Val -

Now we've got to contend with "what is art" when we haven't even scratched the surface on "what is folk?"

Good suggestion though. I don't have any problem with including illustration as an "art form," and if well done even as "fine art." I should have remembered the couple of "illustrated folk tales" that SingOut! included a very few years ago. (I'll have to check whether Vess was the one who did those – CRS syndrome being at hand..)

For the record, the book cited is:

The Book of Ballads
ISBN: 076531214X
Format: Hardcover, 192pp
Pub. Date: November 2004
Publisher: Tor Books
$24.95 (US)

The summary indicates individual tales by Charles Vess, Neil Gaiman, Sharyn McCrumb, Jane Yolen, all illustrated by Charles Vess.

Neil Gaiman retells "The False Knight on the Road"; Jane Yolen offers her version of "King Henry" and "The Great Selchie of Sule Skerrie"; Charles de Lint reworks "Twa Corbies"; Jeff Smith updates "The Galtee Farmer"; and mystery author Sharyn McCrumb reimagines "Thomas the Rhymer." As a special feature, The Book of Ballad contains the full lyrics and discographies of the classic versions of these songs and tales.

John