Dr. John A. Burrison
975 General Classroom Building
404-651-2904
jburrison@gsu.edu
Office Hours: Monday/Wednesday 3:00p-5:15p and by appointment

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Texts

1. Henry Glassie, Pattern in the Material Folk Culture of the Eastern United States. University of Pennsylvania Press paperback.
2. John M. Vlach. The Afro-American Tradition in Decorative Arts (complementary text not much discussed in class but on final). University of Georgia Press paperback.

Optional Texts

1. John Burrison, Shaping Traditions: Folk Arts in a Changing South. University of Georgia Press paperback.
2. Allen Eaton, Handicrafts of the Southern Highlands. Dover paperback.
3. Michael Owen Jones, Craftsman of the Cumberlands. University of Kentucky cloth.

On Library Reserve

Cinda Baldwin, Great and Noble Jar (South Carolina folk pottery)	NK4364.B35,1993
Linda Brown & Kay Mussell, eds., Ethnic and Regional Foodways in the U.S.	GT2853.U5E86,1984
John Burrison, Brothers in Clay (Georgia folk pottery)	NK4025.G4B87,1983 (with FOLK 4000 reserves)
John Burrison, Shaping Traditions: Folk Arts in a Changing South	TT23.5.G65,2000
Ralph T. Coe, Lost and Found Traditions: Native American Art 1965-85	E98.A2C53,1986
Richard Dorson, ed., Folklore and Folklife: An Introduction	GR65.D57
Henry Glassie, Folk Housing in Middle Virginia(structural analysis, may be checked out for 7 days)	NA7235.V5G55
Henry Glassie, The Spirit of Folk Art	NK607.G5,1989
Henry Glassie, "William Houck" (Adirondack basketmaker; 2 copies).	PC-
Georgeanna Greer, American Stonewares	NK4360.G73
Harold Guilland, Early American Folk Pottery.	NK4006.G8,1971
Michael O. Jones, Craftsman of the Cumberlands (can be checked out for 7 days)	NK2715.J57,1989
Henry Kauffman, Pennsylvania Dutch American Folk Art.	NK835.P4K3,1964
Henry Mercer, Ancient Carpenters Tools.	TH5618.M4,1968
Merrimack Valley Textile Museum, Homespun to Factory Made.	TS1614.M4,1977
Allen Noble, Wood, Brick and Stone (U.S. folk architecture), 2 vols.	NA703.N6,1984
Ian Quimby & Scott Swank, eds., Perspectives on American Folk Art	NK805.P47,1980b
Ruth Roberson, ed., North Carolina Quilts	NK9112.N63,1988
Lore Rogers & Caleb Scribner, "The Peavey Cant-Dog" (2 copies)	PC-
Robert Shaw, American's Traditional Crafts	Fol. NK805.A1S53,1993
Nancy Sweezy, Raised in Clay: The Southern Pottery Tradition	TP798.S94,1984
Robert Teske, "What is Folk Art?" (from El Palacio; 2 copies)	PC-
Dell Upton & John Vlach, eds., Common Places: Readings in American Vernacular Architecture	NA705.C58,1986
John Vlach & Simon Bronner, eds., Folk Art and Art Worlds	NK805.W35,1983
Anna Wadsworth, ed., Missing Pieces: Georgia Folk ARt	NK835.G4M57 & PC-
Sadye Wilson & Doris Kennedy, Of Coverlets (Tennessee weaving)	FOL. TT848.W534,1983
Don Yoder, ed. American Folklife	GR105.A6
Charles Zug, Turners and Burners (North Carolina folk pottery)	NK4025.N8Z82,1986

Course Objectives

Gaining a perspective on the preindustrial to postmodern United States through the study of its material folk culture (especially folk craft, art, and architecture), the tangible expressions of regional identity and cultural continuity. Perhaps the most philosophical and theoretical course in the Folklore Curriculum of the Department of English. (This syllabus provides a general plan for the course; deviations may be necessary).

Lecture and Discussion Topics

Part I: THE APPROACH (Concepts and Methodology)

1. The Folklife Studies Movement: Origins and Influences
   READ:
   • Yoder, "Folklife Studies in American Scholarship," pp. 3-13
   • suggest beginning Vlach, Afro-American, although assigned later

2. What Makes an Object Folk or Not? A recipe for folk artifacts; distinctions and interaction between folk and popular culture and impact of the Industrial Revolution; banjos, corn knives, husking pins, and Peaveys as case studies.
   READ:
   • Glassie, Pattern, pp. 1-28
   • Rogers & Scribner
   • see Merrimack

3. The Folk Art Controversy: contrasting the folklorist's and art world's approaches to folk art; art, craft, and aesthetics of folk and non-folk.
   READ:
   • Glassie, Pattern, pp. 28-33
   • Burrison, Shaping Traditions, pp. 17-20
   • Teske
   • Wadsworth
   • also recommended: Vlach & Bronner, pp. 1-50; Rumford in Quimby & Swank, pp. 3-53; Glassie, Spirit

   MIDTERM EXAM: take home; due date to be announced

4. Documenting Material Folk Culture
   READ:
   • Roberts, "Fieldwork: Recording Material Culture" in Dorson, pp. 431-44
   • Glassie, "Willliam Houck"
   • those doing documentation projects should also read Burrison handout

5. Museums, Folk and Otherwise: issues of public presentation
   READ:
   • Jenkins, "The Use of Artifacts and Folk Art in the Folk Museum" in Dorson, pp. 497-516
   • Burrison, Shaping Traditions, Introduction

   Part II: THE STUFF (Materialistic Description of Regional Cultures)

6. People on the Land: folk-cultural regions and settlement history, especially the North (New England), Mid-Atlantic, and South.
   READ:
   • Glassie, Pattern, pp. 33-39
   • Vlach, Afro-American

7. Focus on a Craft: pottery, with emphasis on southern stoneware
   READ/SEE:
   • Guilland
   • Greer
   • Baldwin
   • Zug
   • Burrison
   • Sweezy

8. Folk Architecture: regional patterns on the cultural landscape
   READ:
   • Glassie, Pattern remainder
   • see Noble

Term Paper

Optional for undergradutes, required for graduate students (counting 1/3 of final grade)

Final Exam

see Finals Schedule