Jean Ritchie's Kentucky Mother Goose: Songs and Stories from My Childhood

2015 | Biography

Jean Ritchie's Kentucky Mother Goose is a collection of songs, rhymes and stories recalled by Jean from her own childhood. Growing up as the youngest of 14 children in a singing family from Viper, Kentucky, Jean was surrounded by the ballads, hymns, play-party songs, singing games and dulcimer tunes that comprised the Ritchie family repertoire. Her 1955 book, Singing Family of the Cumberlands portrays the rich musical life of the Ritchies: Jean's mother, Abigail; her father, Balis, who taught her to play the dulcimer; Uncle Jason Ritchie, the prolific collector of the big ballads and songs, and her older siblings. Now in her 90s, Jean has returned to the earliest recollections of her songs, along with the stories the surround them. In the Foreword for Susan Brumfield's Hot Peas and Barley-O: Children's Songs and Games from Scotland, Jean wrote, The next thing I'm inspired to do is to recollect and write down all my memories of our childhood songs and games. Perhaps all of you will do the same. That was the first step toward this collaboration on Jean Ritchie's Kentucky Mother Goose.

The illustrated anthology contains transcriptions of the songs and stories sung and told by Jean, along with personal family photographs from her childhood days in Kentucky. It also includes annotations and notes on the songs, and a rare recording of Jean with the author. Includes recordings of songs and commentary by Jean's son, Jon Pickow and photos from the collection of Jean's husband, well-known New York photographer and filmmaker George Pickow.

Jean Ritchie (Author)

Susan Brumfield (Author)