Table of Contents

Introduction: Griots of piedmont North Carolina and portrait of songster Will Baldwin -- Signifying at the crossroads : African-American traditions of the folk banjo -- The ritual of minstrelsy : some were buffoons, but others were apprentices -- Mountain echoes of the African banjo -- The banjo : its chang form, construction, and use -- The transmission of playing methods and tunin -- The banjo song genre : Dink Roberts' man-against-the-law songs -- Garfiel man against the law, but a man with a community -- Conclusion.

About the Author

Cecelia Conway is associate professor of English at Appalachian State University. She is a folklorist who teaches twentieth-century literature, including cultural perspectives, southern literature, and film.