Every culture has its own trickster character. The Southern Appalachian Mountain trickster is Jack, whom readers may know from traditional stories like "Jack in the Giant's Newground" and "Jack and the Bean Tree."
The stories in Trickster Jack, which focus on the shenanigans of Jack and his older brothers, are actually tall tales emerging from Reid Gilbert's tricky imagination. Set in the Southern Appalachians around the end of the nineteenth century, these tales describe actual activities of the time, such as making a wooden wagon with white oak rounds for wheels, fetching water from wells with windlasses, and using outdoor outhouses.
Trickster Jack introduces those readers from outside the Appalachians to some of the ways and manners of that region, while reacquainting Appalachians themselves with their own heritage. Regardless of where you hail, there is plenty in this whimsical collection to delight and entertain you.
About the Author :
E. Reid Gilbert has earned academic degrees from five institutions. This journey has included careers in Methodist and Unitarian ministries, two Fulbright awards to India and Thailand, founding and directing the Wisconsin Mime Theatre and School (which the New York Times dubbed the 'center of mime training in the US), administrator of the International Mimes and Pantomimists, serving on NEA review panels and performing in various solo and full-scripted venues as well as college and university teaching. He has directed more than forty theatre productions, including Shakespeare, Japanese Noh, Commedia Del Arte, original and international scripts and has written five production scripts. His private study included Folklore with Richard Chase, Modern Dance with Charles Weidman, Mime with Etienne Decroux and Japanese Noh with Sidayo Kita. Having conducted many classes and workshops on masks, he has taught "Architecture as Extend Mask" at the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture. He also taught at Union College in KY and Lambuth College in TN. For ten years he directed the Valley Ridge Theatre in Thomas WV and taught Movement for Actors at the Ohio State University from which he is now retired. He was the founder and first President of the Jackson (TN) Arts Council, and he is past Executive Director of the Thomas Education Center (WV). His most recent creative activities have been in writing. In addition to his books, he has written several stage scripts. His recent film script. Sapling Spring is based on his novel, Shall We Gather at the River. Currently, he is a member of the Old Pueblo Playwrights, located in Tucson, and the National Theatre Conference.
Review :
E. Reid Gilbert has traveled the world to study culture, performance art, and folklore. TRICKSTER JACK is a child of those travels and it is fun, silly, and creative. "Jack Tales" are a part of many cultures, and as a child of Appalachia, Gilbert easily settles into the language of his youth in North Carolina. Jack has adventures, outfoxes his elders, and creates new language along the way. TRICKSTER JACK is an easy read, full of imagination and humor that will coax readers to make up their own tales. The kid in you will enjoy this book, no matter how old the rest of you may be. - Pennsy
Absolutely marvelous book. Very original. Graceful writing and a sly sense of humor. Not only delights with its stories, it teaches a wonderful technique for writing and creative-writing-games. I wish I had had this book when I was raising my four kids; we would ALL of us have not only adored this book, we would have had HOURS of genuine family fun as each of our creativity would have been challenged and stimulated - completely achievable goals that give a sort of satisfaction that I have never seen anywhere else.
The book is also an authentic study of the legend of the trickster in America. It is now recognized by the more astute students of culture worldwide that in every culture there is a "trickster" legend, an irreverent, creative joker who redefines culture by changing people's perspectives through humor, trickery and enlightening deception. When viewpoints change in a culture, the culture grows, matures, gains in wisdom, compassion, and deepens its sense of humor and tolerance.
In this age of Wham! Bam! Pow! bling culture, this book takes us back to a time when storytelling, a wicked sense of humor, and zany foolishness was the entertainment of the day. Reid Gilbert is a modern Mark Twain; a trustworthy humorist who pokes fun without throwing punches and who illuminates without embarrassing. If Armageddon ever comes, I hope to end up at the same campfire as Gilbert; life will be a lot more fun and a lot more meaningful. _ Charles A. Knouse
This collection of stories about the Trickster Jack, set in the Southern Appalachian Mountains, is quite delightful, not only to those aware of the treasure trove of the traditional stories about Jack, such as Richard Chase's THE JACK TALES, but also to those who may enjoy an impish character set in a specific folk milieu such as Southern Appalachia. As helpful as the scholarly introduction, Tricksters or the Globalization of Trickery, is to the reader's understanding of pranksters in various cultures around the globe, we welcome the brevity of that academic excursion, as the writer takes us helter-skelter on a trip with Jack through ten stories of how he was involved in setting up old time riddles and introducing some new vocabulary into the English language. Where would the words willful and tomfoolery emanate except from Jack's older brothers, Will and Tom?
Some of the stories, such as "Little Jack Horner," are told in obvious settings, but there are other tales like "Ol'Jack's Indoor-Outhouse" which depend almost entirely on the vagaries of Jack's character.
Although the dialect presents certain problems to the reader, one might wonder how Tom Sawyer and Uncle Remus might be less engaging if the writers had not used dialect.
The "Jack Game" as the epilogue would be interesting for groups to play with language to imagine how Jack may have contributed to other riddles and unusual English words.
A highly recommended read for all ages. - Barbara A. Banks
