After 25 years conducting folklore fieldwork in Canada and the northern plains of the United States, Michael Taft retired as Head of the Archive of Folk Culture at the American Folklife Center, Library of Congress. He has held research and teaching positions at universities across Canada. His books include Talkin' to Myself: Blues Lyrics, 1921-1942; "Them Days": Memories of a Prairie Valley; The Bard of Edam: Walter Farewell, Homesteader Poet; Discovering Saskatchewan Folklore; Tall Tales of British Columbia; and A Regional Discography of Newfoundland and Labrador, 1904-1972.