Newbery Medal (John Newbery Medal)
2 appearances
-
Edition 14 (1935) Nominee
-
Edition 16 (1937) Nominee
Constance Mayfield Rourke
コンスタンス・メイフィールド・ラウルク
Constance Mayfield Rourke
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1885-11-14 （Cleveland, Ohio, United States）
- Died
- 1941-03-29 （Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States） age 55
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
Career
- Occupations
- Writer, Historian, Folklorist, Educator
- Active Years
- 1903-1941
- Influenced By
- Van Wyck Brooks, Traditions of American folklore and popular culture
- Influenced
- Michael Denning, Greil Marcus, American studies (the academic field)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vassar College | — | English / Social criticism | — | 1903–1907 | United States |
| University of Paris (Sorbonne) | — | Studies in education and literary criticism | — | — | France |
Vassar College
English / Social criticism
Period:
1903–1907
Year of Graduation:
1907
Country:
United States
Studied social criticism; later returned to teach at Vassar
University of Paris (Sorbonne)
Studies in education and literary criticism
Country:
France
Studied in Europe including the Sorbonne (short-term study)
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 | Newbery Honor | Audubon | — | American Library Association | 受賞 |
| 1935 | Newbery Honor | Davy Crockett | — | American Library Association | 受賞 |
Newbery Honor
1937
Work:
Audubon
Organization:
American Library Association
Result:
受賞
Newbery Honor
1935
Work:
Davy Crockett
Organization:
American Library Association
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
American Humor: A Study of the National Character
1931 Cultural history / CriticismA study of American popular culture and humor as formative elements of national character. Traces figures like the Yankee peddler, the backwoodsman, and the black minstrel, arguing that laughter played a role in leveling social obstacles.
HumorPopular cultureNational character
Davy Crockett
1934 Biography (children's)A biography of Davy Crockett drawing on American folklore and biographical sources, presented in an accessible form for younger readers.
FrontierFolk traditionHeroic narrative
Audubon
1936 Biography (children's)A biography of John James Audubon that includes insights into natural history and visual culture; it was recognized and honored as a children's biography.
Natural historyBiographyRepresentation
Trumpets of Jubilee
1927 Criticism / Cultural historyAn early collection of cultural-historical essays focusing on popular expressions and performance culture in America.
PerformancePopular expression
Troupers on the Gold Coast (The Rise of Lotta Crabtree)
1928 Biography / Theatre historyA biographical study charting the rise of Lotta Crabtree within 19th-century theatre and popular entertainment.
Theatre historyPopular entertainment
Charles Sheeler: Artist in the American Tradition
1938 Art criticism / BiographyA study of photographer-painter Charles Sheeler and his place within American art traditions.
ArtModernism
Bibliography
- Trumpets of Jubilee (1927)
- Troupers on the Gold Coast / The Rise of Lotta Crabtree (1928)
- American Humor: A Study of the National Character (1931)
- Davy Crockett (1934)
- Audubon (1936)
- Charles Sheeler: Artist in the American Tradition (1938)
- The Roots of American Culture (edited, 1942; posthumous)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Interdisciplinary cultural-historical analysisCritical essayistic and expository proseFolkloristic approach
- Recurring Motifs
- Popular humorJacksonian-era entertainment scenesFolk character types (peddler, backwoodsman, minstrel)
Legacy
Constance Rourke made significant contributions to the study of American popular culture and folklore. Her seminal American Humor remained influential in cultural history, though her prominence waned after mid-20th century; recent decades have seen some revival and reassessment.
Museums
- Michigan Women's Hall of Fame (honoree entry) Michigan, United States Opened in 2004
Academic Societies
- American studies
- Folklore scholarship communities
Archives
- Library of Congress (author record)
- Michigan Women's Historical Center & Hall of Fame (honoree materials)
In Popular Culture
- Reissue of American Humor (2004) prompted renewed interest among cultural critics
Quotes
-
For years critics lamented the absence of an American folklore... But our folklore is now seen to be abundant.
Source: Constance Rourke, American Humor (excerpt) (1931) -
To her, too, the songs and sayings, the ballads, the boasts, and the brashness of farmer, lumberjack, or wandering worker were something worthy of preservation.
Source: The New York Times (obituary) (1941)
Trivia
- Audubon and Davy Crockett received Newbery Honor distinctions.
- Worked on the Index of American Design under the Federal Art Project in the 1930s.
- Taught English at Vassar College from 1910 to 1915.
- Died in Grand Rapids, Michigan, after a fall in 1941.
- Inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame in 2004.