Musings
an Online Journal of Sorts

By Alyce Wilson

The Appalachians

Yesterday I was digging through a neglected drawer in my filing cabinet, looking through the notebook that contained some of my earliest poems.

In the back of the drawer, I found a red three-ring binder that, I knew, contained something I'd told my friends about for a long time.

You see, I was stranded in West Virginia due to the Blizzard of '93, which hit while I was on Spring Break from Penn State, on a trip with some caving enthusiasts. By the second day of being snowed in, I'd run through all the available reading material and started on the phone book.

Surprisingly, it was fascinating reading. I was amazed at the rich tapestry of names, many of which I'd never heard before. Reading through the phone book, this litany of exotic names, I got a sense of the community. Stories formed in my head about who these people were, how they interacted.

I couldn't help myself: I started keeping a list. Most of the names on the list are first names, although I included entire names when they were suitably interesting. Some of them I would later borrow for skits, poems or stories.

Here's a selection of the best, interspersed with some ink and colored pencil drawings I sprinkled throughout my road diary of that trip.

Talmage D. Acord, Ball Acosta, Chauncey and Ladonna Adams, Garland, Garnett, Gillis, Hiawatha Adams, Lelia, Naaman, Swangie, Tilford, Turley, Wirt, Alvery, Arvello, Bethel, Caudel, Clofford Kippy Adkins Jr., Clovis, Cloyd, Colvin, Dearnell, Delbert, Daynor, Cumberland, Darwyn Lyle Adkins, Huston, Vetelene, Dreama, Jinks, Melita, Odbert, Okey, Normal, Key Ray, Purleigh, Ventrue, Zoma, Velva, Meardie, Sylford, Edsel Aleshire, Zeb, Sebart, Masil, Farion, Myrdis, Tivis, Lowejean, Curry, Vanita.

Bearl, Loveda, Cressell, Crocket, Flem Bailey, Posey, Memphis, Raydell, Vinson, Zink, Lancen, Ardith, Carosel Ball, Vicie, Fielden, Tapan, Cullen, Dymple, French Ball (Mrs.), The Bank of Mingo, Wealthia Banks, Bobby Beanblossom, Arizona, Casto, Dietta, Eules, Florida, Gilmer, Stevonna, Weldon, Amerigo Bazzie, Drucilla, Hassell, Valda, Big Bob McCoy's Shirts & Stuff, Gerald Biggerstaff, Jackfert, Flossie, Ermengarde, Noblin, Burbage C. Blankenship Jr., Cebern, Drewey, Faxon, Garvey, Othiel, Tolbert, Margaret Bottome, Prasada, Monty E. Boytek, Lutreal, Macil, Mylene, Dandridge, Easter, Gaynell, Beverly's Piddlin' Post.

Midgle, Rondle, Latha, Sherran, Turl, Madeva, Risby, Acie, Jirl Crennis, Historia, Hurtis, Tennis, Karnell, Minor Burns, Gulf, Musgoe, Lydge, Farris, Guynice, Dovie Butcher, Grafton Buzzard, Earlie Byrd, Sewell, Otis Lee Cadd, Stonie, Fabia, Girt, Quinnie, Tyke, Adron, Revil, Bash, Captolia, Dochia, Clellis, Bronson Cheeks, Bilton, Gelenious, Icy, Kincle, Noxal Rocky Cline, Narvel, Waysmith, Parlee, Boots, Dilmeda, Mackey, Posey Green, Tennis French Cook, Kelsie, Guerrant, Luster, Cromma, Carona, Rabon, Port, Wannis, Slemp Dawson, Mae Day (Mrs.), Labe, Mervil, Effell, Velvet, Monzola, Sponcil, Noble Farmer, Texie, Mello Fortuna, Totten, Buster Glass, Zane Grey, Arch Bozo Griffith, Hearldon, Comfort Hall, Reanice, Doffie, Lessie A. Hamlet, Neva, Yudellia, Javen, Billie Dawn Hatfield.

Mate, Moss, Treva, Trivette, Villia, Melton, Bycle, Hollona, Ladena, Colon Holbrook, Odell Bud Holley, Erskine, Ividene, Sparkle Lake, Clista, Mutt, Ledfort, Hugh Hughes, Blondeen, Energy Jude Poline, Zephnor, Eschol, Giddle, Wandell, Rita Sneed Justus, Winiford, Danny Yogi Kinder, Bazzle, Robert E. Lee Jr., Peppy, Steve Looney, Lawyer Lowe, Earless Lusk, Mallard, Wondel.

Temple Maynard, Stormy Dale McCoy, Lotus Messer, Jeweldean, Leafie, Loarreda, Vaudaline, Wonnis, Zshawn, Media Noon, Niwanna, R.B. Nixon, Claude A. Pancake, Cecil Mitt Parsley, Warren Peake, Fred Pigman, Icyline Plumley, Juanita Police, Victoria Queen, Noah Rainwater, Joe Rambo, Othello Ratz (Mrs.), Doll Richardson.

Lora Belle Robinson, Anna Rose Ross, Nevada Savage, Willie E. Senator, Zion sheppard, Bernie Sidebottom, Australia Simon, John E. Starsick, Elliott Smoot, Chas (Spike) Spears, Jack Spratt, Tracey Stacey, Sissy Bug Stafford.

Boyd Syck, Gary Terry, Bobbeye, Angel, Lloyd Twing, Creed Walker, Newt Wallen, Pudutt, Crammer R. Welch, Memphis White, Omage, America Williamson, Arson Workman, William Zickafoose, Jimolee M. Yap.

Copyright 1993-2003 by Alyce Wilson

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