Reference Reviews

Doug’s Student Reference Room

African American Folklore, by Stephen Currie. 104 p. Farmington Hills, MI: Lucent Books, 2008. ISBN 13: 978-1-4205-0082-0. ISBN 10: 1-4205-0082-1. $32.45

The introduction to this volume, part of the Lucent Library of Black History series, quotes anthropologist Frantz Fanon’s belief that “when a story flourishes in the heart of a folklore it is because in one way or another it expresses an aspect of the ‘spirit of the group.’ In this sense, the folk process connects the folklore of a culture to the soul of its people.” The five chapters here provide an outstanding introduction to folklore in African-American culture, from early folk stories like Br’er Rabbit to the toasts of 1950s to the rap of today. The first chapter recounts some of the better-known animal, supernatural and fairy tales, taking care to include a few stories that include women, such as Annie Christmas, a proud and strong female riverboat pilot who throws herself into the river in response to unrequited love and continues to haunt the New Orleans riverbanks to this day. The second chapter focuses on the many kinds of folk songs that have grown out of the African-American experience, from spirituals, work songs and the blues. The third chapter focuses primarily on humor, including jokes, tall tales, toasts, and the oneupsmanship of “doing the dozens;” also given brief mention are rap music and urban legends. The last two chapters provide insightful discussions about the roots and influences on African-American folklore and the ways that folklore both shapes and is shaped by the African-American experience. This discussion may have been more effective if it had been split up and included as part of each aspect of African-American folklore; nevertheless, the connections these chapters make between culture and experience are perhaps the strongest feature of this volume. Attractive color photos and illustrations are featured throughout, and sidebars highlight key ideas, people, and contributions to African-American folklore. A brief but useful print bibliography and an index conclude the volume. Highly recommended for middle and high school libraries.
—Doug Achterman