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Duncan Emrich (1908–1977)

Author of Folklore on the American Land

17+ Works 270 Members 6 Reviews

About the Author

Duncan Emrich, born April 11, 1908 in Mardin, Turkey, was the son of Richard Stanley Merrill, a missionary. Blessed with intelligence and opportunity, Emrich received a first-class education concluding with a Ph.D. from Harvard in 1937 and post-doctoral studies in many foreign universities, show more including the Sorbonne, University of Paris. After teaching for some years, he settled in at the Library of Congress as the chief archivist of American folksong from 1945 to 1946. This focused his lifelong interest in folklore and love of language. His life as a writer earned him many honors. The Nonsense Book was named Best Book of the Year by School Library Journal and by the Child Study Association of America in 1970. The Hodgepodge Book was named Outstanding Children's Book by the New York Times Book Review, 1972. He also compiled many adult collections including American Folk Poetry: An Anthology, published in 1974. (Bowker Author Biography) show less

Includes the name: Duncan Emrich editor

Works by Duncan Emrich

Associated Works

The Lucius Beebe Reader (1967) — Editor — 22 copies

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Common Knowledge

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Reviews

When I was a little girl, I checked this book out of the library over and over. It's sort of an oddball mix of poems, riddles, trivia, and other goodies, but I found it fascinating. I recently found an old discarded library copy and I've thoroughly enjoyed looking at it again.
 
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skayw | 4 other reviews | Mar 20, 2022 |
My aunt worked for Four Winds Press when I was a child, and gave me this book. I read it over and over, tried playing a few of the games with my friends, and still recalled many of the rhymes. It went the way of most things, but I recently inherited my aunt's copy and it's like an old friend.
 
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chelseagirl | 4 other reviews | Mar 19, 2017 |
Of course I didn't read every word, but I did find myself reading much more than I thought I would. I thought I just wanted to sample it, to get an idea of our folk heritage. But this is so rich...

Anyway, most of these pieces are more like folk songs: ballads & ditties. And that only makes sense, because oral transmission is easier when there's a tune supporting the text. And oral transmission is the key element here. These are mostly anonymous, mostly never recorded until Emrich, Lomax, and the others made the effort to preserve them, and entirely composed by 'folk' rather than by educated poets.

There is an organization by theme, and there are a few old-time illustrations and a few notes, also appendices - but mostly the pieces are left to stand on their own. Imo, this is not always successful. I had trouble feeling as moved as did Emrich.

But then, he did the research. He went 'to the field' (to old folks' homes, penitentiaries, etc.) and to the Library of Congress to collect as much as he could, then winnowed through to capture the best for this volume.

I imagine (hope) that the LoC has digitized the LPs referenced here and made them avl on the web. Listening to our ancestors singing these songs would be enlightening. Still, I hope any library that still has this volume keeps it intact - browsing a website is not as rich an experience as paging through a book. In fact, I don't think I should have been allowed to check this out - seems to me it should be in non-circulating reference.

One example of what I do want to research further is [a:J. Ross Browne|239753|J. Ross Browne|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]. His book:Etchings of a Whaling Cruise, with Notes of a Sojourn on the Island of Zanzibar. to Which Is Appended a Brief History of the Whale Fishery|10543315] is a wonderfully readable and important book covering the early days of American sailing and whaling. It preceded *Moby Dick* by several years, just as Browne's book on the Comstock Lode and Nevada preceded Mark Twain's *Roughing It,* and his book on Mediterranean travels was ahead of Twain's *Innocents Abroad.*... his illustrations catch his times with humor and spirit." (I'd not be surprised if these were avl on Project Gutenberg.)"
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Cheryl_in_CC_NV | Jun 6, 2016 |
Def. for children. Includes *lots* of superstitions (beliefs, if you believe them, or so says Emrich). No narrative, unless you count the few cumulative tales and the occasional commentary. Just a mess of stuff that all children used to now, and that is now being forgotten, as families are smaller and kids aren't allowed to go exploring with others, Most of it's nonsense and not really worth preserving, but it's a good resource for the student of folklore. The notes and references are extensive, but about useless, as they're listed alphabetically by name, so we've no idea which are the source for which bit of wit or whimsy.

I *might* recommend this to an author of children's historical fiction, but much is regional. For example, in Wisconsin, I grew up knowing 'rain before seven, done by eleven.' Generally true there. True elsewhere? Another example - I doubt anybody in WI ever said 'Tall as a Georgia pine. And is that tall, or is that sarcastic? A native California kid would think about Sequoias and Redwoods and scoff.

So, yes, it's a little geocentric to the US, especially east of the Rockies and North of Mason-Dixon. And it's a little sexist, and gets a little edgy on the line of racism & classism, too. Otoh, the pictures are inclusive and charming - I will look for more by Ohlsson; his tomboys are especially delightful.

I do like a few of these silly traditional games and.chants:

"When you are outdoors with a group of friends and have eaten an apple down to its core, turn to one of your friends and say; 'Apple core, Baltimore, who's your friend?' Throw the apple core at the person he names." (quick, before that kid can dodge or run).

New to me tongue-twister: A sure sign of sunshine.

Neat section of what Emrich calls Transpositions, too. I know them as anagrams, and wish the answer had been separated. I'll do you a favor and give you a chance to solve them for yourself. (And if you know any others, please comment, so I can have some fun trying to solve them, too.)

For example: rearrange the letters of Grin, O ant. Answer: ignorant.

Our big hens.
*A wild bear.
Yes, lambs.
Cool cheat.
The wig.
To love ruin.
Mad retort.
A noble car.
I bring a treat.
*There we sat.
*Moon starers.
It is a fact, son.
*Saint Lucy heals it.

Note: these all resolve to a single word. Asterisks mark my favorites. Answers in comments.

"The sun is riz,
The sun is set,
And here we is
In Texas yet!"

(or Montana, or Nevada. or Alaska...)

"When you hear people laughing and don't know why.. "They must have found a hee-hee egg in a haw-haw nest.""
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Cheryl_in_CC_NV | 4 other reviews | Jun 6, 2016 |

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