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.)" ( )