Jarold Ramsey's painstakingly compiled and edited collection of Coyote tales is a remarkable text for both the general reader and for college-level literature and folklore courses. The text is divided into coyote tales collected from the native tribes of six distinct geographic regions within the present-day state of Oregon. The tales are brief and compelling, and each section begins with a scholarly note and reproduced archival photographs and sketches.

For folklorists and college profs and students, each tale has its Thompson Folk-Index of Motif Lit. reference categories listed in a considerable Notes section at the end of the text.

By virtually every criterion, this is an excellent text.

I picked up this book in Ashland, OR about a year ago to read on the trip back to Portland. I was surprised to find that this book of many little stories held me rapt for that 5 hour ride. These "little stories" were collected over the years by ethnographers, folks who beat the bushes in the early part of this century till now to record stories of natives Americans, immigrant pioneers, outlaws. There are also songs and poems that can be traced to other oral traditions, but what you get is that good ole' Oregon spin of things, as seen through eyes of many different groups of people.

Sure, this book doesn't have a traditional story line, but one thread does run through it all. All people have a story to tell, and this Anthology of Oregon Folk Literature is a way to see how people lived and laughed "back in the day".

Bryan Hiatt Wilsonville, OR