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Archive: March 2020 (7 Posts)

A man playing a guitar and singing to a close crowd of a dozen or so men and women

The American Folklife Center Is On the Job!

Posted by: Stephen Winick

Out of an abundance of caution due to COVID-19, all Library of Congress buildings and facilities are closed to the public, and American Folklife Center staff are currently teleworking. In such uncertain times, we wanted to reassure our followers on social media, as well as those who use our collections and services in other ways, that we remain committed to serving the public as fully and as long as we can. Although most of us on the American Folklife Center staff have been staying away from our beloved Jefferson and Adams Buildings, we are on the job! In this blog, you'll find all the ways you can connect with us and enjoy our collections while you're staying safe at home.

A man playing a guitar and singing to a close crowd of a dozen or so men and women

New Occupational Folklife Project Interviews Go Online

Posted by: Stephen Winick

This post was written with Nancy Groce, the coordinator of the Occupational Folklife Project for AFC. The American Folklife Center is delighted to announce that four new Occupational Folklife Project collections are now available on the Library of Congress website. They are “Working the Waterfront: New Bedford, Massachusetts;” “Funeral Service Workers in the Carolinas;” “Illuminating …

Three people play music on a stage

Homegrown Plus: Vishtèn

Posted by: Stephen Winick

In the Homegrown Plus series, we present Homegrown concerts that also had accompanying oral history interviews, placing both together in an easy-to-find blog post. (Find the whole series here!) We’re continuing the series with Vishtèn, an award winning Canadian band that performs both traditional and original Acadian music with rock energy. Their original “neo-traditional” compositions are based on …

A man playing a guitar and singing to a close crowd of a dozen or so men and women

Remembering Fred Stewart

Posted by: Stephen Winick

This is a guest post written by Carl Fleischhauer. This blog celebrates the life of Fred Stewart, who passed away on September 23, 2019, a victim of cancer at the age of fifty-nine. Fred was a cattle rancher in Paradise Valley, Nevada. He had taken over the Ninety-Six Ranch in 2006 at the death of …

Songs and Tunes from “Fearless: A Tribute to Irish American Women”

Posted by: Stephen Winick

Recently, I had occasion to compile a curated set of recordings from the American Folklife Center relating to Irish American women. The recordings were put together as a special gift for some VIP guests, but it occurred to me that we could share them with everyone else too, via the blog. And what better time …