In the novel, there are things in the background that drive the characters. Mykel wishes to be able to prove himself and rub his success in the face of his former classmates from Lemming Pond. With Clint, the dark specter of being drafted and going to Vietnam hangs over his head.
The dark specter that Sherry Ridenhour would like to rid herself of is Donald “Chip” Hallwell. She dumped him over Christmas time and would like to move on. Unfortunately, her frenemy, Alice Schnatzky, seems to wants to remind her that she broke up with a boy that everyone in their hometown of Knob Knoster, Missouri, would have given everything to date. Chip Hallwell’s family “put the knob in Knob Noster.” As the novel goes along, we find out that most people don’t blame Sherry for dumping Chip & they think Mykel is a better suitor. The only person who thinks she made a mistake is Alice.
I have a clear cut idea of what Chip is like: stiff, devoid of a humor or pleasure, but Aryan – mannequin looks. A blonde, preppy, jock boy with a crew cut. Like the guy in the photo above.
The name comes from a business man, who tried to get one of my co-workers fired over something he (inadvertently) said on-air about the businesses this guy owns. Fact is, it was true & other people on social media are talking about how bad this business is a shadow of its former self.
The other part of his name is a variation of the name of a prominent Missourian, who my former boss claimed worked for him & he was supposedly a better employee than me. I’ve read biographies on this person & it never mentions him working in radio.
I should say, I almost changed Chip’s last name. I saw a name on a mail box here in Springfield recently & I remembered there were quite a few people, when I attended Southwest Missouri State University (now Missouri State University) had this same name. I felt bad for those people, especially girls with this name, because I’m sure people teased them in school, because it was the name of a brand of feminine hygiene product. You see, I have considered changing Chip’s last name from Hallwell to Massengill, as in douche. After all, Chip is a douche. I’m still considering that change, but for right now, Sherry Ridenhour’s ex-boyfriend is named Chip Hallwell. You know his family put the knob in Knob Noster.
WIP: DYNAMIC DUO OF THE OZARKS 