A "best of" collection—chosen by the author himself—of ghost stories, tall tales, poems, and other writings on New York State.
"Carmer is a poet, an historian, a folklorist, a storyteller, something of a mystic. . . . There is more than enough in this Carmer self-selection to hold its readers, old and new, as one must be held by the kind of narrative artist the Upstate boy became following a childhood rich in family love and lore."—Saturday Review
This book is really a “best of,” as chosen by the author himself. These are Carmer’s favorite pieces, drawn from three decades of work. He mixes leisurely reminiscences with folklore, verse, and portraits of Upstate’s diverse population.
Geographically, they range from Niagara Falls to Montauk Point, and include pieces on the fate of Native Americans, ghost stories, tall stories, character sketches, a piece on the erosion of New York State’s natural beauty, as well as poems and works of wit and humor.
Carl Carmer was the former editor of the distinguished Rivers of America series. He is also the author of Stars Fell on Alabama and Listen for a Lonesome Drum.
