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on cue. I said, “Oh, that’s a good indication.” I went into the bar, and there was this guy behind the bar. I said, “Everybody in there just said that you’re a good storyteller.” He said, “I could tell a few.” I said, “You mind if I record?” He said, “Turn it on.” Two hours later, I ran out of tape. What makes a good storyteller or joke-teller? A good storyteller is somebody who can tell the story and make it come alive. A good storyteller is somebody who doesn’t just know the story but can perform it in a way that has you rapt. It has you on the edge of your seat. It just pulls you in. It’s a perfor- mance. It’s not just a report on what the story is. It makes the story come alive. One of the best storytellers I recorded was a Creole guy from Parks, Louisiana. He was amazing. His voice was so animated. It was like music. In addition to that, he would take care of everybody there listening. He’d reach over and pull your shirt and tickle you or pinch you, touch your hat. He was physi- cally engaged with whatever audience he had. It was amazing. That kind of storytelling comes from a time before television, before radio, before other imported forms of entertainment. People like

that used to be invited into house parties because they could fill the evening. Back then I recorded lots of storytellers who told me stories that lasted 15, 20, 25 minutes — long narrative stories. Not a whole lot of people would put up with that today unless they were going on purpose to a storytelling evening or something like that. Where do these pieces of folk- lore and stories find their way into the culture now? Are they continuing on? Oh, yes. Nowadays, stories get wedged into what’s otherwise happening in real life: waiting for a bus or an elevator, or standing around a barbecue pit, or whatever it is. In those pauses, people say, “ Oh, did you hear the one about…?” That’s how typical storytelling happens today. It’s inserted into the bustle of everyday lives. I’ve actually heard lots of jokes in the aisles at Rouses! People would come up and say, “ Hey, you can use this one! ” for a radio show I used to host on Saturday nights where I’d often tell stories. They would try to tell me stories while I was trying to buy beans!

And, of course, one last question: Do you have a favorite food-related joke?

There’s a man on his deathbed, and he’s got very little time to go. He’s fading fast. His family has gathered at his house. He sees one of his grandkids walk in front of the door. He calls him in, and he says, “ Honey, it seems like I can smell a gumbo. Is your grandma making a gumbo? ” The little boy says, “ Yeah, I think so .” He says, “ Man, I don’t have much time left, but I sure did love your grandma’s gumbo. I would love to have a bowl before I go. Could you go down and ask and send me up a bowl of gumbo? ” The little boy leaves and he comes back a few minutes later with nothing in his hands. Old man says, “ Well, where’s my gumbo? ” The little boy says, “ Grandma says that’s for after the funeral! ”

74 MAY•JUNE 2019