"This simple, straightforward handbook gives students essential background on the current study of folklore and its basic concepts and questions. It will be useful for a variety of classes that do not allow for a full introduction or focus solely on the field—film and folklore, literature and folklore, or introduction to cultural/comparative studies."
—Martha Sims, Ohio State University
"Folklore Rules is an absolute joy to teach. It is a fabulous introductory tool to major themes and concepts in the discipline and delightfully customizable to an individual instructor's strengths."
—Kimberly J. Marshall, University of Oklahoma
"Recapturing the "fun" of folklore—not just for students, but for instructors as well—drives McNeill's book, and is ultimately where it succeeds the most. . . . McNeill has put forth an engaging and concise but deceptively detailed text that will surely find its way into syllabi across the country. For instructors, and the students they teach, Folklore Rules will be a valuable new addition to their pedagogical toolbox, and one that will surely be useful in scholars' ongoing efforts to expand the scope and reach of folkloristics to new generations of learners."
—New Directions in Folklore
"McNeill's books is confidently situated at the portal of academic folklore studies, ready to give directions and conscisely explain the rules of folklore, and how folklore rules."
—Journal of American Folklore
"This concise introduction to the study of folklore offers an appealing alternative to existing folklore textbooks. Lynne McNeill's talent for teaching undergraduates is clear in this eloquently written text, which presents the fundamentals of folklore study in a uniquely engaging way."
—Folklore
Folklore Rules is a brief introduction to the foundational concepts in folklore studies for beginning students. Designed to give essential background on the current study of folklore and some of the basic concepts and questions used when analyzing folklore, this short, coherent, and approachable handbook is divided into five chapters: What Is Folklore?; What Do Folklorists Do?; Types of Folklore; Types of Folk Groups; and, finally, What Do I Do Now?
Through these chapters students are guided toward a working understanding of the field, learn basic terms and techniques, and learn to perceive the knowledge base and discourse frame for materials used in folklore courses. Folklore Rules will appeal to instructors and students for a variety of courses, including introductory folklore and comparative studies as well as literature, anthropology, and composition classes that include a folklore component.
Media
Utah Public Radio
RadioWest (with Trevor Blank)