At the American Folklore Society annual meetings, Polly Stewart and I moderate a seminar-like forum, "Text and Community."

For Bloomington, Indiana's "Peace, War, Folklore"-themed meeting in October 2011, we will discuss Ray Cashman's 2008 book: Storytelling on the Northern Irish Border: Characters and Community (Indiana University Press). Forum participants will present brief statements, then all are welcome to discuss this text about the telling of local character narratives as a community-based traditional practice that provides a counterweight to sectarian views and violent actions. Read the book beforehand if you can, but come even if you haven't.

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AFS Folklore and Creative Writing Section, founded in 2005 by Peggy Yocom and Amy Skillman: our activities, our listserve, our plans for AFS 2007, and minutes from our inaugural 2005 meeting in Atlanta.

Peggy's work with the Association of Writers and Writing Programs: folklore panels at AWP conferences.

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The American Folklore Society is an association of people who communicate knowledge about folklore throughout the world. Our more than 2,200 members and subscribers are scholars, teachers, and libraries at colleges and universities; professionals in arts and cultural organizations; and community members involved in folklore work. Many of our members live and work in the U.S., but their interests in folklore stretch around the world, and we are home to a large and growing number of international members.

• The American Folklore Society Website