Soundings for Harry Smith
by Bret Lunsford
$ 39
Sounding for Harry Smith: Early Pacific Northwest Influences by Bret Lunsford is a 232-page biography that explores the formative years of Harry Smith, the compiler of the influential Anthology of American Folk Music, during his childhood in Anacortes, Washington. Drawing on extensive research, including personal artifacts, photographs, maps, and oral histories, Lunsford examines how Smith’s immersion in the Coast Salish culture and the Pacific Northwest environment shaped his later pursuits in music, art, film, and anthropology. The book, featuring a foreword by John Szwed and a preface by Phil Elverum, offers a vivid portrait of Smith’s early community and creative influences, providing insight into how these experiences laid the groundwork for his lasting contributions to American folk music and avant-garde art.