Save the Date: WSFS Special Talk in Honor of Norine Dresser

The Western States Folklore Society (WSFS) will hold a special lecture in honor of Norine Dresser, “German Folklore during National Socialism, with Some Thoughts on Today’s ‘Alternate Facts,'” on Sunday, January 4, 2026, beginning at noon MST. This WSFS event is made possible with additional sponsorship provided by the Gender Institute for Teaching and Advocacy at Metropolitan State University ofDenver.

Noted folklorist and long-standing supporter of WSFS, Norine Dresser has published numerous books and articles, as well as authoring the 8-year award-winning Los Angeles Times column, “Multicultural Manners.” She is best known for her work on vampires, and her scholarly collection of research related to immigration, illness, and death is now housed in the Fife Folklore archives at Utah State University. She taught at California State University, Los Angeles, for over twenty years.

The lecture will be delivered by her good friend James R. Dow, Professor Emeritus of German and Linguistics at Iowa State University and a Fellow of the American Folklore Society. Dr. Dow will launch his talk from his favorite Beisl in Vienna, where, as he notes, “all important discussions take place, over food and wine.” There will be opportunity for discussion after the talk.