The text is written by Anna Kearney Guigné, who has extensive knowledge of the history of folksong collection in Newfoundland (see Guigné 2008), and this is clear throughout this well-researched and accessible publication. My only reservation about the book is an aesthetic one. In an attempt to give an archival feel to the publication, there are layered texts and a number of contrasting colours and images. This detracts from the text at times, but no doubt tied into a very effective display; unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity to see the exhibit that this small book was originally designed to accompany. This book could be used in a variety of ways; in preparation for comprehensive exams, as a primer or entry point into the history of ballad scholarship in Newfoundland, or even in secondary school to help facilitate discussion of local history and culture. This book also contributes to the growing body of work which documents women’s contributions to the collection and study of folklore in Atlantic Canada, making it appropriate for use in undergraduate Newfoundland Folklore classes or Atlantic Canadian Folklore courses, or as a prompt for discussion in a Gender and Women’s Studies Course. This book is a great example of the potential for folklore outreach activities and a good representative of the “knowledge mobilization” strategies that folklorists can make use of given the often ephemeral nature of our research. The archival pictures highlighted within the book are fascinating in and of themselves. Consequently, the book could also be used as a primer for advanced projects in archival courses, digital humanities, museum studies, or public folklore to illustrate potential ways to increase access to archival research.
Parties annexes
References
- Guigné, Anna Kearney. 2008. Folksongs and Folk Revival: The Cultural Politics of Kenneth Peacock’s Songs of the Newfoundland Outports. St. John’s, NL: ISER Books.