I came to understand colonialism way back in the late 60s, early 70s, from Flip Wilson doing Christopher Columbus trying to discover America. Flip Wilson was a big comedy star at the time. He was a black man who could play a sexy black woman (Geraldine, his best-known character) and could also play a white historical figure — like Columbus, setting out to discover. “Gonna find
May 16, 2023·edited May 16, 2023Liked by Roy Blount Jr
I love remembering Flip Wilson. I saw him perform in person during my one year at the University of Michigan in 1969-70 in Ann Arbor (it was one of three good memories, the other two being a talk by Tom Wolfe and getting plastered at the Michigan-Ohio State football game.) And speaking of funny names, my great-uncle Thomas Marker lived and worked on Ossabaw Island, one of the Georgia Sea Islands, in the 1950s and '60s and he would copy down the names of people he'd read about in the local papers. Here are a few:
I love remembering Flip Wilson. I saw him perform in person during my one year at the University of Michigan in 1969-70 in Ann Arbor (it was one of three good memories, the other two being a talk by Tom Wolfe and getting plastered at the Michigan-Ohio State football game.) And speaking of funny names, my great-uncle Thomas Marker lived and worked on Ossabaw Island, one of the Georgia Sea Islands, in the 1950s and '60s and he would copy down the names of people he'd read about in the local papers. Here are a few:
Nigel Cricket
Rickey Lionburger
Hacen Crim
Laylon Jones Slappy
Lincoln G. Weech
Mrs. Exzema Johnson
Sam Firewall
Beach Sands
Mrs. Eura Bean
Donald F. Fulk (married Elizabeth J. Poung)
C. M. Leaptrott
Clarence W. Cossiboom
John P. Shinaberry (married Sandra Knuckles)
Effie Loverix
Mamie Economy
Iris Faircloth Blitch
Percy Thunder
George Inkpen
Carolina Woog
Clory Uddyback
C. U. Ahl (judge)
Mae Oma Goof
Lounzie Hooks
Mrs. Maple Bunch
Barbara Aikenhead
Gail Fermoyle (married Douglas Stiff)
Given Wood Cleek
Wayne Bonecutter
Mark L. Hollopeter
Birdie Cornfoot
Woodrow Zerfass
Bebby Hummeny
Modine Gunch
Allen Burp Church
Bonnapart White
Rockney Stoop (bank robber)
Wilmo Weevie
Webster D. Junk (funeral director)
Belcher Wedlock
Miss Ida Pudgush
Ray Messmaker
Mr. and Mrs. Arlo Barlow
Wow
Brilliant, Roy.
Wondrous. I love names, even those without hyphens like Jim Bob. Feel how it rolls off your tongue. It just tastes good.