Kentucky Folklife Digital Magazine Spring 2022 Now Online

Kentucky Folklife Digital Magazine Spring 2022 Now Online

The latest Spring 2022 issue of Kentucky Folklife is live! The Kentucky Folklife Program, part of WKU’s Department of Folk Studies and Anthropology, is pleased to announce that our fourth consecutive issue of Kentucky folk lifea multimedia digital publication dedicated to exploring expressive cultures across the Commonwealth, is now available. This issue features little-known local stories from Marion County, a baker’s journey from Oaxaca to Louisville, and the unexpected comfort of facing death with a doula.

Led by magazine editor Delainey Bowers and folk life scholar Joel Chapman, Kentucky folk life is a collection of essays, interviews, and films that actively celebrate and confront what it means to live and work in the Bluegrass State. Instead of relying on tired stereotypes, Kentucky folk life is dedicated to bringing a fresh perspective to long-standing conversations centered on collaboration, community building, and cultural preservation.

“It never gets old to see these articles in their final, published state. There is an indescribable feeling to know that these articles come from the perspective of someone very close to the source. Reading these authors writing about their Kentucky compatriots feels so thoughtful and intimate, like you’re in the room talking with them over coffee. As Kentucky Folklife continues to grow, it not only continues to be an incredible tool for cultural documentation, but also a powerful example of what the perspective of folklore can bring when we examine our own communities. Says folk life scholar Joel Chapman.

Amanda P. Whitten