O Romeo, Romeo!
Wherefore art thou* Romeo? –Juliet, Romeo
and Juliet
Julian McElroy,
wherefore art thou* such an a$$hole? –Romy, Bittersweet Creek
Okay, I gave in. I melded my English major’s love of
literature with my country girl’s desire to write a story about the rural area
where I grew up. One of the things that’s always struck me about Shakespeare is
how we view his works as highbrow now, but they were written for the common
people. Shakespeare’s plays are full of wit and puns and carefully crafted
dirty jokes, and there are very few things in this world that I love more than
wit and puns and carefully crafted dirty jokes.
In Bittersweet Creek
I give you Shakespeare. . . . with cows. I had a lot of fun with this one by
translating feuding families to the south. The Satterfields drive Fords and
like cats. The McElroys drive Chevorlets and prefer dogs. The Satterfields are
by the book folk, but the McElroys like to bend the law. The Hatfields and the
McCoys set off their feud with a stolen hog, but the Satterfields and the
McElroys are going to finish their feud over an illegitimate calf. Romy and
Julian have been drawn to each other since they were kids, but can they
overcome the animosity of their families?
What’s your favorite version of Romeo and Juliet? Is there a Shakespearean play that you think
deserves more love? Or can you share your favorite Shakespearean dirty joke?
Answer any one of these questions in the comments below and consider yourself
in the running for a copy of Bittersweet
Creek. I’ll have one of those random number generators pick a name.
*A lot of folks think Juliet was asking where Romeo was.
Really, “Wherefore art thou Romeo?” is closer to asking “Why do you have to be
Romeo?” That should help you understand Romy, my heroine. She conducted her
balcony scene, it should be noted, from the barn loft.
Sally Kilpatrick
