The first new volume in five years for this popular series has the familiar charm and, unfortunately, repetitiveness of the earlier 11. First published in 1966 as a quarterly magazine, Foxfire
was a classroom project to pass on to future generations the Appalachian culture of northwest Georgia. Teachers Collins and Creek, with their students, have brought together a mixture of personal stories, folktales, rituals and observations that highlight a way of life that is quickly vanishing. Some of the memories recounted by elderly residents are quite engaging, while others are less so. Fred Huff, who taught school for 46 years and was Teacher of the Year several times, colorfully conveys the joy he took in his chosen profession and makes the modest claim that "I got more awards than I deserved." Eighty-one-year-old Fannie Ruth Martin stoically details a childhood full of poverty and hardship, yet then asserts, "[K]ids today have too much!" Devotees of Appalachian folkways will relish descriptive passages on square dancing, pottery and the way to construct a simple wooden casket. There is an informative chapter about Cherokee stories and some very interesting accounts by people who attended three different summer camps in the area. Photos. (Sept. 14)
