Volume 37
Fall-Winter
2011 |
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On Saturday, November 12, 2011, the New
York Folklore Society hosted its Annual Conference
around the theme of “Legends and
Tales.” The conference was held at Binghamton
University and included graduate student
presentations, a public sector folklore panel,
storytelling, readings, and great discussions.
The morning began with two graduate student
panels, “The Fabled and the Fabulous,”
and “Legendary Transformations.” The papers
presented were thoughtful explorations
into a range of topics, including folkloric
perspectives on Shakespeare, the blues, film
narratives, and legends, both historical and
urban. Each paper session was followed by a
lively question-and-answer period.
The keynote for the conference was presented
by Dr. Elizabeth Tucker, folklorist
and professor of English at Binghamton
University. “Haunted Halls, Mansions, and
Riverbanks: Legends of the Southern Tier”
drew upon Tucker’s wealth of research into
the folklore of the Southern Tier, and she
shared many local hauntings, sightings, and legends that she had collected over
the years.
Jaimee Wriston Colbert reading from her work, Shark Girls. Photo by Ellen McHale.
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Next, novelist Jaimee Wriston Colbert,
also on the faculty at Binghamton University
as professor of English and creative writing,
read from her work, Shark Girls. The novel,
set in Hawaii where Colbert grew up, weaves
bits of local folklore into a story about a girl
attacked by a shark. |
We were pleased to invite two esteemed panelists, Dr. Kay Turner and Dr. Constance Sullivan-Blum, to contribute to the public
sector folklore panel “Collecting Narratives
after Disaster Strikes.”
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Since 9/11, Dr. Kay
Turner has been documenting the spontaneous
memorials which have dotted New York’s
urban landscape. Her ongoing documentation
has resulted in her most recent program
on the 10th anniversary of the attack on
New York’s Twin Towers. | 
Kay Turner, folklorist at the Brooklyn Arts Council, speaking about her work collecting narratives of 9/11. Photo by Ellen McHale.
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Dr. Constance Sullivan-Blum has been documenting the
Southern Tier’s Flood of 1972, when Hurricane
Agnes caused widespread flooding.
“Transformation from Tragedy: Survivors
Remember the Flood of 1972” is a local
history project capturing the stories of the
flood and will result in a documentary film
in 2012. Both panelists discussed their work
as public folklorists in documenting such
pivotal events and collecting the narratives
associated with them.
Following an informal reception, the
conference concluded with an outstanding
performance by internationally known storyteller
Milbre Burch. “Changing Skins: Folktales
about Gender, Identity, and Humanity”
highlighted the wealth and persistence of
gender-bending folktales and cultural expressions
around the world. Her engaging and
energetic performance piece was provocative
and underscored the power inherent in the
telling of tales.
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Lisa Overholser is staff folklorist at the
New York Folklore Society, where she
manages the mentoring and professional
development program and
contributes to many other projects and
initiatives. She holds a PhD in folklore
and ethnomusicology from the University
of Indiana.
The papers
presented were thoughtful explorations
into a range of topics, including folkloric
perspectives on Shakespeare, the blues, film
narratives, and legends, both historical and
urban.
This article appeared in Voices Vol. 37, Fall-Winter 2011. Voices is the membership magazine of the New York Folklore Society. To become a subscriber, join the New York Folklore Society today.
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