Names

Creating characters from a melding of memory and imagination can be a lot of fun. Making up names for them just adds to the fun. Here are a few of the characters in my latest work in progress,

Cops
Adam Spitzer - police spokesman in the ‘60s
Snake Collins - Rain police spokesman in 2009,
Adele Long - Seattle police spokesman in 2009
George Romero - cop killed in Club Silver riots
Brewster Crockett (bad cop, nickname Walrus)
Fred Felts (bad cop, nickname Warthog)
Rand McKnight - Police chief in the ’50s-’60s

Queens
Alexis Darling (Jim Bright)
Anita Mann (George Newman) murder victim in 1969
Busty Parker (Billy Martin)
Honey Lucious (Raymond Craig) transitioned in 1994, changed name to Ramona, 3rd victim reported by Harry Drew
Liza Jane (Larry Butler)
Miss Tammy Tucker (Tom Rogers)

Police Blotter reporters
Harold Drew and later his son Harold Drew Jr. (Harry)

In the neighborhood
Abeline - Mr. Singleterry’s mysterious ex-wife
Alex - it’s her story
Aunt Belinda and Uncle Art - throwaway characters
Bill and Rodney Barnes - dated the Sullivan girls
Bubba Austin - fullback, tough guy
Buster James - frat boy
Carney Jones - football player, Santa Claus
Christine Rocker - the only black girl in Jefferson Jr. High
Delks - three boys
Donny Brooks - Alex’s short-time husband, philandering actor
Dudley Strong - big kid
Greg and Nellie Jones - bought the house next to Jim’s after the Hendrix’s moved out. Twin boys Kyle and Doyle
Greasy Hendrix - Jim’s sleazy neighbor
Jessica - Mr. Singleterry’s new wife
Jim Bright - hero maybe
Jimi Sue - Hendrix housekeeper, stripper
Johnny Delgato - nice kid
Kimzy Williams (nickname Kay Kay) - poor Kay Kay
Lara Cockburn - rich girl, Darling Debs
Leslie Grant - shy kid
Marvin Tuttle - Eastender, i.e, wrong side of the tracks
Mary Ellen Lucious - Miss Rain 1960
Melody Sauer - hookers live forever
Molly Simpson - Randy’s wife
Mr. Singleterry - neighborhood developer, kept ex-wife in cottage in back yard
Mr. Sutter - principal of Jefferson HS
Mrs. Evans - 10th grade math teacher
Nancy Hendrix - fat girl, Jim’s wife
Randy - bartender at Barney’s
Randolph Warner, NAACP representative from Seattle
Red Rogers - owns Red’s Dairy Bar, pedophile maybe
Reggie Sheffield - Bubba Austin’s half brother
Rev. Bright - Jim’s father
Rolly Simpson - Jim’s next door neighbor, went steady with Kimzy but married Molly Robbins
Ross brothers - Jimmy, Roy, Stew - Eastenders
Harrison “Smiley” Russell - only black boy in Jefferson Jr. High
Sam Waldoff - owner of Walden’s dept. store
Snake Collins - Doc Collins’ son, bad boy (see “cops”)
Sullivan girls - Ophelia, neighborhood slut (one of) and Trisha (younger)
Wanda Bright - Jim’s big sister