About Downs's Gather 'Round

Compiled by members of the Texas Folklore Society, this collection of pieces that focus on gatherings of all kinds ranges from personal reflections to scholarly analyses. Some authors discuss the place that gatherings have in marking all stages of life, from birth to death, while others consider gatherings based on special interests, such as crafting and music.

A variety of food-related traditions are spotlighted, including canning, tamaladas, and gatherings at local diners. Special attention also goes to distinctive southwestern traditions, such as cattle drives, cowboy poetry gatherings, and rattlesnake roundups.

Gatherings range in scale from the Texas State Fair to traditions involving only a handful of people. Reunions of families, small towns, and social groups receive consideration. Contributors also reflect on the ways events such as natural disasters, public tragedies, and global pandemics have caused us to rethink and rework gatherings.

Throughout the book authors consider the importance of coming together and the ways that communities are built and strengthened through traditional gatherings.