When I worked our table at FAI last year, many of the people who stopped – industry people, artists, everyone with a pony in the Folk race – asked, “What do you do?” My spiel went something like this: “We started as a print newspaper in the Greater Los Angeles Area dispersed by volunteers to record stores, book stores, venues…but in 2010 (I think) we shifted to all-online, which gives us greater scope.”

All of this is true. But did I answer the question? What is it we do?

The original intent of FolkWorks was to shine a light on something beloved that was so hard to find. This begs two questions: Why is it so beloved, and why is it so hard to find? The answer to the first question requires we define Folk, which will get you a different answer from every person you ask. What I think we all agree on is that it didn’t begin with Woody Guthrie. Woody put a face on Folk as protest music at a time when unified protest is what the American People truly needed. It was hard to find because it was almost officially illegal: Pete Seeger was blackballed in the McCarthy era for being a Commie. “Pete Seeger Outlasted the Bastards,” as The Nation magazine* says, and we got a Forever Stamp from the U.S. Post Office in.

*For the record, The Nation offers the option to opt out of “Consent to Process the Consumer’s Sensitive Data consisting of data revealing citizen ship or immigration status, contents of email & text, account log-in, financial account, debit or credit card number in combination with any required access code…” The list is very long and includes Union Membership. Y’all gotta remember to take 2 minutes and read what websites are offering. 

In its print-copy heyday, FolkWorks had a series of parties still remembered fondly in the Greater Los Angeles area. Friendships were forged there which continue today in partnerships with Soka Performing Arts and the The Ford/L.A. Philharmonic, among others. We had other parties over the years to celebrate those parties, most recently at Elemental Music School in Santa Monica, CA. In accordance with tradition, it was a potluck with several separate rooms for music jams and Red Vines at the reception desk. Friends new and old were in attendance, including James Lee Stanley, Donna Lynn Caskey, and Jackie Morris – ask her about her pre-DOGE protest song. It’s great! As a fresh new board member, I made a point of showing up and having a wonderful time!

FolkWorks was honored by FAR-West as a Best of the West Ambassador in 2024. Established in 2005, Best of the West Awards celebrate organizations and individuals who make significant contributions to the Folk and acoustic community of the Western United States region of Folk Alliance. Honorees demonstrate an enduring presence for at least ten years, inspire others with their Folk values and traditions, and work to nurture and expand Folk values. The selection process is undertaken well in advance by a select panel of credentialed researchers.

What is Folk? It’s the people’s voice: History in song so it’s easier to remember. In song or in art to protect the truth from organized oppression. In traditions that metamorphose into forms that survive evolution, to bring legacy into the future, to remind us where we’re from and that we can’t stay there. No matter where your people are from, you have a Folk legacy. We want to represent it here.

What does FolkWorks do? The same thing we always did: tell you where to find it. We aim to preserve the People’s voice, whether it comes from African Griots of the past or present day like Reggie Garrett, preservation of endangered languages as in the work of Nani Vazana and Sounds and Stories of Ruhnu Island, culture-bearers like Reggie Garrett who protect and preserve lesser-known heroes in songs like “York’s Lament (a Hell of a Thing)” – about the personal slave on the Lewis & Clark expedition – or “Ballade de Stace A” – a fictional retelling of Stacey Abrams’ political battles. We support projects like The Ash Grove Film, chronicling on-the-ground stories of Los Angeles music in the 60s and 70s. We preserve the record of current day protest while our nation is under threat of Fascism.

How did I get here? I found my people, right here. I was recruited as a writer, later to be vetted by extant board members at the Best of the West Award reception and offered a seat on the board. I’m here because I believe in what we do, that it matters – every step matters, no matter how small. I asked if I could use this platform to talk about how visual art and music are really the same thing, just different vocabularies. I wanted to talk with musicians who are also artists, and what the process means to them. Steve and Leda said yes, and now we have Looking for the Crossroads**. I’ve gotten to talk to so many creatives,  like cellist and weaver Janel Leppin, multilingual musician and bronze artist Peter Harper, and musician/ceramicist Tony Furtado. I spoke with Genevieve, who was both a performer and a piece of art at a special event. But I’ve also talked legacy and Joe Hill research with Michael and Nell, and some extreme guitar design with Dig O’Neal and Randy Parsons, who each take the art in very different directions (though both approve of a little burning.) (No, I did not interview Jimmy Page. Not yet.)

I’ve discussed inclusivity and religion, and dug into the Folk scene in Spain through the bands Lauzeta and El Pony Pisador, but also through American artists performing there, like Joel Rafael and 3Hand Stephen. The world continues to open up to me, thanks to FolkWorks.

**I am always looking for new interviewees, and FolkWorks is always looking for new writers. What would you do with this space? 

There is always a battle. To survive, you have to know where your people are, and we are widespread. Sometimes in hiding, as organized oppression also changes form. When you look to a fellow human and ask yourself, “Does he look like me?” switch that up a bit. Does he SOUND like me? Does he speak for truth and justice? Does he carry his ancestors with him – and does he keep them in check if they were oppressors? Does he act like me, working to make sure America is still the land of the free? Are we?

At FolkWorks, our doors are open. We don’t have much, but we have a platform and a legacy. We are a collection of people who advocate for tradition and justice. If you don’t find your Folk represented within our pages, it’s because we need  you. Come on over.

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debora Ewing writes, paints, and screams at the stars because the world is still screwed up. She improves what she can with music collaboration, peer-review at Consilience Poetry Journal (based in the UK), or designing books for Igneus Press. deb is on the editorial board for Berlin-based Beyond Words Literary Magazine. Follow @DebsValidation on X and Instagram. Read her self-distractions at FolkWorks.org and JerryJazzMusician.com.