Folklife Today

Tells stories about the cultural traditions and folklore of diverse communities, combining brand-new interviews and narration with songs, stories, music, and oral history from the collections of the Library of Congress's American Folklife Center.

  • Audio Recording
    Community Collections Grant Year of Engagement: Remembering Bla… The first episode in a new subseries of Folklife Today, interviewing project teams about their Community Collections Grants projects. In this episode, AFC Folklife Specialists Michelle Stefano and Meg Nicholas chat with Tameshia Rudd-Ridge and Jourdan Brunson, from their CCG project “If Tenth Street Could Talk.” The project follows descendants and residents as they work to preserve the historic freedom colony’s history. Rudd-Ridge and…
    • Contributor: Michelle Stefano - Jourdan Brunson - Tameshia Rudd-Ridge - Meg Nicholas
    • Date: 2025-06-04
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    Reclaiming “Red Wing” with Wampanoag Singer-Songwriter Thea Hop… This episode features singer-songwriter Thea Hopkins, a member of the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe of Martha’s Vineyard, in discussion with staff members of the American Folklife Center. Hopkins adapted songs from the American Folklife Center archive several times. On the first occasion she sang a lullaby recorded by ethnomusicologist Willard Rhodes from a young girl named Margaret at the Haskell Residential School in 1943; the…
    • Contributor: Mary Trotchie - Meg Nicholas - Margaret - Thea Hopkins - Stephen Winick - Lillian Short - Jennifer Cutting
    • Date: 2024-11-26
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    Scary Stories for Halloween 2024 This episode looks at scary stories in the American Folklife Center archives, including ghost stories, witch tales, and other terrifying tales. Hosts Stephen Winick and John Fenn talk with AFC intern Hanna Salmon about scary stories in the new guide “Folktales and Oral Storytelling: Resources in the American Folklife Center Collections.” We then listen to and discuss a “Vanishing Hitchhiker” tale from Marty Weathers…
    • Contributor: Hanna Salmon - Eartha M. M. White - Marty Weathers - Bill Henry - J. D. Suggs - Connie Regan-Blake - Stephen Winick - John Fenn - Richard M. Dorson - Stetson Kennedy
    • Date: 2024-10-29
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    Storytelling and Folktale Traditions in the American Folklife C… This episode looks at storytelling and folktale traditions in the American Folklife Center archives, including “Jack Tales,” tall tales, animal tales, and other stories. Hosts Stephen Winick and John Fenn talk with AFC intern Hanna Salmon about the new guide “Folktales and Oral Storytelling: Resources in the American Folklife Center Collections.” We then listen to and discuss excerpts of tales from North Carolina storyteller…
    • Contributor: Hanna Salmon - Evelia Andux - Tim Tingle - Barbara Freeman - Carmen Agra Deedy - Connie Regan-Blake - Ray Hicks - Stephen Winick - John Fenn - Evelio Andux
    • Date: 2024-09-30
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    Cormac Ó Haodha: Kluge Lomax Fellow from Cúil Aodha in the Músc… This episode looks at the work of Cormac Ó Haodha, who held the 2024 John B. Lovelace Fellowship for the study of the Alan Lomax collection, a position situated within the library’s Kluge Center. Cormac comes from Cúil Aodha in the Múscraí gaeltacht of County Cork, Ireland. He came the Library specifically to study recordings Alan Lomax made in January 1951, of singers local…
    • Contributor: Máire Ní Cheocháin - Elizabeth Cronin - Seán Eoin Ó Súilleabháin - Cormac Ó Haodha - Stephen Winick - John Fenn - Diarmuid Ó Riordáin
    • Date: 2024-05-31
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    2023 Summer Interns: Reflections and Research Guides This episode looks back at the recent work of Joseph Z. Johnson and Deena Owens, interns who created research guides on African American Banjo Playing and on Sacred Harp singing for the American Folklife Center. The interns talked about their work and shared a few of their favorite field recordings from our collections.More information on the songs as well as photos of some the…
    • Contributor: Stranger Home Baptist Church Singers - Joseph Z. Johnson - Elizabeth Cotton - Stephen Winick - John Fenn - Dink Roberts - 1942 Alabama Sacred Harp Singing Convention - Deena Owens
    • Date: 2023-10-31
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    The 2023 Homegrown Concert Series This episode looks back and ahead at the 2023 Homegrown Concert series, which is currently in progress. Hosts Stephen Winick and Michelle Stefano interview the series producer Theadocia Austen and folklife specialist Doug Peach. The participants talk about the series as a whole, and each picks one or two songs for us to hear. The episode contains songs from Jake Blount, (African American folk…
    • Contributor: Christylez Bacon - Jake Blount - Doug Peach - Sharon Weiss - Ali Doğan Gönültaş Quartet - Spaelimenninir - Kristian Blak - Stephen Winick - Theadocia Austen - Charlie Pilzer
    • Date: 2023-08-24
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    Asian Pacific American Heritage In this episode for Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, John Fenn and Steve Winick invite guests to talk about Asian collections in the American Folklife Center. Allina Migoni talks about the earliest known recordings of Korean music, playing segments of a lecture by Robert Provine and a song sung by Ahn Jeong-Sik. Sara Ludewig discusses the Linda LaMacchia collection, including recordings made of Tibetan singers…
    • Contributor: Tenzin Choegyal - Allina Migoni - Sara Ludewig - Stephen Winick - John Fenn - Robert Provine
    • Date: 2023-05-26
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    Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories In this episode for Women’s History Month, Allina Migoni and Michelle Stefano take a look through the collections of the American Folklife Center to find insights into how women have shaped those around them and passed down their cultural traditions, and to listen to reflections about their identities and lives. The episode honors women in the American Folklife Center archive, including homemaker and cook…
    • Contributor: David Nagashima - Michelle Stefano - Miiko Toelken - Allina Migoni - Mary Sheppard Burton - Geraldine Niva Johnson - Christine Cartwright - Donna Choate - Sarah Sohn - Theadocia Austen - Yoshiko Nagashima - Kay Turner - Zenna Todd - Iyo Nagashima
    • Date: 2023-03-31
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    Groundhog Day In this episode, John Fenn, Michelle Stefano, and Stephen Winick discuss Groundhog Day traditions. Drawing on the research of Don Yoder, they discuss the history and folklore of the holiday, including groundhog traditions among the Pennsylvania Dutch, groundhog songs, weather proverbs, and even cooking and eating groundhogs! Songs include two versions of “Groundhog,” one of “Fod,” and one of “Prowling Groundhog.” More information on…
    • Contributor: Michelle Stefano - Ernie Alston - Sam Chatmon - George “shortbuckle” Roarke - Stephen Winick - King Family String Band - John Fenn
    • Date: 2023-02-02
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    Scary Stories for Halloween 2022 In this episode, hosts John Fenn and Stephen Winick introduce three scary stories for you to enjoy: a witch tale told by Appalachian singer and activist Aunt Molly Jackson, a ghost story told by blues musician and gravedigger John Jackson, and the story of Jack O Lantern told by folklorist Jack Santino. Steve and John also discuss a little of the history of Halloween,…
    • Contributor: Jack Santino - John Jackson - Stephen Winick - John Fenn - Aunt Molly Jackson
    • Date: 2022-10-27
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    Caught My Eye, Caught My Ear, Staff Edition, Including Tributes… In this episode, hosts John Fenn and Stephen Winick talk with Jennifer Cutting about items that caught their eyes and ears. Cutting discusses commercial recordings of tunes collected by Cecil Sharp, and Winick tells stories of the recording sessions, which Sharp personally supervised and described in his diaries. Cutting discusses her friend, the late Tony Barrand, an important collector of morris dances. John Fenn…
    • Contributor: Michael Flatley - Prince’s Band - Victor Military Band - Liz Carroll - Tommy Maguire - Stephen Winick - John Fenn - Victor Band - Jennifer Cutting - Cecil Sharp
    • Date: 2022-09-20
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    Caught My Eye: Intern Edition! In this episode, hosts John Fenn and Stephen Winick interview American Folklife Center interns Bryan Jenkins and Elisa Alfonso. Jenkins discusses AFC’s Web Cultures Web Archive, and interviews AFC reference librarian Allina Migoni about it. Alfonso discusses several versions of the Latin American children’s song “Señora Santana,” and speaks of its association with the 1960s Cuban children’s exodus that later became known as Operación…
    • Contributor: Adelpha Pollato - Lottie Espinosa - Allina Migoni - Olga Acevedo - Bryan Jenkins - Ramona Ramirez - Stephen Winick - John Fenn - Elisa Alfonso
    • Date: 2022-09-12
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    Ukrainian Traditions at the American Folklife Center In this episode, hosts John Fenn and Michelle Stefano, with guest Thea Austen, explore Ukrainian materials in the American Folklife Center Archive. Interview segments include a discussion of Ukrainian embroidery and dance, between Geraldine Johnson and Taissa Decyk; and a discussion of a Ukrainian family bandura band who immigrated to the United States as refugees in the late 1940s, between Stephen Winick and Julian…
    • Contributor: Michelle Stefano - Solomia Gorokhivska - Geraldine Niva Johnson - Kalin Kirilov - Stephen Winick - John Fenn - Theadocia Austen - Taissa Decyk - Andrei Pidkivka - Julian Kytasty
    • Date: 2022-07-08
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    A Tribute to Irish American Women In this episode, hosts Stephen Winick and John Fenn, with guests Betsy Peterson, Jennifer Cutting, and Melanie Zeck, explore songs and music from Irish American women in the American Folklife Center archive. Performances include Maggie Hammons Parker singing “Ireland’s Green Shore,” Hattie Scott Gould playing “The Irish Washerwoman” on the fiddle, May Mulcahy playing “Nori from Gibberland” and “Put Your Little Foot Right There”…
    • Contributor: Betsy Peterson - May Mulcahy - Melanie Zeck - Paula Johnson - Maggie Hammons Parker - Hattie Scott Gould - Gary Ward Stanton - Liz Carroll - Carrie Grover - Stephen Winick - John Fenn - Tommy Maguire - Jennifer Cutting - Eileen Gannon
    • Date: 2022-03-28
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    Songs of Spring In this episode, hosts Stephen Winick and John Fenn, with guest Theadocia Austen, talk about songs of springtime, from agricultural and pastoral songs about farms and flowers to love ballads…and one dance tune. They also play the songs, including Pearl Nye’s version of “Early in the Spring,” the Copper Family’s rendition of “When Spring Comes On,” Baptiste Pierre’s version of the Haitian song “Fleurs,…
    • Contributor: Thea Austen - Jim Copper - Warde Ford - Bob Copper - Pearl Nye - Baptiste Pierre - Stephen Winick - John Fenn - Rubén Cobos - Chicago Zither Club
    • Date: 2022-02-28
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    La Llorona: Looking at a Ghost Story for Día de Muertos and Hal… This episode examines the story of La Llorona, the Weeping Woman of Mexican and Latin American ghostlore. Hosts Stephen Winick and John Fenn discuss Winick’s research into the legend for the Folklife Today blog, and interview three guests. Camille Acosta, who wrote a thesis about the Llorona legend, talks about her research and the meanings the story has for kids and adults. Allina Migoni,…
    • Contributor: Sones De Mexico Ensemble - Allina Migoni - Navigaciones Pedro Manuel - Mamselle Ruiz - Juan Dies - Camille Acosta - Stephen Winick - John Fenn - Trio Aurora
    • Date: 2021-10-27
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    The 2021 Homegrown at Home Concert Series This episode looks back at the 2021 Homegrown at Home Concert series. Hosts John Fenn and Stephen Winick interview the series producer Theadocia Austen and folklife interns Kennedi Johnson and Camille Acosta. The participants talk about the series as a whole, and each picks one or two songs for us to hear. The episode contains songs from Neli Andreeva (Bulgarian traditional song), Brother Arnold…
    • Contributor: Samite Mulongo - Hubby Jenkins - Neli Andreeva - Kennedi Johnson - Mamselle Ruiz - Camille Acosta - Stephen Winick - John Fenn - Theadocia Austen - Radiance Choir - Harbanger - Martin Carthy - Brother Arnold Hadd
    • Date: 2021-09-28
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    Summer Songs Part 2 This episode continues our look at songs about summer, from the amorous adventures of young lovers to the backbreaking work done by convicts in the sun. Hosts John Fenn and Stephen Winick, along with guest Jennifer Cutting, present their favorite summer songs. Songs include the English “Sweet Primroses;” the Trinidadian “One Fine Summer’s Morning” and “June Come, You No Marry;” the Tuvan “In Summer…
    • Contributor: Kara-Kys Namzatovna Munzuk - Cephus Louis - Colin Davis - James Griffin - Mrs. Francisco Etcheverry - Stephen Winick - John Fenn - Jennifer Cutting - Matias Etcheverry
    • Date: 2021-09-15
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    Summer Songs Part 1 This episode looks at songs about summer, from the amorous adventures of young lovers to the backbreaking work done by convicts in the sun. Hosts John Fenn and Stephen Winick, along with guests Nicki Saylor and Jennifer Cutting, present their favorite summer songs. Songs include the Finnish “Kesa Ilta,” the Tuvan “Let The Sun Shine On My Verdant Summer,” the African American work song…
    • Contributor: Clyde Hill - Mose Bellaire - Jalmar and Mamie Nukala - In the Willows - Jennifer Cutting - Kara-Kys Namzatovna Munzuk - Nicole Saylor - Aleksandr Laptan - Stephen Winick - John Fenn - Bascom Lamar Lunsford
    • Date: 2021-08-09
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    Hidden Folklorists: Langston Hughes, with guests Langston Colli… This episode looks at a “Hidden Folklorist” renowned as a poet and playwright: Langston Hughes. It includes interviews with folklorist Langston Collin Wilkins and Hughes scholar Sophie Abramowitz. Wilkins and Abramowitz show us how Langston Hughes’s folklore work was grounded in song collecting and vernacular expression, and committed to the visionary futurity of Black folkloric creativity. We also explore Hughes’s connections to the American…
    • Contributor: Langston Collin Wilkins - Mississippi John Hurt - Stephen Winick - John Fenn - Sophie Abramowitz - Buena Flint
    • Date: 2021-06-30
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    Hidden Folklorists: Becky Elzy, Alberta Bradford and E.A. McIlh… This episode looks at three “Hidden Folklorists” from Louisiana with special guest Joshua Clegg Caffery from the Center for Louisiana Studies at the University of Louisiana Lafayette. The Hidden Folklorists are Becky Elzy and Alberta Bradford, two spiritual singers who had been born in slavery, but who years later sang over a hundred spirituals for collectors; and E.A. McIlhenny, the head of the Tabasco…
    • Contributor: Jimmy Peters and Group - Becky Elzy - Alan Lomax - Joshua Clegg Caffery - Alberta Bradford - Stephen Winick - John Fenn
    • Date: 2021-05-28
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    Folklife and Poetry This episode looks at folk poetry, with discussions of four poetry-themed collections in the American Folklife Center. Guest Anne Holmes of the Library of Congress Literary Initiatives Division discusses “Living Nations, Living Words,” the signature project of the Poet Laureate Joy Harjo. Harjo, the first Native American Poet Laureate, has curated a collection of poetry by Native American poets, which includes recordings of the…
    • Contributor: Michelle Stefano - Meezie Hermansen - Kerry Ward - Fred Soule - M.L. Smoker - Marjan Naderi - Stephen Winick - John Fenn - Anne Holmes
    • Date: 2021-04-30
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    “Colorado Morton’s Ride” This episode Presents the poem “Colorado Morton’s Ride,” also known as “Colorado Morton’s Last Ride.” It’s a ten-minute narrative poem recited by Fred Soule at the Farm Security Administration (FSA) camp in Visalia, California on September 2, 1941. The poem was recorded on an instantaneous disc by Charles Todd and Robert Sonkin, two fieldworkers collecting folksongs for the Library of Congress. It was written…
    • Contributor: John Fenn - Fred Soule - Stephen Winick
    • Date: 2021-04-30
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    The Green Book and African American Travel with Candacy Taylor This episode presents an interview with Candacy Taylor, whose latest project is documenting sites associated with the Negro Motorist Green Book, a travel guide for African Americans during the Jim Crow era. Taylor discusses the dangers inherent in travel for Black people during an era where racial discrimination was legal and open racism was common. She fills us in on the origins of the…
    • Contributor: Leah Chase - Candacy Taylor - Jerry Markowitz - Enid Pinkney - Stephen Winick - John Fenn - Nelson Malden - Sampson Pittman - Calvin Frazier
    • Date: 2021-02-25
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    Sea Shanties This episode presents an introduction to sea shanties, including a discussion of the word “shanty” or “chantey;” a discussion of the roots of shanties; the history of shanties; the subtypes of short-haul shanties, halyard shanties, and capstan shanties; the importance of the African American and Afro-Caribbean communities to shanties; and the prevalence of women singing shanties. The episode presents six shanties, “Pay Me My…
    • Contributor: Ship’s Company Chanteymen - Eugenie Carter - Alex Barr - Edith Lloyd - John Davis - Estelle Reid - Stephen Winick - Louisa Carty - Evans Hughes - Georgia Sea Island Singers ... Ship’s Company Chanteymen - Eugenie Carter - Alex Barr - Edith Lloyd - John Davis - Estelle Reid - Stephen Winick - Louisa Carty - Evans Hughes - Georgia Sea Island Singers - Leighton McKenzie - Edith Richardson - Dallas Valley - John Fenn - Claudette Hazel - Miss Finger - Leighton Robinson - James A. Gumbs - Charles J. Finger - Mike Bosworth - Arthur Brodeur - Alan Lomax - Richard Maitland - John A. Lomax - Florence Brooks - Alberta Harrigan - Myron Peterson
    • Date: 2021-01-29
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    The Peaceful Transfer of Mumming: American Folklife Center 2020… This episode presents the American Folklife Center’s 2020 mummers’ play, “The Peaceful Transfer of Mumming.” Every year, in the week or two before Christmas, staff members of the American Folklife Center put our research and performance skills into play, bringing collections to life in a dramatic performance that tours the halls of the Library of Congress. The performance is based on traditional mummers’ plays.…
    • Contributor: Michelle Stefano - Hope O’keeffe - Unknown Singers - George Thuronyi - Paul Edmonds - Valda Morris - Rufus Quesinberry - Stephen Winick - John Fenn - Stephanie Hall - Theadocia Austen - Jennifer Cutting - Norman Edmonds
    • Date: 2020-12-16
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    Haunting Songs for Halloween 2020 Hosts John Fenn and Stephen Winick are joined by staff member Jennifer Cutting to discuss and play some of their favorite ballads and songs about ghosts, goblins, fairies, and elves—not to mention the Devil himself. Songs include “The Unquiet Grave” sung by Jean Ritchie; “Polly Vaughan” sung by Albert Lancaster “Bert” Lloyd; “The Three Babes” or “The Wife of Usher’s Well” sung by Isaac…
    • Contributor: Willie Greer - I. G. Greer - James Carter - Johnny Lee Moore - Séamus Ennis - A. L. Lloyd - Henry Mason - Stephen Winick - John Fenn - Jean Ritchie - Jennifer Cutting - Ed Lewis - Lena Bare Turbyfill
    • Date: 2020-10-28
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    Watch Homegrown Concerts and Take the Archive Challenge—at Home! Hosts John Fenn and Stephen Winick are joined by staff members Theadocia Austen and Jennifer Cutting to discuss two initiatives of the American Folklife Center during the COVID-19 pandemic. For the At-Home Archive Challenge, AFC has been encouraging people to learn or be inspired by material from the American Folklife Center archive at the Library of Congress and to share the results on social…
    • Contributor: Steve Riley - Burke Riley - Dolsy Riley - Jones Benally - Emma Björling - Jay Ungar - Walter Parks - Sean Ardoin - Dom Flemons - Clayson Benally ... Steve Riley - Burke Riley - Dolsy Riley - Jones Benally - Emma Björling - Jay Ungar - Walter Parks - Sean Ardoin - Dom Flemons - Clayson Benally - Jeneda Benally - Petrus Johansson - Molly Mason - Stephen Winick - John Fenn - Theadocia Austen - Jennifer Cutting - Marcus Howell
    • Date: 2020-08-31
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    What’s Inspiring the American Folklife Center Staff During the … Hosts Stephen Winick and John Fenn interview American Folklife Center staff members about what inspires them about AFC collections while they are working from home during the stay-at-home orders imposed by the covid-19 virus crisis. Alda Allina Migoni speaks about Spanish-language collections from California recorded in 1939 by Sidney Robertson Cowell, including versions of “Cielito Lindo.” Michelle Stefano speaks about blues musicians interviewed as…
    • Contributor: Michelle Stefano - Mary Lane - Amado Trujillo - Stephen Winick - Lottie Espinosa - Los Amantes - Adelaido Chavez - Adolfo Chavez - Whit Sizemore Band - Zora Neale Hurston ... Michelle Stefano - Mary Lane - Amado Trujillo - Stephen Winick - Lottie Espinosa - Los Amantes - Adelaido Chavez - Adolfo Chavez - Whit Sizemore Band - Zora Neale Hurston - Margaret Counts Owen - John Fenn - Stetson Kennedy - Alda Allina Migoni - Maya Lerman - Herbert Halpert - John Embry - Queen Sylvia Embry - Tommy Jarrell
    • Date: 2020-05-26
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    On the Road With Alan Lomax, a “By the People” Campaign from th… Hosts Stephen Winick and John Fenn discuss “On the Road with Alan Lomax” a campaign in the Library of Congress “By the People” program, which crowdsources transcriptions of Lomax’s field notes. Alan Lomax was a prominent folklorist who made iconic field recordings around the world. The hosts interview Victoria Van Hyning, Lauren Algee, and Todd Harvey of the Library of Congress, and play some…
    • Contributor: Bessie Jones - Jelly Roll Morton - Almeda Riddle - Alan Lomax - David “honeyboy” Edwards - Ferguson Adams - Vera Ward Hall - Victoria Van Hyning - Aapo Juhani - Bob Copper ... Bessie Jones - Jelly Roll Morton - Almeda Riddle - Alan Lomax - David “honeyboy” Edwards - Ferguson Adams - Vera Ward Hall - Victoria Van Hyning - Aapo Juhani - Bob Copper - Lauren Algee - Todd Harvey - McKinley Morganfield (Muddy Waters) - Francilia, Lakou Mizik - Stephen Winick - John Fenn - Ron Copper - Seamus Ennis
    • Date: 2020-03-31
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    Winter Songs Part 2 Hosts Stephen Winick and John Fenn, along with guests Stephanie Hall and Jennifer Cutting discuss and play their favorite songs of winter. Songs include “Footprints in the Snow,” “Ice Skating Song,” “Fair Charlotte,” “Young Charlotte,” “The Wind Blows High,” and “Time to Remember the Poor.” More information on the songs as well as videos of some of the performances, photos of some the singers,…
    • Contributor: Ward Ford - Unidentified Children - Peggie Macgillivray - Lisa Moscatiello - Bogue Ford - George Vinton Graham - Isaac Garfield Greer - Stephen Winick - John Fenn - Stephanie Hall - Charles Ingenthron - Jennifer Cutting
    • Date: 2020-02-25
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    Winter Songs Part 1 Hosts Stephen Winick and John Fenn, along with guest Theadocia Austen, discuss and play their favorite songs of winter. Songs include an old-time love song by Virginian Hettie Swindel, an urban blues from Detroit songsters Sampson Pittman and Calvin Frazier, a Hardanger fiddle tune from Loretta Kelley, an example of rich vocal polyphony from the Republic of Georgia, and a lumberjack song by Carl…
    • Contributor: Hettie Swindel - Loretta Kelley - Carl Lathrop - Unidentified Georgian Singers - Stephen Winick - John Fenn - Theadocia Austen - Sampson Pittman - Calvin Frazier
    • Date: 2020-01-23
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    “The Candidate’s a Dodger”: An American Folksong from Oral Trad… Hosts Stephen Winick and Thea Austen and guest Jennifer Cutting discuss the folksong “The Candidate’s a Dodger,” also known as “The Dodger.” They talk about the song’s meanings in oral tradition, its use by Aaron Copland as an art song, and its involvement in political controversy in the 1930s, when Charles Seeger first published it. They examine the song’s history and lay out brand-new…
    • Contributor: Neal Morris - Pete Seeger - Mike Seeger - Thomas Hampson - Peggy Seeger - Emma Dusenbury - Nancy Humble Griffin - Minnie Floyd - Stephen Winick - Theadocia Austen - Myra Pipkin - Jennifer Cutting - Wayne Shirley
    • Date: 2019-11-26
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    Scary Stories for Halloween 2019 Hosts John Fenn and Stephen Winick introduce three spooky stories to celebrate Halloween: Award-winning storyteller and author Jackie Torrence telling “The Golden Arm,” groundbreaking folklorist Mary Celestia Parler telling “The Witch Who Kept a Hotel,” and Connie Regan Blake, one of today’s leading professional storytellers, telling “Mr. Fox.” Much more about the storytellers and the tales can be found at the blog Folklife Today,…
    • Contributor: Mary Celestia Parler - Jackie Torrence - Stephen Winick - John Fenn - Connie Regan Blake
    • Date: 2019-10-28
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    Chicago Ethnic Arts Project Collection Hosts John Fenn and Stephen Winick, and their guests Ann Hoog, Carl Fleischhauer, and Michelle Stefano, discuss the Chicago Ethnic Arts Project Collection, created as part of the American Folklife Center’s first fieldwork project in 1977. The collection, featuring sound recordings, manuscripts, and photographs from 25 ethnic communities in Chicago, is online at loc.gov They discuss the challenges of getting the collection online and…
    • Contributor: Ann Hoog - Michelle Stefano - Edith Wilson, Magic Slim - James Mack - Carl Fleischhauer - Mrs. Johnson - John Katsikas - Paul Sveinbjorn Johnson - Beverly Robinson - Stephen Winick - John Fenn - Ralph Metcalfe Jr - Jens Lund - Gamaliel “bobby” Ramírez - Margaret Burroughs
    • Date: 2019-09-30
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    More Hidden Folklorists Hosts John Fenn and Stephen Winick, and their guest Jennifer Cutting, introduce two more hidden folklorists, writer Charles J. Finger and filmmaker Nicholas Ray. Finger collected folklore for award-winning books such as “Tales from Silver Lands,” “Sailor Chanties and Cowboy Songs,” “Frontier Ballads,” and “Robin Hood and his Merry Men.” Ray was employed by the Works Progress Administration to collect folklore in 1938 and…
    • Contributor: Alan Lomax - Clark Kenyon - Archer Gilfillan - John Sawyer - Charles J. Finger - John A. Lomax - Paul Martin - Stephen Winick - John Fenn - Jennifer Cutting
    • Date: 2019-08-28
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    “Is ‘Ring Around the Rosie’ About the Plague?” A Look at Childr… Hosts John Fenn and Stephen Winick discuss children’s songs, and in particular “Ring Around the Rosie.” They interview Carolyn Bennett, the Library of Congress Teacher-in-Residence, and play versions of children’s songs recorded in the field in 1939 and in 2019. They talk about the story that the origin of “Ring Around the Rosie” is related to plague symptoms in English history. They conclude that…
    • Contributor: Henry Truvillion - Unidentified Children - Hasel Futch - Carolyn Bennett - John A. Lomax - Stephen Winick - John Fenn - Corine Jackson - Herbert Halpert
    • Date: 2019-07-29
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    Occupational Folklife Hosts John Fenn and Stephen Winick discuss occupational folklife in general, and the American Folklife Center’s Occupational Folklife Project in particular. Topics covered include occupational songs, labor scholar and activist Archie Green, and the Occupational Folklife Project’s oral histories with American workers. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi provides a moving tribute to labor folklorist Archie Green. Other interviewees include American Folklife center director…
    • Contributor: Betsy Peterson - Tom Lightsey - Pat Jasper - James "Blind Jim" Howard - Gilda Ramirez - David Taylor - Kelly Pace - Billy Bragg - Archie Green - Nancy Groce ... Betsy Peterson - Tom Lightsey - Pat Jasper - James "Blind Jim" Howard - Gilda Ramirez - David Taylor - Kelly Pace - Billy Bragg - Archie Green - Nancy Groce - Terry James Thibodeaux - Nicole Saylor - Melissa Lindberg - Nancy Pelosi - Stephen Winick - John Fenn - Barbara Miller Byrd - Kelly Revak
    • Date: 2019-06-28
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    Vanderburg Hosts John Fenn and Stephen Winick Discuss the work of Agnes Vanderburg, a Salish elder from Montana who began an outdoor school to teach traditional native American ways, including Salish language, food preparation, crafting with porcupine quills, making tipis, and traditional medicine. They interview Stephanie Hall, who researched Vanderburg for the Folklife Today blog, Trelani Duncan, who did further research for this podcast, Carl…
    • Contributor: Trelani Duncan - Rachel Bowers - Mary Trotchie - Carl Fleischhauer - Kay Young - Agnes Vanderburg - Stephen Winick - John Fenn - Stephanie Hall - Judith Gray - Unidentified Boy - Marjorie Hunt
    • Date: 2019-06-04
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    Hidden Folklorists Hosts John Fenn and Stephen Winick, along with Library of Congress staff members Stephanie Hall, Michelle Stefano, and Muhannad Salhi, explore the work of “hidden folklorists,” that is, people whose folklore work is sometimes overlooked because they came from marginalized communities and/or were more famous for other activities. This episode looks at four folklorists or folklore families. The famous 19th century detective Allan Pinkerton…
    • Contributor: Phil Wiggins - Michelle Stefano - Jeannie Robertson - Junious Brickhouse - Ledward Kaapana - Bahiya Jamali - E. K. Rose - Unukupukupu Ensemble - Solomon Haileselassie - John Burgess ... Phil Wiggins - Michelle Stefano - Jeannie Robertson - Junious Brickhouse - Ledward Kaapana - Bahiya Jamali - E. K. Rose - Unukupukupu Ensemble - Solomon Haileselassie - John Burgess - Muhannad Salhi - Rick Franklin - Stephen Winick - John Fenn - Stephanie Hall - Kenan Adnawi - Marcus Moore - Hawaiian Qunitette
    • Date: 2019-04-30
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    The Origin of All Folklore Everywhere With the help of AFC staff, John Fenn and Stephen Winick will finally get to the bottom of the pesky question: what is the origin of folklore? They will also explore the infamous holiday of April Fools’ Day. You’ll learn about the history of April Fools’ day along with the legends that accompany it. John, Stephen, and AFC staff will talk about the different…
    • Contributor: Michelle Stefano - Stephen Winick - John Fenn - Stephanie Hall - Jennifer Cutting
    • Date: 2019-03-28
  • Audio Recording
    Civil Rights History Project With the help of colleagues from the National Museum of African American History and Culture as well as AFC staff, Stephen Winick and John Fenn explore the collaborative collection known as the Civil Rights History Project. You’ll learn about the piece of Congressional legislation that mandated the project, as well as the various roles that the Smithsonian Institution and Library of Congress have played…
    • Contributor: Worth Long - Kelly Navies - Guha Shankar - Stephen Winick - Elaine Nichols - Carlos Montes - Trelani Duncan - John Fenn - Ruby Sales - Emilye Crosby ... Worth Long - Kelly Navies - Guha Shankar - Stephen Winick - Elaine Nichols - Carlos Montes - Trelani Duncan - John Fenn - Ruby Sales - Emilye Crosby - Joe Mosnier - Charles McDew - Ellie Dahmer - Kelly Revak - Julia Kim - Freeman Hrabowski - David Cline - Timothy Jenkins - Elizabeth Peterson
    • Date: 2019-02-25
  • Audio Recording
    Kumbaya: Stories of an African American Spiritual With the help of AFC archivists, Stephen Winick and John Fenn reveal the history of a great work of African American folk creativity: the spiritual “Kumbaya” or “Come By Here.” You’ll hear how it was collected from oral tradition in Georgia and North Carolina in the 1920s, and hear it become the first State Historical Song of Georgia on the floor of the Georgia…
    • Contributor: Bessie Jones - McIntosh County Shouters - Ethel Best - Griffin Lotson - Henry Wylie - Pete Seeger - Jennifer Cutting - Cathy Fink - The Folksmiths - Paul Williams ... Bessie Jones - McIntosh County Shouters - Ethel Best - Griffin Lotson - Henry Wylie - Pete Seeger - Jennifer Cutting - Cathy Fink - The Folksmiths - Paul Williams - Todd Harvey - Stephen Winick - John Fenn - Marcy Marxer - Judith Gray - Joe Hickerson - Gullah Geechee Ring Shouters
    • Date: 2019-01-22
  • Audio Recording
    Christmas Songs from the American Folklife Center This episode shares some of our favorite songs of the Christmas season. It includes songs derived from English and Spanish medieval mystery plays, children’s songs, cumulative carols, and other fun songs of the season. There’s even a performance by the American Folklife Center mummers, who sing and perform a Christmas play every year at the Library of Congress.For full audio of items excerpted in…
    • Contributor: Adolfo Chavez - Bessie Jones - Exilia Bellaire - Burl Ives - Jean Ritchie - Julian Lobato - The Davies Hill School Chorus - The Silver Star Singers - Nancy Groce - Samuel Martinez Y Lavadí ... Adolfo Chavez - Bessie Jones - Exilia Bellaire - Burl Ives - Jean Ritchie - Julian Lobato - The Davies Hill School Chorus - The Silver Star Singers - Nancy Groce - Samuel Martinez Y Lavadí - AFC Mummers - Moise Bellaire - Stephen Winick - John Fenn - Stephanie Hall - Aunt Molly Jackson - Jennifer Cutting - Jilson Setters
    • Date: 2018-12-13
  • Audio Recording
    Festive Foods and Menus Today we explore festive food traditions, including Thanksgiving and other holiday meals. Stephen Winick reveals what the Pilgrims REALLY ate at the 1621 event many Americans call “The First Thanksgiving.” Megan Harris of the Veterans History Project shares interviews with wartime veterans about festive holiday meals in the military. Mackenzie Kwok brings interviews about ramps, a stinky wild onion that’s at the center of…
    • Contributor: Albert Allen Jr - Anna M. Ruiz - Megan Harris - Stephen Winick - John Fenn - Mackenzie Kwok
    • Date: 2018-11-19
  • Audio Recording
    Haunting Tunes for Halloween This episode shares some of our favorite haunting or spooky songs for the Halloween season. It includes songs about vengeful ghosts, haunted fiddles, and our inevitable final confrontation with death. There’s even a spooky story about a skeleton that plays the fiddle, complete with its favorite tune! Guests include Halloween expert Jack Santino and folksingers Jeff and Gerret Warner.For full audio of items excerpted…
    • Contributor: Pablo Ruthling - Fred Carriere - Ian Fitzgerald - Jack Santino - Burl Hammons - Carl Fleischhauer - Kilby Snow - Vera Ward Hall - Nancy Groce - Nicole Saylor - Jeff Warner - Stephen Winick - John Fenn - Gerret Warner - Jennifer Cutting
    • Date: 2018-10-29