Journal of American Folklore · 1975 · 171 citations · 0 references
HumanitiesFolklore StudiesEthnography Of FolkloreFolklore TheoryMythologyFolktale TheoryNational MythsFolklore Context
The speaker, an Oregon-based folklorist, reflects on the state of folklore and his personal ties to Portland, noting the relevance of Oregon culture to broader contexts. The study examines a conception of folklore as a discipline and analyzes a specific text.
AN OUTGOING PRESIDENT SHOULD TAKE NOTE of the state of the discipline; a hometown boy should take note of his own state. I speak to you [tonight) in both roles. That we meet in Portland is for me a lucky, significant coincidence, for I was born, raised, and introduced to folklore in Portland, and most of my work in folklore is devoted to languages and cultures of the Oregon country.1 I shall try to address both contexts-folklore, Oregon-in a way that is meaningful to both. My first concern is a conception of the discipline; my second is a text. The interpretation of each has relevance to the future of the other, in Oregon, and in general.