Customer Reviews

A Florida Fiddler: The Life and Times of Richard Seaman

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Gregory Hansen's study of Richard Seaman is a fascinating book that takes us into the world of a little-known artist. The book's analysis of Seaman's place within Florida history and culture is very intelligent and insightful. What makes the book so enjoyable to read, however, is that Hansen allows his subject to speak. Seaman's tall-tales are entertaining for any reader. Hansen displays a real affection for his subject that is unusual and refreshing for a study from a university press.

Gregory Hansen's A Florida Fiddler: The Life and Times of Richard Seaman is a masterful study of an important twentieth-century musician-storyteller. Richard Seaman's repertoire of traditional fiddle tunes represents an era when Southern farmers celebrated free time with music at picnics and square dances. They helped each other through illnesses and weather-driven harvests, building a culture of neighborliness that sustained them through difficult times.

Seaman's stories--tall tales, jokes, and anecdotes--delight the reader. One memorable tall tale describes a mule that freezes to death when a wagonload of popcorn explodes in the sun, covering the ground with white kernels that look like snow. Hansen explains that such stories "comment on the intrusions of humankind's culture on the natural environment" and remind listeners "that there are ways to work through what nature has dispensed" (65).

Written with eloquence and heart, A Florida Fiddler offers significant insight into life in early twentieth-century America. it is one of those rare books that functions equally well as a text for college courses and a source of reading pleasure.