Sarah Jane Nelson, a writer and musical performer based in New England, will visit the U of A April 18-19. She will give a master class at 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 18, in Mullins Library room 439, as well as an author talk at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 19, at the Pryor Center on the downtown Fayetteville square. Both events are open to the public and offered at no cost to attendees. The author talk will be recorded and made available on the University Libraries’ YouTube channel.
Nelson used materials from the University Libraries Special Collections Division while conducting research for her book, Ballad Hunting with Max Hunter: Stories of an Ozark Folksong Collector, which was recently published by the University of Illinois Press as part of their longstanding Music in America Series. The book’s subject, Max Hunter, took a special interest in preserving folksongs, many of which are documented in the Mary Celestia Parler Papers (MC 1501), the Vance Randolph Collection (MC 1009) and the Ozark Folksong Transcripts (MC 952). She gave an interview about the book to KUAF’s Kyle Kellams for Ozarks at Large last month.
After providing an overview of the book and Hunter’s methods and approach to collecting for Tuesday’s master class, Nelson will discuss challenges in locating both materials and individuals who knew Hunter. She will also delve into the significance of ambient sound in the Hunter recordings, the passage of time and its effect on research efforts, questions that went unanswered and time spent trying to locate historically lost materials.
Wednesday evening at the Pryor Center, Nelson will perform some of the ballads recorded by Hunter and read a few excerpts from her book. Additionally, she will discuss the impact of Hunter’s collecting efforts in the Ozarks and beyond, the disposition of Hunter’s sources towards their own songs and the preservationist impulse in regards to music and landscape. After the presentation, Nelson will be available to sign copies of the book, which will be available for purchase at the Pearl’s Books table.
In addition to her writing work, Nelson makes frequent musical appearances as part of her old-time string band duo, the High Strung Strummers, at libraries, folk festivals and house concerts. She serves as writer and historian for the Lowell Banjo and Fiddle Contest, where she also provides accompaniment for annual contestants.