Win Joanna Ruocco’s The Mothering Coven
I received an extra copy of the wonderful Joanna Ruocco’s new novel The Mothering Coven, which has just been released from Ellipsis Press.
Robert Coover said, “Ruocco’s Coven is an engagingly whimsical tale, graceful and inventive, with its own distinctive lexicon, reminiscent of the works of such writers as Ronald Firbank or Coleman Dowell. It toys with language and knowledge somewhat like an emerald-eyed black cat in the book toys with a large bird. Batting it about playfully. Coaxing something new out of it.” Nice. Having read Joanna’s work in many other places, and thrilled by it, I couldn’t be much more excited to dig into this.
On page 22 of the book, there is this sentence: “Neck pimples,” yells Ms. Kidney.
Ms. Kidney seems to me a great character name. Nothing like a good character name, don’t you think?
Leave a comment on this post with your favorite or one of your favorite character names, from any book ever. The name that tickles best, to me, will win a copy of Joanna’s radical new book. Contest goes till Friday morning. Thanks!
In the meantime, you can still buy Joanna’s book, along with the new title from Norman Lock, and the amazing two first releases by Ellipsis (Eugene Marten and Eugene Lim!), each individually, or for a limited time all together for $40, shipping included. Too good.
Tags: joanna ruocco, the mothering coven
Ortho “The Darkness” Stice
Ortho “The Darkness” Stice
are you trying to end the contest in one entry?
:) :)
are you trying to end the contest in one entry?
:) :)
Major Major Major Major from Catch 22
Major Major Major Major from Catch 22
Tra-la-la from Last Exit to Brooklyn
(but for official purposes: I agree with Lincoln)
Tra-la-la from Last Exit to Brooklyn
(but for official purposes: I agree with Lincoln)
this is going to be hard
So good.
this is going to be hard
So good.
Norwood Pratt
Pretty great, too. Damn.
heh. “The Darkness” is such a badass nickname.
Norwood Pratt
Pretty great, too. Damn.
heh. “The Darkness” is such a badass nickname.
Daily Alice Drinkwater from Little, Big.
That’s a super name.
Daily Alice Drinkwater from Little, Big.
That’s a super name.
damnit.
damnit.
Little, Big should win something, just for being awesome.
Little, Big should win something, just for being awesome.
Sherman Krebbs (from Cat’s Cradle, in one of the funniest chapters of any book)
Sherman Krebbs (from Cat’s Cradle, in one of the funniest chapters of any book)
Or Milo Minderbinder.
Or Milo Minderbinder.
Half-cocked Jack Shaftoe (Neil Stephenson, The Baroque Cycle)
Have I won?
What’s the entry deadline on this one, by the way?
Half-cocked Jack Shaftoe (Neil Stephenson, The Baroque Cycle)
Have I won?
What’s the entry deadline on this one, by the way?
Brackett Omensetter
Brackett Omensetter
Sturm Brightblade, paladin and Knight of Solamnia
Sturm Brightblade, paladin and Knight of Solamnia
I like ‘Major Major Major’ but I always thought ‘Yossarian’ was just a particularly great name.
And oh. Humbert Humbert.
one of my favorites
what about Tasselhoff
I like ‘Major Major Major’ but I always thought ‘Yossarian’ was just a particularly great name.
And oh. Humbert Humbert.
one of my favorites
what about Tasselhoff
Tasslehoff Burrfoot. Game over. That is until I thought of Flint Fireforge
Tasslehoff Burrfoot. Game over. That is until I thought of Flint Fireforge
“Ben Boykevich” from my own unauthorized novelization of “The Secret Life of the American Teenager.”
“Ben Boykevich” from my own unauthorized novelization of “The Secret Life of the American Teenager.”
Yossarian!!!!(?)!!
Ignatius J. Reilly
Yossarian!!!!(?)!!
Ignatius J. Reilly
Hazel Motes
Enoch Emery
Onnie Jay Holy
Sabbath Lily
Pretty much every name in ‘Wise Blood’.
How many entries are we allowed?
Asa Hawks
Hazel Motes
Enoch Emery
Onnie Jay Holy
Sabbath Lily
Pretty much every name in ‘Wise Blood’.
How many entries are we allowed?
Asa Hawks
Mees Kipp
Mees Kipp
Mrs. Unguentine
Mrs. Unguentine
“Kelderek-play-with-the-children”
“Kelderek-play-with-the-children”
I second that.
I second that.
Hrothgar son of Halfdan
Hrothgar son of Halfdan
what on earth it that awesome name from???
what on earth it that awesome name from???
You get second prize, too. We’re out of our league here, everyone. I love this thread.
You get second prize, too. We’re out of our league here, everyone. I love this thread.
M’choakumchild
M’choakumchild
The Pedersen Kid. Or Mrs. Mean.
Pomp. Or Billy Boillit. (from Peter Christopher’s blazing Campfires of the Dead).
The Pedersen Kid. Or Mrs. Mean.
Pomp. Or Billy Boillit. (from Peter Christopher’s blazing Campfires of the Dead).
yes!
yes!
Shortboy
Shortboy
Lefty Meatyard
– from “A Part of the Story” by Stephen Dobyns.
Lefty Meatyard
– from “A Part of the Story” by Stephen Dobyns.
Even though I know blake isn’t a huge fan of the book, Fuckhead is a pretty good name.
Even though I know blake isn’t a huge fan of the book, Fuckhead is a pretty good name.
Seaman Pig Bodine
Seaman Pig Bodine
Dang it! I was going to say Hazel Motes or Sabbath Lily.
How ’bout a ‘group’ award?
How ’bout: Humbert Humbert, Claire Quilty, Dolores Haze, Charlotte Haze, Vivian Darkbloom, the whole list of student names, The Enchanted Hunter, The Hunted Enchantress, etc etc ….. hold on a sec I gotta go grab my ‘Lolita’
Next time, movie names? From Dr. Strangelove: General ‘Buck’ Turgidson, President Merkin Muffley, Colonel ‘Bat’ Guano, General Jack D. Ripper, Captain Mandrake, Major Kong (I have a friend who named her cat Major Kong), Lieutenant Lothar Zogg, Burpelson Air Force Base, Premier Kissoff and of course Dr. Strangelove.
Dang it! I was going to say Hazel Motes or Sabbath Lily.
How ’bout a ‘group’ award?
How ’bout: Humbert Humbert, Claire Quilty, Dolores Haze, Charlotte Haze, Vivian Darkbloom, the whole list of student names, The Enchanted Hunter, The Hunted Enchantress, etc etc ….. hold on a sec I gotta go grab my ‘Lolita’
Next time, movie names? From Dr. Strangelove: General ‘Buck’ Turgidson, President Merkin Muffley, Colonel ‘Bat’ Guano, General Jack D. Ripper, Captain Mandrake, Major Kong (I have a friend who named her cat Major Kong), Lieutenant Lothar Zogg, Burpelson Air Force Base, Premier Kissoff and of course Dr. Strangelove.
a personal favorite of mine has always been ‘the pedersen kid’
a personal favorite of mine has always been ‘the pedersen kid’
Oedipa Maas
Pierce Inverarity
Wendell “Mucho” Maas
Dr. Hilarius
John Nefastis
Randolph Driblette
Mike Fallopian
Genghis Cohen
(sorry, just wiki’ed crying of lot 49)
Oedipa Maas
Pierce Inverarity
Wendell “Mucho” Maas
Dr. Hilarius
John Nefastis
Randolph Driblette
Mike Fallopian
Genghis Cohen
(sorry, just wiki’ed crying of lot 49)
Bucky Wunderlick
Bucky Wunderlick
Graffiti sighted in SF circa 2004: Bush should be licked
off subject, I know
was reminded by ‘Bucky Wunderlick’
Graffiti sighted in SF circa 2004: Bush should be licked
off subject, I know
was reminded by ‘Bucky Wunderlick’
Madame Psychosis
Madame Psychosis
Roonswent Dover
Roonswent Dover
From Signor Calvino:
Qfwfq
Mrs. Vhd Vhd
Nickel Rwfs
Mr. Pber (to the power of t) Pber (to the power of d)
From Signor Calvino:
Qfwfq
Mrs. Vhd Vhd
Nickel Rwfs
Mr. Pber (to the power of t) Pber (to the power of d)
Shardik
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shardik
Shardik
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shardik
Sal Paradise, from On The Road
Sal Paradise, from On The Road
My parents did not like me either. They called me Ethelred. My father’s assurance that I was named after King Ethelred I (866-871) and not Ethelred the Unready (978-1016) was little consolation to a seven-year-old whose friends all called him ‘Ethel’. I experimented with ‘Red’ for a while, but for some reason it never did catch on amongst my acquaintances. Oh, and my second name is Hengist, in case you were about to ask. Ethelred Hengist Tressider. It has never surprised anyone that I might prefer to be known as Amanda Collins.
My parents did not like me either. They called me Ethelred. My father’s assurance that I was named after King Ethelred I (866-871) and not Ethelred the Unready (978-1016) was little consolation to a seven-year-old whose friends all called him ‘Ethel’. I experimented with ‘Red’ for a while, but for some reason it never did catch on amongst my acquaintances. Oh, and my second name is Hengist, in case you were about to ask. Ethelred Hengist Tressider. It has never surprised anyone that I might prefer to be known as Amanda Collins.