Book review: 'The Marrow of Human Experience: Essays on Folklore'

Author: William A. Wilson, edited by Jill Terry Rudy

Publisher: Utah State University Press

Pages: 321 pages

Price: $24.95 (softcover)

In a Nutshell: This entertaining volume has 17 of the numerous folklore articles written by Wilson, a retired professor from both BYU and USU. The articles treat the nature of folklore, how folklore is documented, folklore as national identity (with examples from Finland), LDS humor, folklore as "an uncertain mirror for truth," LDS missionaries, and chapters titled "The Seriousness of Mormon Humor," "Freeways, Parking Lots, and Ice Cream Stands: Three Nephites in Contemporary Mormon Culture," and "Teach Me All That I Must Do." Each article is introduced by a notable national folklorist.

Available at: This title and "On Being Human: The Folklore of Mormon Missionaries" may be purchased from the USU Web site: www.usu.edu/usupress. (Wilson's other books are out of print but in libraries.)