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Coffee in the Gourd
About This Edition:
This Kindle edition is very well formatted with 8 illustrations, active footnotes and TOC.
About Book:
This is a folklore miscellany. The articles reflect the cultural diversity of Texas, including articles on African-American, Tejano, German and Native American folklore. One of the highlights is an interview with W.C. Handy, 'the father of the blues;' the lyrics in this piece foreshadow some of the great rock compositions of the sixties. The articles vary widely from academic to amateur in tone. As usual, the original text has been transcribed verbatim. It reflects the time and place in which it was written, and includes ethnic terms and characterizations which today would be considered wildly offensive, even in an ethnographic context. Caveat lector.
About Author:
James Frank Dobie (September 26, 1888–September 18, 1964) was an American folklorist, writer, and newspaper columnist best known for many books depicting the richness and traditions of life in rural Texas during the days of the open range. As a public figure, he was known in his lifetime for his outspoken liberal views against Texas state politics, and for his long personal war against what he saw as bragging Texans, religious prejudice, restraints on individual liberty, and the assault of the mechanized world on the human spirit. He was instrumental in the saving of the Texas Longhorn breed of cattle from extinction.
This Kindle edition is very well formatted with 8 illustrations, active footnotes and TOC.
About Book:
This is a folklore miscellany. The articles reflect the cultural diversity of Texas, including articles on African-American, Tejano, German and Native American folklore. One of the highlights is an interview with W.C. Handy, 'the father of the blues;' the lyrics in this piece foreshadow some of the great rock compositions of the sixties. The articles vary widely from academic to amateur in tone. As usual, the original text has been transcribed verbatim. It reflects the time and place in which it was written, and includes ethnic terms and characterizations which today would be considered wildly offensive, even in an ethnographic context. Caveat lector.
About Author:
James Frank Dobie (September 26, 1888–September 18, 1964) was an American folklorist, writer, and newspaper columnist best known for many books depicting the richness and traditions of life in rural Texas during the days of the open range. As a public figure, he was known in his lifetime for his outspoken liberal views against Texas state politics, and for his long personal war against what he saw as bragging Texans, religious prejudice, restraints on individual liberty, and the assault of the mechanized world on the human spirit. He was instrumental in the saving of the Texas Longhorn breed of cattle from extinction.
121 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1923
About the author
J. Frank Dobie
218 books52 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