ON A WESTERN TRAIL: character names

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Stephen Bly (1944-2011)

In my book Cowboy For A Rainy Afternoon, the narrator is never identified by a particular character name. He is just called "Little Brother" by the six old cowboys.

However, had he a real bona fide character name, what should he be called? I was pondering that as I read this week the 10 MOST POPULAR NAMES FOR 2008: 1) Aidan, 2) Jayden, 3) Jacob, 4) Michael, 5) Ethan, 6) Caden, 7) James, 8) Caleb, 9) Andrew, and 10) Matthew.

But "Little Brother" in this story is 10 years old in 1954. That puts him in the 5th grade, born in 1944. So, the question is ... what were the 10 MOST COMMON BOYS NAMES IN 1944?

STEPHEN BLY'S FAVORITE WESTERN MOVIES (in alphabetical order)

Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid (1969), stars Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Katherine Ross.
Fort Apache (1948), stars John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Shirley Temple.
High Noon (1952), stars Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly
Open Range (2003), stars Robert Duvall, Kevin Costner, Annette Bening.
Quigley Down Under (1990), stars Tom Selleck, Laura San Giacomo, Alan Rickman.
Stagecoach (1939)...John Wayne's first major role.
The Alamo (2004), stars Billy Bob Thornton, Dennis Quaid, Jason Patric, Patrick Wilson.
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence (1962), stars John Wayne, James Stewart, Vera Miles.
The Shootist (1976), stars John Wayne, Lauren Bacall, Ron Howard.
True Grit (2010), stars Jeff Bridges, Hailee Steinfeld, Matt Damon, directed by Coen Brothers

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Stephen Bly (1944-2011) In my book Cowboy For A Rainy Afternoon, the narrator is never identified by a particular character name. He is just called "Little Brother" by the six old cowboys.

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Stephen Bly (1944-2011)

In my book Cowboy For A Rainy Afternoon, the narrator is never identified by a particular character name. He is just called "Little Brother" by the six old cowboys.