike.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews