tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6611875170009784219.post280785664771934711..comments2024-03-15T12:42:11.939-04:00Comments on Noblemania: A prayer for “Owen Meany”Marc Tyler Noblemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10732005290440645718noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6611875170009784219.post-43394147462788355762010-06-08T17:44:24.145-04:002010-06-08T17:44:24.145-04:00Yes, J.L., that's another level to this I didn...Yes, J.L., that's another level to this I didn't touch upon. Most of the people I've looked for are 20th century, which means my first strategy is trying to find people who know my subject (or his kids) personally. Yet combining our experiences emphasizes that a Joseph Smith born 1950 can be harder to find than a Joseph Smith born 1650...Marc Tyler Noblemanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10732005290440645718noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6611875170009784219.post-40188056013669301722010-06-08T17:37:36.498-04:002010-06-08T17:37:36.498-04:00I run into this problem a lot in researching colon...I run into this problem a lot in researching colonial New England. <br /><br />There was a thinner ethnic mix then, and the dominant English culture used far fewer given names. So even names I suspect are rare, such as “Ammi Cutter,” turn out to be held by four or five different men. <br /><br />Fortunately, there were far fewer people, and they didn’t move around as much. I’ve even been able to find the right “Joseph Smith,” with enough luck.J. L. Bellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15405157000473731801noreply@blogger.com