James “Big Jim” Griffith: July 30, 1935-December 18, 2021
Contributions to BorderLore by Jim Griffith:
In Memoriam: James S. Griffith
July 30, 1935-December 18, 2021 James S. Griffith, or “Big Jim,” moved to Tucson at age 20 to study at the University of Arizona, eventually earning a PhD in cultural…
Reciprocity in Fieldwork
by Jim Griffith The relationship between folklorist and informant is, by its very nature, reciprocal. To start off, I don’t really like the word “informant” for the person who gives…
San Francisco and the Quemasantos
by James S. Griffith In his newest book, Saints, Statues, and Stories: A Folklorist Looks at the Religious Art of Sonora (University of Arizona Press, 2019), folklorist “Big Jim” Griffith…
Respect Is the Core of Caring
by Jim Griffith As a public folklorist, I feel about respect the way Saint Paul felt about love: it must be at the core of what we do, and without…
The Ubiquitous Virgin of Guadalupe
by Jim Griffith, guest contributor Editor’s note: December 12 is the feast day of the Virgin of Guadalupe, observed by Mexicans of the Catholic faith and many others, during which…
La Santa Muerte: The folk saint who asks no questions
by Jim Griffith, guest contributor La Santa Muerte (“Holy Death” or “Saint Death”) is an extremely popular Mexican folk saint who is not recognized by the Catholic Church, even though…
Hot Dogs on Wheels
Guest post by Jim Griffith Since the mid-1990s I have been photographing local decorated food trucks and carts, which I thought to be visually interesting. Many of the painted decorations…
Lost and Found
by Jim Griffith When a mainstream Catholic in the United States needs supernatural assistance finding a lost object, he or she is likely to turn to St. Anthony of Padua…
Crossed Out? A New Attack on Our Roadside Memorials
by Jim Griffith This is the fifth in a series of short photo essays on occupation and ethnicity as they are revealed in Arizona grave markers, with this entry focused…
New Mexico in Arizona
by Jim Griffith This is the fourth in a series of short photo essays on occupation and ethnicity as they are revealed in Arizona grave markers. This time, Jim brings…