Folklore 101: An Accessible Introduction to Folklore Studies

"If you have ever dreamed of taking a class from the highly regarded scholar Dr. Jeana Jorgensen, this comprehensive text will grant your wish. Dr. Jorgensen's presentation of material in Folklore 101 is organized logically and supported with an array of significant sources and suggestions for further study. Her examples illustrate each concept beautifully, her writing prompts encourage critical thinking and reflection, and her friendly, laid-back narrative style makes learning about folklore studies fun. You'll want to be a folklorist after reading this book!" - Susan Redington Bobby, editor of Fairy Tales Reimagined: Essays on New Retellings

"Jorgensen welcomes readers into folklore studies with clarity and humor. Her straightforward explanations shape genres and theories into readily useable tools, while brief, engaging examples energize students to tackle their own analysis. By leading students to recognize the significance of the folklore all around us, Jorgensen makes a persuasive case that the study of folklore matters because 'it allows us to keep a finger on the pulse of what people actually care about.'" - Patricia Sawin, Associate Professor of Folklore and American Studies, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

"Jeana Jorgensen's research in Folklore, both the academic and the public-facing, rectifies common misperceptions, engages with popular fascinations, and persistently pushes the field forward into the 21st century; these are also the strengths of Folklore 101. Jorgensen engages historical scholarship while demonstrating the ongoing, immediate relevance--and wisdom--of the field through discussions of memes, urban legends, and more. It succinctly presents the concepts most crucial to the field of folkloristics in a manner that is both thorough and extremely readable--this is not just a book for scholars, but for anyone with an interest in folklore. In its entirety, it would be perfect for any Folklore classroom, and individual chapters are marvelously condensed overviews of complex topics that could be used in any classroom where folklore is discussed." - Psyche Ready, Independent Folklorist, English PhD student at University of Connecticut