All posts by Sandra Dolby

Take Life Easy

August 2, 2020Always a Folkloristadvice, Covid-19 advice, Salley Gardens, self-help booksSandra Dolby

Books, articles, podcasts, and blogs offer an abundance of advice for coping with our COVID-related issues. The booming field of self-help writing is something I spent some time researching several years ago, reading more books on the topic than I ever want to again. Still, I remain intrigued by our tendency to seek out such advice over and over again, always hoping to lead a better life after learning what others advise. Folksongs often gave us the answer long ago. Here is one answer—aided a bit by William Butler Yeats: Take Life Easy (aka Down By the Salley Gardens).

Down by the Salley Gardens

Forced Separations

July 27, 2020Sparks from Science and Societycaged children, forced separation, international students, lonelinessSandra Dolby

Misery is inevitable when people are forced to leave loved ones, for whatever reason. We fail as a nation when we force such separations rather than finding ways to help people stay together and safe. Irving Berlin’s song from a century ago speaks anew to our current misery over forced separation.

Coronavirus Headlines: Rising Sun

July 18, 2020Boxes in the Basementcoronavirus, house of the rising sun, returning to workSandra Dolby

America’s rush to put everyone back to work is dangerous and cruel. Much more thought needs to be given to how we can best go forward and how we can put needed funding into making everyone’s present and future safe. I took the liberty of reinterpreting what the House of the Rising Sun might be. The folksong isn’t clear on that, but there is a book that examines the topic in depth, Chasing the Rising Sun, by Ted Anthony.