this is the delta

"And me, I spend a lot of time pickin' flowers up on Choctaw Ridge/... and drop them into the muddy water off the Tallahatchie Bridge...." *
"Emmett Till's name still catches in my throat/like syllables waylaid in a stutterer's mouth." **

 * from "Ode to Billie Joe" by Bobbie Gentry. (Youtube link, Bobbie Gentry, 1967)


** from A Wreath for Emmett Till by Marilyn Nelson (Youtube link, Marilyn Nelson reading from her book)

 This is the Delta.
Posted by Debbie Wiles at Wednesday, August 25, 2010
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2 comments:

  1. L.WrightAugust 25, 2010 at 9:01 AM

    So now my author friend, you leave me wondering how all the Emmett Till information will be woven into your next story. You are a brave and true writer to tackle subjects still so sore... things most of white America would prefer laid to rest

    ReplyDelete
  2. Debbie WilesAugust 25, 2010 at 11:33 AM

    Hey, Leslie. I'm not sure how Emmett Till will be woven in, but on the other hand, it will be there, be there, be there, just below the surface. I wanted to find the Tallahatchie River (not hard), where Emmett Till was found, and also the bridge where Billie Jo McAllister jumped... there are several bridges across the Tallahatchie River, and I believe the one Bobbie Gentry refers to collapsed in the '70s and was rebuilt. If so, no matter. This one will do. :> Thanks for writing.

    ReplyDelete

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