Foxfire Story: Oral Tradition in Southern Appalachia

Since 1972, the Foxfire books have preserved and celebrated the culture of Southern Appalachia for countless readers all around the world. In Foxfire Story, folklorist (and Foxfire director) T.J. Smith collects some of his favorite stories from the archives to illuminate the oral traditions that have been part of the culture of the mountains for centuries.

Here are instances of mountain speech, proverbs and sayings, legends, folktales, anecdotes, songs, and pranks and jests, along with ghost tales and accounts of folk belief, as well as stories from half a dozen of the region's finest storytellers. Through these examples, Smith examines the role storytelling plays in the Southern Appalachian community, identifying the rich traditions that can be found in the region and exploring how they convey a sense of place--and of identity.

Author: Foxfire Fund Inc
Publisher: Anchor Books
Published: 04/28/2020
Pages: 336
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.90lbs
Size: 9.10h x 5.90w x 0.60d
ISBN13: 9780525436317
ISBN10: 0525436316
BISAC Categories:
- Social Science | Folklore & Mythology
- Social Science | Sociology | Rural
- History | United States | State & Local | South (AL,AR,FL,GA,KY,LA,MS,

About the Author
Founded in 1966, FOXFIRE is a nonprofit educational and heritage preservation organization. Foxfire's learner-centered, community-based approach is advocated through The Foxfire Museum and Heritage Center and grounded in the Southern Appalachian culture that promotes a sense of place and appreciation of local people and their traditions as essential educational tools. T.J. SMITH is the president and executive director of The Foxfire Fund, Inc. and holds a Ph.D. in folklore from the University of Louisiana-Lafayette.