Coming into the Country is an unforgettable account of Alaska and Alaskans. It is a rich tapestry of vivid characters, observed landscapes, and descriptive narrative, in three principal segments that deal, respectively, with a total wilderness, with urban Alaska, and with life in the remoteness of the bush. Readers of McPhee's earlier books will not be unprepared for his surprising shifts of scene and ordering of events, brilliantly combined into an organic whole. In the course of this volume we are made acquainted with the lore and techniques of placer mining, the habits and legends of the barren-ground grizzly, the outlook of a young Athapaskan chief, and tales of the fortitude of settlers—ordinary people compelled by extraordinary dreams. Coming into the Country unites a vast region of America with one of America's notable literary craftsmen, singularly qualified to do justice to the scale and grandeur of the design.

This book is a multi-layered scientific study of the immigrants who have come to Bulgaria since 1990 – specifically, their patterns of movement, settlement, social networks, identity dynamics, integration and adaptation, their impact on the social environment, and changes in the cultural specifics. Until recently, studies on immigration in Bulgaria have mainly been oriented towards particular communities within the framework of ethnic studies. The chapters in this volume do not ignore immigrants’ ethnicity and origins, but their main focus is reasons for migration, be they economic, educational, political, marital, or lifestyle-based. The book examines several important factors of settlement in Bulgaria: interaction between the local population and immigrants, stereotypes and attitudes towards the newcomers, as well as the influence of local, kinship, and social networks and contacts.

This volume focuses on the process of return migration, from a holistic and policy-oriented perspective. Studies in return migration, which remains a vibrant field for academics, researchers, and policy-makers, have provided a large body of knowledge on particular issues, but generally fall along two lines: they are either broad macro analyses and models (especially economic ones) or narrow ethnographic views (anthropological, sociological, or psychological). This volume attempts to chart a course between these two approaches, combining returning migrants’ life trajectories, as seen by themselves, with analysis of the structural processes that have taken place in the last three decades in Europe and in Poland, as a new EU country. In analyzing the social and cultural changes reflected in the biographies of returning migrants, the author uses a framework based on an original synthesis of Alfred Schütz’s phenomenological approach, focusing on the returnees’ “life words,” with the social realism of Margaret Archer, focusing on the concerns and projects of individuals interacting with social and cultural structures.

At the height of the blues revival, Marina Bokelman and David Evans, young graduate students from California, made two trips to Louisiana and Mississippi and short trips in their home state to do fieldwork for their studies at UCLA. While there, they made recordings and interviews and took extensive field notes and photographs of blues musicians and their families. Going Up the Country: Adventures in Blues Fieldwork in the 1960s presents their experiences in vivid detail through the field notes, the photographs, and the retrospective views of these two passionate researchers. The book includes historical material as well as contemporary reflections by Bokelman and Evans on the times and the people they met during their southern journeys. Their notes and photographs take the reader into the midst of memorable encounters with many obscure but no less important musicians, as well as blues legends, including Robert Pete Williams, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Al Wilson (cofounder of Canned Heat), Babe Stovall, Reverend Ruben Lacy, and Jack Owens. This volume is not only an adventure story, but also a scholarly discussion of fieldwork in folklore and ethnomusicology. Including retrospective context and commentary, the field note chapters describe searches for musicians, recording situations, social and family dynamics of musicians, and race relations and the racial environment, as well as the practical, ethical, and logistical problems of doing fieldwork. The book features over one hundred documentary photographs that depict the field recording sessions and the activities, lives, and living conditions of the artists and their families. These photographs serve as a visual counterpart equivalent to the field notes. The remaining chapters explain the authors’ methodology, planning, and motivations, as well as their personal backgrounds prior to going into the field, their careers afterwards, and their thoughts about fieldwork and folklore research in general. In this enlightening book, Bokelman and Evans provide an exciting and honest portrayal of blues field research in the 1960s.

In 'The Coming of the White Men: Stories of How Our Country Was Discovered' by Mary Hazelton Blanchard Wade, readers are taken on a journey through history as they explore the early discoveries and interactions between Native Americans and European explorers in the Americas. Wade's literary style is both informative and engaging, with a focus on storytelling to bring history to life. The book provides valuable insights into the cultural clash and exchange that occurred during this pivotal period, making it a compelling read for those interested in American history and exploration. Overall, Wade's work serves as a valuable resource for understanding the complexities of early encounters in the New World. Mary Hazelton Blanchard Wade, as a prolific writer of historical fiction and educational materials, brings her expertise to this book, offering readers a well-researched and engaging perspective on the discovery of America. Her dedication to historical accuracy and storytelling shines through in this work, making it a standout in the genre. I highly recommend 'The Coming of the White Men' to anyone interested in delving deeper into the fascinating history of early American exploration and discovery.

Hinton's latest book takes readers on an enthralling journey to explain the diverse music that has come to be known as country, starting with Celtic myth and mystery, traveling to the Appalachian mountains, and taking a few unexpected turns along the way with such disparate personalities as Bob Dylan, Hank Williams, and Elvis Presley.