Thomas A. Hale is Liberal Arts Professor of African, French, and Comparative Literature at The Pennsylvania State University. He is editor of The Epic of Askia Mohammed (IUP, 1996) and co-editor (with John William Johnson and Stephen Belcher) of Oral Epics from Africa (IUP, 1997).

• Introduction1. A Job Description for Griots2. The Origin of Griots3. The Verbal Art of Griots4. Music across the Griot World5. The Making of a Griot6. Would You Want Your Daughter to Marry One?7. Griottes: Unrecognized Female Voices8. From the Courtyards of the Nobility to a Global Audience9. The Value of Words10. New Millennium GriotsAppendicesSelected BibliographyIndex

"Thomas A. Hale's clearly written, informative work is a comprehensive historical and contemporary account of the griot phenomenon, which originated in West Africa. ...It is, in its entirety, of benefit to a variety of researchers from fields as diverse as history, music, anthropology and sociology, linguistics and literature.Volume 11.2 & 3, Spring 2010"—African Studies Quarterly"Hale . . . provides here an encyclopedic introduction to and overview of this ubiquitous and important West African figure. . . . a valuable addition to the literature on both African societies and the African Diaspora. Upper-division undergraduates and above.October 1999"—Choice"[An] encyclopedic introduction to and overview of this ubiquitous and important West African figure . . . . [A] valuable addition to the literature on both African societies and the African Diaspora."—Choice"[Reveals] griots to be much more complex and multifaceted social agents than previously understood."—African Arts"[Puts] the study of West African oral tradition on a higher level."—International Journal of African Historical Studies"Hale's magnum opus is an invaluable reference for scholars in religious studies, history, music, anthropology, linguistics, and literature."—Religious Studies Review