Mrs. Publicist: Whoa! Past the middle of the month and we still haven’t done What’s In A Name, where Peter Abrahams aka Spencer Quinn discusses a character name from one of his books, sometimes a Chet and Bernie. I know character names are important to you, Pete. You’ve said you can’t write a character until the right name comes to you.
Pete: I’ll stick by that. One other thing – only characters who speak at least one word get a name. With rare exceptions.
Mrs. P: Such as?
Pete: A corpse.
Mrs. P: So what’ll it be today?
Pete: How about we take a look at Lotty Pilgrim, one of the central characters in Heart of Barkness, a –
Mrs. P: Currently available in all formats!
Pete: – has-been or never-was country music singer. Lotty seemed like one of those names that hearkens back – kind of an echo of Dottie, as in the great Dottie West. As for Pilgrim, it more than hints at the wandering minstrel, and there are echoes of the old country song I Am A Pilgrim, recorded many times but never more beautifully than by the Byrds on their Sweetheart of the Rodeo album. I hear you thinking: Pilgrim? Maybe too on the nose? But we’re talking country music! That gives us a license to be on the nose. The famous Nashville songwriter Harlan Howard said country music was three chords and the truth.
Mrs. P: And Lotty ends up singing a Song For Chet, the lyrics for which – spoiler alert! – are in the last scene of the book – and it turned into an actual song, on iTunes etc. and there’s a video on youtube, all thanks to sound wizard Bob Edwards in Lucas Valley. See you next month for more of What’s In A Name!