Marcia,
Yes, Thanks for bringing in Berryman. I almost mentioned him, but I thought
I'd already gone on too long. The Dream Songs are a favorite of mine.
--Greg--
Marcia Karp wrote:
> "D.Gregory Griffith" wrote:
>
> > Tambo and Bones are or were stock figures from minstrel shows. In
> > their
> > original incarnation in the Christy Minstrels (the template for much
> > of the
> > standard fare of a minstrel show), the two figures were seated at the
> > far ends
> > of the semi-circle of minstrels on stage and one played tambourine and
> > the other
> > played bone castanets--there were duets which these two figures would
> > perform
> > together--and the Interlocutor who sat or stood stage center would
> > initiate banter
> > and jokes that would involve "Mr. Bones" and "Mr. Interlocutor" (this
> > pair is
> > probably vaguely familiar to most folks, but the actual pair of Bones
> > and
> > Tambo or the banter exchanged between "Mr. Tambo" and "Mr.
> > Interlocutor,"
> > that was also a stock feature, are less well known).
>
> See, too, John Berryman's Dream Songs.
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