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God, Dr. Buzzard, and the Bolito Man : a saltwater Geechee talks about life on Sapelo Island / Cornelia Bailey; Christena Bledsoe.

By: Contributor(s): Material type: TextTextPublication details: New York : Anchor Books, 2001 c2000.Edition: First Anchor Books editionDescription: x, 334 p., 14 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, map, portraits ; 21 cmISBN:
  • 0385493770
Subject(s): LOC classification:
  • F292.M15 B35 2001
Contents:
Dayclean -- A special gift -- Paradise to us -- The spirit of Grandma Ada -- A make-do or do-without family -- Grandma Winnie -- At the bluff -- The babydoll -- Around the fire -- Moving day -- Ain't nuttin' right with Hog hammock -- The jack-o'-lantern -- Make sump'n of yourself -- The old man -- The hag that rides you -- The Bolito Man -- God resides in the east -- The dog finger -- The buzzard lope -- In come Dr. Buzzard -- Life everlasting -- The cusp -- Mama gets conned -- To skin a cat -- God loves you best -- One come, one go -- Coming home -- The eye of the storm -- She who has a purpose -- I flew back -- Watch night.
Summary: Equal parts cultural history and memoir, God, Dr. Buzzard, and the Bolito Man recounts a traditional way of life that is threatened by change, with stories that speak to our deepest notions of family, community, and a connection to one's homeland. Cornelia Walker Bailey models herself after the African griot, the tribal storytellers who keep the history of their people. Bailey's people are the Geechee, whose cultural identity has been largely preserved due to the relative isolation of Sapelo, a barrier island off the coast of Georgia. In this rich account, Bailey captures the experience of growing up in an island community that counted the spirits of its departed among its members, relied on pride and ingenuity in the face of hardship, and taught her firsthand how best to reap the bounty of the marshes, woods and ocean that surrounded her. The power of this memoir to evoke the life of Sapelo Island is remarkable, and the history it preserves is invaluable.
Item type: Delbert W. Baker Special Leadership Collection
Holdings
Current library Collection Call number Vol info Status Date due Barcode
Judith Thomas Library Delbert W. Baker Special Leadership Collection DWB Special Leadership Collection F 292 .M15 B35 2001 (Browse shelf(Opens below)) AUA23175 Available AUA23175

Originally published by Doubleday in 2000.

Dayclean --
A special gift --
Paradise to us --
The spirit of Grandma Ada --
A make-do or do-without family --
Grandma Winnie --
At the bluff --
The babydoll --
Around the fire --
Moving day --
Ain't nuttin' right with Hog hammock --
The jack-o'-lantern --
Make sump'n of yourself --
The old man --
The hag that rides you --
The Bolito Man --
God resides in the east --
The dog finger --
The buzzard lope --
In come Dr. Buzzard --
Life everlasting --
The cusp --
Mama gets conned --
To skin a cat --
God loves you best --
One come, one go --
Coming home --
The eye of the storm --
She who has a purpose --
I flew back --
Watch night.


Equal parts cultural history and memoir, God, Dr. Buzzard, and the Bolito Man recounts a traditional way of life that is threatened by change, with stories that speak to our deepest notions of family, community, and a connection to one's homeland. Cornelia Walker Bailey models herself after the African griot, the tribal storytellers who keep the history of their people. Bailey's people are the Geechee, whose cultural identity has been largely preserved due to the relative isolation of Sapelo, a barrier island off the coast of Georgia. In this rich account, Bailey captures the experience of growing up in an island community that counted the spirits of its departed among its members, relied on pride and ingenuity in the face of hardship, and taught her firsthand how best to reap the bounty of the marshes, woods and ocean that surrounded her. The power of this memoir to evoke the life of Sapelo Island is remarkable, and the history it preserves is invaluable.