American Folklore Author:Richard M. Dorson Here, grounded firmly in American history, is a skilled folkloris's survey of the entire field of America's folklore from colonization to mass culture. — Tracing th forms & content of American folklore, Mr. Dorson reveals the richness, pathos & humor of genuine folklore, which he distinguishes from the "fakelore" of popularizers & chauvinists. At... more » the same time shows wha thte creation of spurious folklore (the Paul Bunyan legends, for instance) discloses about our national character. Based upon authentic field collections & research, the examples cited include folkways, jests, boasts, tall tales, ballads, folk & legendary heros.
"His volume enlarges our understanding of the American past & present through an empirical survey of the extant folk traditions & it also provides us with them means for appreciating what is valuable in these folk traditions."