Emphasizes the importance of orality, a dimension of textual authenticity, that can influence the content, the form of a speech transcript, and the act of criticism. Demonstrates, with Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech, that incorporation of orality does not necessarily provide answers to all of the critic's questions. (SR)

Suggests that major works of orally grounded literature, like "Beowulf," are the result of collective engagement with the question of what wisdom is. Claims "Beowulf" is the result of a set of cultural transformations and a means by which such transformations took place. Suggests it speaks to traditional verse's role in the consolidation of new…

The cases of literary folklorists are illustrated to indicate that the subjects like oral tradition are not self-sustained in modern universities. In order to resolve exclusionary practices in knowledge production and audience selection, a suggested solution is to reach multiple audiences.

This article is a collection of stories crafted in the tradition of indigenous research. At the start of each section, the author asks, "Who am I?" From the stories he chooses to share, the answer is obvious--Kimo is Kimo. His stories are Kimo, his world view is Kimo, the language he speaks is Kimo. Within each story, the author connects…

In "Gumbo Ya ya," the author reflects on how varied stories and cultural and linguistic perspectives encountered during her evolution from student to veteran teacher have helped shape her research and pedagogy. Using a simultaneity of voices that parallel the musical traditions of her Louisiana heritage, she shares her views on teaching…

Scholars of writing, language, and culture will find a rich fund of research material in 19th-century obituaries which convey extensive details of the deceased's life through an elegant language reminiscent of an oral culture. In contrast to today's newspaper obituaries, which are business-like, tight-lipped, and entirely devoid of any details or…

This paper discusses the concept of character formation as it can be positively impacted by folk arts in education. A long-standing tradition in U.S. education is for the teacher to take a leading role in molding the character of young people, as outlined through the years by such scholars as Thomas Jefferson, Horace Mann, and Rachel Davis DuBois.…

As a preamble to the development of a storytelling aesthetic, a study analyzed written reports of recent storytelling events to investigate the claim that little theoretical and critical language regarding storytelling is currently in use. Ninety-six reviews of storytelling performances by 11 different storytellers were examined. Sixty were…

Reports on views of storytellers on children's work with stories. Offers ideas to teachers on effective ways to tap into the oral tradition of storytelling. (TB)

The Anishinabe language is alive, and Anishinabe world view is embedded in it. It is important to continue speaking the language because not doing so contributes to language loss and the undermining of the Anishinabe world view. Dictionaries can help in preserving Native languages, but they must be written by Natives from a Native perspective. The…

Presents background information about the field of international children's literature globally and nationally in hopes of encouraging those who work with children to investigate this rich body of literature. Discusses how international stories teach children about their peers in other lands, because they bring the people, history, and traditions…

Discusses how the stories passed on from Native American tribal elders can preserve Indian cultural history, mutual dependence, respect for nature, and values rooted in tribal culture. (HTH)

The study examines the development of the registers of academic writing by African American college-level students through style and grammar: indirection inherent in the oral culture of the African American community and the paratactic functions of "because." Discourse analysis of 74 samples of academic writing by 20 African American undergraduate…

In the American southwest, Pueblo Indian tribes have managed to retain their languages and cultures far longer than many American Indian tribes who have suffered complete language loss as a result of historical oppression, displacement and annihilation. In more recent times, however, Pueblo Indian tribes have faced tremendous pressures to abandon…

This collection serves as an interpretation of traditions, rituals, legacies, and the historical challenges associated with the University of Alabama. As such, it is a consolidated historical record of the cultural history of the university. The chapters are: (1) "Introduction" (Chad Caples, Lillie Hagood, Kurt Johnson, Anne Kanga, Julie…