Laura Bohannan

Laura Bohannan, (née Laura Marie Altman Smith), (1922–2002), pen name Elenore Smith Bowen, was an anthropology professor at University of Illinois at Chicago. She was highly regarded for her studies in Africa and wrote one of the first books about the experience of doing fieldwork, Return to Laughter. Her research in Nigeria and her publications about the social system of the Tiv people "influenced a whole generation of anthropologists," according to fellow anthropologist James Phillips.

“Shakespeare in the Bush” is consistently the most popular article on our website and one of the most anthologized anthropology articles of all time.