Valley Voices -Character Dialect

Elizabeth George wrote in her book Write Away, "Sometimes speech patterns and idioms are broad. Sometimes they are obvious. If you're writing about characters from a region of the country known for its vernacular, this will be particularly true." (p.114)

I like to write stories with local color.
I live in a region that has a very unique accent and vocabulary.

Several years ago (2003), I won second place in a contest sponsored by a local newspaper The Wilkes-Barre Times Leader and a local publisher, Prestige Publishing & Marketing.

Here it is.

VALLEY VOICES by Lisa Cobb Sabatini

Oh, my darling, you so tempt me,
With visions of worlds far away,
But let me try to tell you
Why in this valley I'll stay.
Where else can my cuzzents gather
At a place known as Ack-a-mee
To pick up a coupla-two-tree
Snacks for my little party?
Where else is a huddy-a-callit
An item I just can not see?
And yahz are the people around me
Waitin' to watch da' tee-vee?
And where else will people understand me
When I say Beer Garden? Hayna? Corpse House?
Where else can I go to a pitnik
For some fun at the local Hose House?
Ah, here in the valley are places
Of wonder you never seen!
There's Plimmit, Rude Aid-ee, and Scran'un,
Nanny Coke's spose'ta be keen.
When I need a break from da' valley
I can always go downa' shore
Where 'Lannick City awaits me
To help make even more poor!
Hey, this valley has so much to offer
Like Piggies and Pass-tuh Fuh-ghoul
Whicha eat with a spoon, yuh idjit!
Now, move over and make me some room.
You can get an edge-acation
At Wilkes, or Kings, or Da U.
There are lotsa choices in life
In the end, its all upta you.
I seen where some people are sayin'
This valley ain't got much to show
But if they'd just get offa' their dew-pas
They'd find more than jes Haytch-Bee-O.
We got street parties for any old reason
Like Donegal, Arts, and Ta-may-das,
And you can always find at dem pitnicks
Those pancakes made outta' pa-tay-das.
We got atha-leets for Friday-night football,
And dance halls to stop upta see,
Rest-rahnts that make the best sangwiches,
There's just no better place to be!
Now, I know what you're thinking onnacounta I'm smart
'cuz I gazinata school now and then,
How do I know that them places don't compare
Bein' dat I never been?
Well, I gone down south near the wadder,
With fill-em in my cam'ra, ya see.
I took pit-chers that I got developed
Nex-door where I drink my cah-fee.
And I'm just a hunnert percent certain
That pretty as them places appear,
They can't hold a candle to nothin'
We already gots right here!
So, let's get an order from da store,
Like hoddogs, hambers, and melk.
We'll stop by to look at them Dover-Men dogs
To see if we can get-em to yelp.
Then, we'll call all our friends to ask them
"Jeet jet?" And they'll answer, "no, ju?"
We'll have a party so's you can ask 'em
If they hadda move what they'd do.
I betch'a they think the way I does
'Bout moving and udder such tings.
There ain't no place like this one
Where ev're Valley Voice sings!


I really do love it here!