He is Professor Emeritus of German at the University of Pittsburgh[1] and is considered to be a leading expert on folklore and fairytales.
His parents established a shoe store there, which was destroyed in 1976 by a flood caused by the Teton Dam collapse.
[7] Since his retirement, he has volunteered as an instructor at the Institute for Continued Learning at Dixie State College in Utah, teaching folklore, mythology, and digital photography.
His work on Folk and Fairy Tales: A Handbook, a reference guide to folklore, was described as "stand[ing] out for its brevity and an intersecting writing style".
[2] He serves on the advisory board of the Sussex Centre for Folklore, Fairy Tales and Fantasy based at the University of Chichester.