ALAN GOVENAR is a writer, folklorist, photographer, and filmmaker. He is the president of Documentary Arts, Inc., a Dallas-based nonprofit organization he founded in 1985 to present new perspectives on historical issues and diverse cultures. His books for young readers include Stompin’ at the Savoy: The Story of Norma Miller; Extraordinary Ordinary People: Five American Masters of Traditional Arts; and Osceola: Memories of a Sharecropper’s Daughter (Orbis Pictus Honor Award, American Library Association Notable Book, and Hornbook Honor Award). PADDY BOWMAN, who wrote the accompanying online teaching guide, completed her MA in Folklore at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill in 1983. She is Director of Local Learning at the National Network for Folk Arts in Education in Washington, DC, where she also serves as adjunct professor at Lesley University, teaching a course titled “Art and Culture in Community.”
