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A World of Others' Words
Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Intertextuality

Richard Bauman (Author)

9781405116053, Wiley

Paperback / softback, published 17 June 2004

208 pages
22.9 x 15.1 x 1.5 cm, 0.304 kg

“Richard Bauman, one of the world’s foremost scholars of folkloric texts and performances, is here at the peak of his career. From street cries in a Mexican market to Icelandic folktales, from practical jokes in rural Texas to the yarns of Nova Scotia fishermen, this book takes us on a behind-the-scenes tour of the words through which people make meaning out of life.” Greg Urban, University of Pennsylvania


“In a set of empirically rich, evocative essays, Bauman continues his masterly explorations at the border of linguistic anthropology, literary theory, and the study of oral poetics. Together, these chapters provide an exemplary theoretical perspective on genre and the cultural implications of performance.” Susan Gal, University of Chicago


“Richard Bauman has given us a wonderful book, which draws on his wide-ranging experience in many places and cultures, on his expertise in both oral discourse and written texts, and on his erudite knowledge in many academic disciplines---linguistic anthropology, folklore, and literary criticism.” Joel Sherzer, University of Texas, Austin

"A fresh take on folklore studies and a valuable addition to the corpus of writing on linguistic anthropology. The writer balances attention to detail with the ability to present arguments elegantly and clearly." Social Anthropology

Drawing on his work in Iceland, Ireland, Scotland, North America, Ghana, and Fiji, linguistic anthropologist and folklorist Richard Bauman presents a series of ethnographic case studies that offer a sparkling look at intertextuality as communicative practice.

  • A fascinating perspective on intertextuality: the idea that written and spoken texts speak to one another, e.g. through genre or allusions.
  • Presents a series of ethnographic case studies to illustrate the topic.
  • Draws on a broad range of oral performances and literary records from across the world.
  • The author's introduction sets a framework for the analysis of genre, perform and intertextuality.
  • Shows how performers blend genres, e.g., telling stories about riddles or legends about magical verses, or constructing sales pitches.

Acknowledgments vii

Note on Transcription x

1 Introduction: Genre, Performance, and the Production of Intertextuality 1

2 “And the Verse is Thus”: Icelandic Stories About Magical Poems 15

3 “I’ll Give You Three Guesses”: The Dynamics of Genre in the Riddle Tale 34

4 “What Shall We Give You?”: Calibrations of Genre in a Mexican Market 58

5 “Bell, You Get the Spotted Pup”: First Person Narratives of a Texas Storyteller 82

6 “That I Can’t Tell You”: Negotiating Performance with a Nova Scotia Fisherman 109

7 “Go, My Reciter, Recite My Words”: Mediation, Tradition, Authority 128

8 Epilogue 159

Notes 163

References 167

Index 178

Subject Areas: Archaeology [HD]
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