Boone, NC
W: 828-262-2323
H: 828-264-1156
mcgowanta@appstate.edu
Travel Regions: Statewide
Folklorist Thomas McGowan is a Marine Corps veteran who received his Ph.D. in medieval English literature from the University of Virginia. He served as editor of the North Carolina Folklore Journal for 20 years and teaches in the Department of English at Appalachian State University. He is a recipient of the University of North Carolina Board of Governor's Award for Excellence in Teaching and the North Carolina Folklore Society's Brown-Hudson Folklore Award.
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From Murph(e)y to Manteo: North Carolina Place Names and Their Stories
Place names in our state reflect history and regional identity. The creating, maintaining, and presenting of names by communities connote important ideas about self-definition and values. Legends explain local names, and groups and individuals incorporate innovative touches of imagination and folk art in signing the landscape. Names and their signs mark boundaries, reinforce and counter stereotypes, and fight against the sameness of modern culture. Folklorist Thomas McGowan investigates the wit and whimsey, wisdom and wackiness of North Carolina place-name traditions and the cultural values that signs and names suggest.
Orville Hicks: "Mule Egg Seller" and Appalachian Storyteller
Storyteller Orville Hicks represents a new generation in a noted North Carolina narrative tradition: the Jack Tale. He also tells tall tales, jokes, local legends, and engaging personal experience stories. Orville Hicks is descended from a line of noted storytellers, including the legendary Counce Harmon and National Heritage Fellows Ray and Stanley Hicks. He has become a preeminent narrative tradition bearer and, at times, an outrageous folk entertainer. This presentation combines video documentation of Mr. Hicks' stories with introduction and commentary by Dr. McGowan.
Note: A version of this talk includes a storytelling performance by Mr. Hicks. His stipend and travel costs, which vary depending on the distance and time of the event, must be covered by the sponsoring organization.
Tar Heel Folklife: The Rich Variety of North Carolina Traditional Arts, Crafts, and Expression
Through traditions, North Carolinians express their sense of family, community,
and place. Handed down by informal talk and example, traditional
expressive activities and material form the folklife of our state's
peoples. This rich cultural heritage teaches and expresses values,
delights and entertains, links generations, and sometimes just passes
time. But, it always connects people and gives lives meaning beyond
the present. Dr. McGowan presents a survey of the forms and functions
of state folklife reminding us of the variety of our peoples and
the beauty and meaningfulness of traditional expression by the eminent
and ordinary among our folk artists.
Requirements for Program:
- Screen for slide or media projection
- For "Orville Hicks" if not booking Mr. Hicks, include a VCR (VHS format) and large screen monitor
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