The author, a storyteller, musician, folklorist, and teacher, went to English-as-second-language courses, first in Chicago then elsewhere, both to share with young immigrants some of the English-language oral traditions, and to elicit from them folktales from their own cultures and families. He sets out the process he used so that others can follow him, and shares stories from Latin America, eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.

This book brings together eight Jack Tales collected from performances since World War II. All the performers have their feet planted firmly in traditional soil, yet all have been affected to some degree by popular notions and scholarly attitudes toward the Jack Tales, which was published fifty years ago.