Saturday, November 04, 10:30 am–12:30 pm
Forum Suite
Chair: Dana M. Ernst (University of California, Los Angeles)
Linda J. Lee (University of Pennsylvania)
Leah Lowthorp (University of Oregon)
Wolfgang Mieder (University of Vermont, emerita)
Elliott Oring (California State University, Los Angeles, emeritus)
Amy Shuman (The Ohio State University, emeritus)
Meltem Türköz (Boğaziçi University)
The second of a two-part series in honor and in memory of Dan Ben-Amos, this in-person panel features folklorists from across the globe and across generations. Our panel will include contextualized personal reflections and memories of Dan Ben-Amos as mentor, professor, colleague, collaborator, and friend while also offering scholarly contributions influenced by Dan Ben-Amos’ profound contributions to the field of folklore as part of his lifelong work to “advance the systemic study of folklore” (Ben-Amos 1982, vii). Among them is Wolfgang Mieder, who will present to the audience excerpts from his recently-published “A Good Friend Is a Treasure” (2023), a volume which contains fifty years of correspondence between him and Dan Ben-Amos. Dana Ernst, inspired by Dan Ben-Amos to pursue Jewish Folklore research in Israel, will present work in progress which expands the importance of performance, within the context of teller and tale, through non-verbal communication, kinesics, and the visual in revealing processes of intergenerational transmission of folktales. Leah Lowthorp will offer a brief exploration of ethnic genres in Kutiyattam Sanskrit theater. Meltem Türköz will share her work on onomastics and Turkish surname law stories from 1934. There will be time for discussion between panelists and those attending, with contributions from audience members welcomed.