Storyteller Spotlight- Ferrol Sams

Dr. Ferrol Sams

Storytelling has long been a tradition in the South, and it shows no sign of going away. From stories passed down from elders, to urban legends shared among children,  the gift of folktales is like no other. The most impressive storyteller I have read recently is Ferrol Sams, who is the author of seven books, including The Whisper of the River (1986), The Widow's Mite (1989), Christmas Gift! (1991). 

His most recent book, Down Town (2007) is the panoramic story of the American South, as told by a man who has see it all. Through the experiences of the characters in this southern town, readers gain new perspectives on the historical events that shaped our country since 1865—
Reconstruction, the first World War, the Depression, World War II, racial integration, and economic boom.


Ferrol Sams is a physician, humorist storyteller, and best-selling novelist and is the author of seven books. Most notable is his trilogy of novels in which an eccentric and quixotic hero, Porter Osborne, Jr., mirrors Sam's own Georgia boyhood in Fayette County. All of his works are rooted in the oral traditions of Southern humor and folklore. (Author bio courtesy of Mercer University Press)