Poor Gal

The Cultural History of Little Liza Jane

Dan Gutstein

$98.95 $84.34

Paperback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

University Press of Mississippi
15 December 2023

Music reviews & criticism; Folk & traditional music; Popular culture; Ethnic studies

Series: American Made Music Series

Poor Gal: The Cultural History of Little Liza Jane chronicles the origins and evolution of a folk tune beloved by millions worldwide. Dan Gutstein delves into the trajectory of the ""Liza Jane"" family of songs,

including the most popular variant ""Li’l Liza Jane."" Likely originating among enslaved people on southern plantations, the songs are still performed and recorded centuries later.

Evidence for these tunes as part of the repertoire of enslaved people comes from the Works Progress Administration ex-slave narratives that detail a range of lyrics and performance rituals related to ""Liza Jane."" Civil War soldiers and minstrel troupes eventually adopted certain variants, including ""Goodbye Liza Jane."" This version of the song prospered in the racist environment of burnt cork minstrelsy.

Other familiar variants, such as ""Little Liza Jane,"" likely remained fixed in folk tradition until early twentieth-century sheet music popularized the melody.

New genres and a slate of stellar performers broadly adopted these folk songs, bringing the tunes to far-reaching listeners. In 1960, to an audience of more than thirty million viewers, Harry Belafonte performed ""Little Liza Jane"" on CBS. The song was featured on such popular radio shows as Fibber McGee & Molly; films such as Coquette; and a Mickey Mouse animation. Hundreds of recognizable performers—including Fats Domino, Bing Crosby, Nina Simone, Mississippi John Hurt, and Pete Seeger—embraced the ""Liza Jane"" family. David Bowie even released ""Liza Jane"" as his first single. Gutstein documents these famous renditions, as well as lesser-known characters integral to the song’s history. Drawing upon a host of cultural insights from experts—including Eileen Southern, Carl Sandburg, Thomas Talley, LeRoi Jones/Amiri Baraka, Charles Wolfe, Langston Hughes, and Alan Lomax—Gutstein charts the cross-cultural implications of a voyage unlike any other in the history of American folk music.

By: Dan Gutstein
Imprint: University Press of Mississippi
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 235mm, Width: 156mm,
Weight: 272g
ISBN: 9781496849359
ISBN 10: 1496849353
Series: American Made Music Series
Pages: 277
Publication Date: 15 December 2023
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Dan Gutstein is the author of eight books and chapbooks, including Metacarpalism. He is also codirector of a forthcoming documentary film devoted to ""Li’l Liza Jane"" as well as vocalist for NPR-featured punk band Joy on Fire.

Reviews for Poor Gal: The Cultural History of Little Liza Jane

"An insightful and informative study that traces the cultural history of the ‘Liza Jane’ family of songs."" - Lauren Eldridge Stewart, assistant professor of ethnomusicology at Washington University in St. Louis"