Foxfire Story: Oral Tradition in Southern Appalachia

by Foxfire Fund Inc

A fascinating exploration of the rich oral traditions of Southern Appalachia, and the latest volume in the classic, multi-million-copy-selling Foxfire series. An Anchor Original.

Since 1972, the Foxfire books have preserved and celebrated the culture of Southern Appalachia for countless readers all around the world. In Foxfire Story, folklorist (and Foxfire director) T.J. Smith collects some of his favorite stories from the archives to explore the oral traditions that have been part of the culture of the mountains for centuries. Here are instances of mountain speech, proverbs and sayings, legends, folktales, anecdotes, songs, and pranks and jests, along with ghost tales and accounts of folk belief, as well as stories from half a dozen of the region's finest storytellers. Smith digs deep into the role storytelling plays in the Southern Appalachian community, identifying the different traditions that can be found in Southern Appalachia and exploring how they convey a sense of place--and of identity.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Historical, Folklore, Short Stories

336 pages, Paperback

Published April 28, 2020

Reviews

[mainelyreading · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a Foxfire junkie. To prove it, I’m one of two followers on an Appalachian noir Spotify playlist. I’m sure the person who made that playlist wonders who I am. In all seriousness, the world needs Foxfire. The dedication to preserve the culture of Appalachia shines in this anthology of stories. This book is a warm and smoky campfire (and everyone knows those are the best kinds of campfires).

[Steff Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

| Reader Fox Blog |


In the interest of being honest, I probably made a mistake in requesting this book, but the title had the word fox in it and I just really couldn't help myself. I wanted to be fair to this collection of stories and put in the work to read it in its entirety, I just had no idea how long reading Foxfire Story: Oral Tradition in Southern Appalachia would take. For reference, it took a really long time.

A collection of stories that had been told orally at first before a group set out to hear and finally write them down, Foxfire Story is incredibly informative. And I just couldn't get into it.

I think the book does, generally, do what it sets out to do. Which, namely, is to preserve the stories from the area of Southern Appalachia. What it really struggled to do, however, was hold my interest. The stories themselves are quite dense and this isn't the kind of book you typically pick up because you're looking for a good read to keep you entertained. Rather, it's something to develop your knowledge and understanding of an area and the people who lived there.

In essence, there's nothing wrong with that. But I do think you have to be going into reading a book like this with a genuine interest in that particular aspect of storytelling. Unfortunately for me and for the book, that's not really what I went in looking for. And so I spent much of my reading of these stories more bored than anything else. And I felt kind of bad for that.

Ultimately, I think what this book does is great. I just don't think it was really my taste.

I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m so glad I caught a glance of this while I was wandering around the library the other day. The Foxfire series is something that’s always existed in my periphery with the original paperbacks passed down from my grandfather. I had no idea that the program was still running and publishing new stuff like this.

This is a really lovely book, chock-full of different examples of southern Appalachia oral folklore from a diverse set of voices all lovingly transcribed and notated where needed.

[Marlee · Rating 5 out of 5]

appalachia strikes the fear of god into me and nothings gonna change that. But this book slaps

[Ryan Lloyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good culmination of stories from Southern Appalachia.

[Nathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first official Foxfire book—been hearing great things for years. 3.5 stars.

This one’s full of good stuff (recollections, anecdotes, stories of pranks, and, of course, some ghost stories thrown in), but it really seems to hang its hat on storytellers and the art contained therein.

Can’t say enough good things about the Foxfire series and what it’s done to help preserve a small section of Appalachian history.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, and Anchor for the advance read.

[Melinda Anders · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is from a collection of the Foxfire Books. The Foxfire books were stories usually from senior citizens taken orally starting in 1972. The stories were about the past and people that they remembered or something they had done themselves. Most of the stories are funny. I remember when these books were published and people were crazy for them. If you like Appalachian stories you will love this book

[jess ~has abandoned GR~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the descendant of folks from southern Appalachia, I was looking forward to reading this. Overall, I found it to be interesting from a scholarly perspective, but it was by no means easy casual reading. I am glad it exists, but it's not the sort of thing I'd curl up on the couch and read.

arc received from the publisher

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Foxfire Story is a retrospective collection of oral tradition stories from the archives of the Foxfire Fund. Released 28th April by Knopf Doubleday on their Anchor Books imprint, it's 336 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

I grew up with the Foxfire books and fell in love with the culture and resourcefulness of the people interviewed and immortalized in the pages of the collections. Besides springing from a noble ideal (to preserve and document the rapidly disappearing culture and traditions of the Appalachian mountain area), the books were deeply interesting and full of old-fashioned, no-nonsense methods of growing and preserving food, crafting, and living, which resonated deeply with me. (I grew up in the 70s and the 'back to the land' movement was in full swing).

This collection contains stories and interviews in the same vein as the original series. It wasn't entirely clear to me (and I have not checked thoroughly), but I believe these stories and interviews weren't previously published and are gleaned from the archives. This collection is full of stories and interviews rich in humor and wit, some pathos, charm, intelligence, and a lot of faith. The photography is, as in the rest of the series, in black and white, and used sparingly but well.

This is a worthy addition to the series, despite the change in content - this collection doesn't contain any recipes or crafting content but includes stories and interviews over decades.

Five stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Christy Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is classic Foxfire. The archives of original interviews and other items in the files were used for this book. It features storytelling classics and sayings. As an Appalachian girl myself I grew up with some of the stories and am aware of how they were used to make a point, entertain, or explain. The beginning of the book told an incredible story of the history of Foxfire, the museum, and many of the original struggles and triumphs. It was a good remembrance of those books I loved so much in the 70s. I got an ARC digital copy of this book for the review and would recommend that readers buy the hard copy. For some reason reading a Foxfire book digitally is just wrong. Enjoyed the blast from the past and this book is reminder of all the good things in the original books. T.J. Smith does a good job in this book, just as in the others, of entertaining the reader and he himself is masterful at telling the story of Foxfire origins. Thanks to all involved in Foxfire for saving these parts of the now almost lost Appalachian culture.
Thanks #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review #NetGalley#FoxfireStory.

[Kerrie Hatcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Foxfire Story gives a brief history of the Foxfire’s reason for being. The book is divided into sections with labels like Old time Expressions and Folk Tales. I enjoyed particularly the part about Songs and also about Folk Beliefs. In fact, out of curiosity, I looked on YouTube for some of the songs and listened to them. The folk beliefs reminded me of the stories I heard from my grandparents.
I have one main take-away from this book: the importance of storytelling in our own lives. This book reminds me that we should share our own family histories and folklores with the younger generations so they have a sense of family identity.
I recommend Foxfire Story to people curious about the Foxfire archived stories and those who have a desire to read the fascinating accounts gathered by the student journalists.
Thank you #FoxfireStory and #NetGalley for an advanced eARC of this book.

[☄k.c.☄ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think that this is a really interesting read. If you like folktales then this is an excellent source of so many cool ones! I expected something a little more academic, but I think that was my own fault, for not doing enough research. But I will say I was pleasantly surprised! I love the dedication to collecting and telling these stories from a specific region and sharing them with the general public. And I love the fact that they went out of their way to speak of everyone in a very humane way. Often times, people from the south get categorized as 'rednecks' and 'hillbillies' in an attempt to discredit anything of value they have, and I'm pleased about them going out of their way to portray people with out stereotype or spectacle.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I requested this book out of a love of oral storytelling and folklore, and I'd started to develop a particular interest in the storytelling of the Appalachian region. This book is not just a valuable recording of history and culture but it's also a useful reference. In fact, I would recommend it as a reference rather than a leisurely read. There were many phrases in the book that I hadn't come across elsewhere and I particularly loved some of the ghost stories.
Overall Foxfire is a good reminder to lovers of storytelling on how it shapes and is shaped by a communal identity. I will be looking for more compilations in the future!

[Ilon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is like sitting on the front porch with your Grandpa who's telling story after story of his life as a boy in Appalachian as you shell walnuts together. Or listening as a kid as your Uncles and Aunts are all retelling the favorite family tales. It can be a little hard to read because the stories are transcripts, and the dialect and accents take a little bit to get used to reading, as well as the differences in grammar and how you verbally tell a story versus read it, but it's still delightful.

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I was hoping for a little more folklore than anecdotes, but it was still interesting to have a sense of (a limited sampling of) the voices of Southern Appalachia. That said, the speakers featured were overwhelmingly male - made especially glaring in the final section of featured storytellers, where four out of five were male. It does also make note in the foreward about the dearth of POC featured in these interviews, which seems like a massive oversight.

[Dan Slone · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this to my Father, who was born in Eastern Kentucky and grew up in east Tennessee. It made for a good nightly 20 minute read over the phone. It's a nice collection of different kinds of folklore. It is at its best when it is platforming real stories from experienced tellers, but it has lots of other types of folklore as examples of community voice as well. The book brings out a clear voice of the old community in transition to a different type of place.

[Lisa K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read some of the introduction and selected sections. While I have been aware of the Foxfire series my entire life, I did not know it came out of an alternative high school program in Georgia. Very much unvarnished, lightly edited oral histories and snippets. Sayings, songs, and a couple of creepy tales -- the last was my interest, to meet a reading challenge. :-)

[Lydia · Rating 4 out of 5]

First I've ever heard of this project. How delightful!

[Nikole (literarily_occupied) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read select chapters in this book. I usually read books cover to cover.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one’s got big family reunion energy. Makes ya proud to be from the South. Had no idea Foxfire books were this good.

[Tiffany Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful collection of stories from the southern appalachian. It was filled with ghost stories and legends. I loved it. It is a wonderful history as well. I would reccomend this book to anyone interested in folk lore.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy free of charge. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

At last! A Foxfire book I can keep for myself! We bought and used the early volumes (can't remember if it was 12 or 14) and then the kids spirited them off and what were left migrated with a grandson or two. Those were the early ones that made camping with the Revolutionary War reenactors so much easier to adapt. This one gives the history of the Foxfire movement in Southern Appalachia and the important work of preserving the old ways and how the oral histories were gathered and written down. Many of the legends, folktales, beliefs, and more are included. I love it and am glad that I get to keep it and reread.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group via NetGalley. Thank you!

[Kendra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent entry in the Foxfire series, focusing on the methods of story-collecting that young ethnographers did to gather the materials for the series, and in-depth bios on the storytellers. Full of folklore, ghost stories, and stories about life in the Southern Highlands.

[Dsbook · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read all of The Foxfire books. This is a great way to learn the history and the way of life life for the mountain folk who were born and raised there. So much history is in this series along with good common sense solutions to living This book has a lot of legends and old ghost stories. I did get bogged down in all the comparisons such as: poor as a —churchmouse, mean as a- striped snake etc.

[Taylor Fry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Foxfire Story is a collection of songs, traditions, sayings, and stories compiled by the Foxfire Students.

The Foxfire group has been around since the 60’s. They are a group of students who compile knowledge from folks living in Appalachia. Mostly in a specific area in Appalachian Georgia. I believe this to be important work, and this compilation is particularly fun because it has a lot of cool stories that mostly were told orally for many years until these students wrote them down.