Dozens of community members gathered recently to laud and applaud the beloved storyteller Rodney Kemp during a retirement reception at the History Museum of Carteret County in Morehead City, N.C.
Rodney said his 76-year-old body has told him that the time has come to “reel himself in” as the Carteret County Historical Society’s primary public speaker and lecturer – to spend less time delving into history at the museum and more time living the here-and-now at home with family.
The highlight of the affair was the announcement that North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper had tapped Rodney as the newest recipient of the Order of the Long Leaf Pine Award.
This award is presented for “exceptional accomplishments and exemplary service above and beyond the call of duty.” Recipients are individuals who have made “a significant impact and strengthened North Carolina.”
The award was presented during a brief ceremony led by Steve Anderson, museum executive director. He was joined by Bob Guthrie, a member of the historical society’s board of trustees (whose friendship with Rodney Kemp spans 70 years).
“We knew that, of all people, Rodney Kemp certainly met the criteria for
this high honor, so we set out in December to make that happen,” Anderson said.
“Letters of recommendation were collected from people who could speak to
Rodney’s character and contributions.”
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Guthrie wrote: “There is not a more Christian, more moral, more devoted, more charitable and more dependable lecturer, teacher and coach in all of Carteret County than Rodney Kemp.”
Walter Steele, president of the historical society, commended Rodney for his outstanding contributions, spread over several decades, that have enabled the museum to be a successful community resource and treasured asset.
He said that if he had to select one word to describe Rodney it would be “genuinity.” (One definition is “sincere, honest and good as gold.”)
As a featured speaker on the program, Guthrie commented that “Rodney Kemp’s imprint” can be found all around the community. “Rodney Kemp is Morehead City’s amazing favorite son…and an incredible teller of tall tales.”
Lockwood Phillips, publisher of the Carteret County News-Times,
was the final speaker. He congratulated Rodney for his multiple years of
tireless work to spotlight the interesting people who have made, and will
continue to make, Carteret County a truly unique place within North Carolina.
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“Thank you, sir, for all your work, and congratulations on a most successful run…as being the premier fish house liar,” Phillips said.
Rodney Kemp deserves a place in storytellers’ hall of fame
The focus of the “toast and roast” of storyteller Rodney Kemp was on all the ways that Rodney Kemp has made us laugh and appreciate Carteret County’s culture and heritage.
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Connie Mason, a fellow historian and storyteller, shared a few observations. “Rodney has led discussion groups and seminars, drawing out local knowledge that might have been lost otherwise,” Connie said.
“Rodney follows in a long line of wonderful Carteret County storytellers (also known as fish house liars), such as Grayden Paul, Josiah Bailey, Sonny Williamson, Nelson Taylor, David Yeomans and many others who have given of themselves for our enlightenment and enjoyment.”
“I have been lucky enough to have been…in his very appropriate sports metaphor…a tag team partner in some of these programs where he would tell a story and then I would ‘tell and sing,’” Connie said (while often strumming her guitar). “Did you know Rodney plays the harmonica?” she asked.
“Yes, but he only knows one song,” interjected Rodney’s daughter, Allison Graham. (“Oh! Sussana” by Stephen C. Foster.)
Rodney opined that Grayden Paul of Beaufort was the best storyteller
he’s ever heard. Early on, Rodney said he learned a very important lesson from
Sonny Williamson of Sea Level: “Never let the truth get in the way of a good
story.”
I “occasionally” include pearls of wisdom that I have picked up from Rodney in my writings. Lo, a search of my computer’s inventory of columns and articles citing his name turned up 63 documents.
Rodney has dazzled us with his geography: “How it is that only in
Carteret County, the North River flows south…while the South River flows
north?”
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Rodney captures the local flavor of how folks talk. “It can get plenty warm in Carteret County,” he said. “On one of those …scalding, humid days we have often, I heard an old-timer from the Promise Land section in Morehead City say: “I ain’t been this hot but twice in my life and today is both times.”
That led into the story about Kib’s Store, being the “capitol building” of the Promise Land. Rodney said, “The whole store leaned to the east’ard…and was propped up by a single can of beans strategically located on third shelf….”
“Until one of the ‘summer people’ came in one day…and pulled that can off the shelf, causing the whole place to come tumbling down.”
Rodney enjoys teaching the “language of Carteret County” to people from “Off,” introducing them to words like “pizer,” which is short for a fancy Italian word “piazza.” “Pizer’s easier to say than porch,” Rodney explained.
“Afar” is a state of combustion. “Clone” is a type of perfume. “What’s that clone you’re wearin’ dear?”
“It’s important to disencourage friends and neighbors from calling dingbatters or dit-dots chicken-neckers. Having no boat, a chicken-necker fishes from bridges or in drainage ditches.”
Dit-dots are tourists who come, spend their money, and then go home after their vacation. Dingbatters are tourists who chose to relocate here from Off.
“Sonny Williamson always said it took a lot of willpower not to refer to
either group as idjits (idiots),” Rodney added.
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According to Rodney…a lapse of memory to is disremember (not forget.) To remember is to raycollect. Santa comes down the chimbley.
Thank you, Rodney for all the laughter…love…and joy that you have given
us for all these many decades. We cherish the raycollections.
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