Virago Vagabond

I love librarians.

Forget the orders to whisper, the secret society of the Dewey Decimal System and the late-fee nazi. Librarians are mainly magical people.

They have tools, and they know how to use them. They might not know how to fix a car or speak Spanish, but give them five minutes and they can show you a source to find out.

There are these things called books. You might have heard of them. They’re at the library, and you can read them for free. And there are these things called computers, with the Internet. You guessed it, also free at the library.

But knowing what book or Web site to look at – this is one of the magic librarian’s powers. And their help is free too!

Even better is having a librarian as a friend. Especially an awesome Lady of the Library like Bliss Girl.
She knows about my hunt, and took it upon herself to help.

Look what she sent me!

Subject: They might not all be girls
Date: Thu, 23 Jun 2005 18:20:15 -0400

…but they are all elliottes!

My source, the Reference USA (directory) database, unfortunately
doesn’t provide gender information. But – equally importantly – it IS
searchable by first name.

So in case these 45 listings are helpful for you… here are some
gender-indeterminante Elliottes across the United States. It’s hardly
comprehensive, but I thought it might give you a few fresh leads.

Cheers,
Bliss Girl

List of 45 Elliottes with address and phone number. (I’m not on it because I don’t have a phonebook listing.)

What a friend! What a librarian! And to the brilliant man who dubbed her Bliss Girl – Bravo!

I just promised him I will add posts about things beyond the hunt, and I will – really. But I had to share this news.
Thanks BG.

FYI about the database, according to the Web site:

ReferenceUSA is an Internet-based reference service from the Library Division of infoUSA. The site was designed for use as a reference tool in libraries and is continually enhanced based upon suggestions from librarians and library patrons.

The ReferenceUSA database contains, in module format, detailed information on more than 12 million U.S. businesses; 102 million U.S. residents; 683,000 U.S. health care providers; 1 million Canadian businesses; and 11 million Canadian residents.

ReferenceUSA’s residential information is compiled from more than 3,900 White Page telephone directories. Each listing appears in the database exactly as it appears in the phone book. ReferenceUSA does not include unlisted phone numbers, Direct Marketing Association and Canadian Marketing Association suppression files, or state-regulated mail and telephone suppression files (U.S. data only). Information is available eight to 12 weeks after it appears in the phone book, and the file is processed through U.S. and Canadian National Change of Address records on a monthly basis.

Each U.S. residential listing also contains information from the most recent U.S. census, including median household income, median home value, latitude/longitude and percentage of owner-occupied housing.

At approximately 12:37 a.m. I emailed two theater groups – 7th Sign and NYMT Collective – an email asking them to forward it on to Elliotte Crowell.
This is her:

My email:

To Elliotte Crowell:
Hello. My name is Elliotte Ann Bowerman.
As you might have noticed, we have the same first name. This is why I have contacted you.
I realize I might sound crazy, but I am searching for female Elliottes (of various spellings).
I have heard “You’re the first female Elliotte I’ve met” my entire life, and I have never met another female Elliotte.
During a conversation with a friend, I wondered about the lives of other female Elliottes.
As a journalist, I’m just naturally curious.
So I am trying to find as many Elliottes as I can to talk with them about their names, their lives, and their experiences as female Elliottes.
You came up during my Google searches, and your picture proves you are in fact a female Elliotte.
As an actress, did you chose your first name or were you born with it?
I was born with mine, and somehow it fits me perfectly.
Either way, I would really appreciate the opportunity to speak with you.
I just started a blog about various things, including my hunt for female Elliottes.

You can read about it, if you like, at http://blogs.bootsnall.com/Virago+Vagabond/

I would really love to talk with you – via email or telephone, whatever works best for you – and then write a post on my blog.
It’s a funny idea, but I am sincere. For years I’ve wondered about the rare lives of female Elliottes.
I hope to hear from you soon.

Thank you for your consideration.
~Elliotte Bowerman

contact info I don’t want to post

Hopefully I’ll hear from her soon, or at the very least get some odd responses from the theater folks.
In the meantime, a friend has provided me with the name and phone number of a female Elliotte he knows. Thanks –

Since search engines are right at my fingertips, even as I type this blog, I have opted to Google for "Elliotte" female and "Elliotte" woman, etc. I'm starting with my exact spelling, but I'll branch out to various numbers ... [Continue reading this entry]

In the hunt for female Elliottes, I figured it's best to start close to home. So, who keeps track of all the Elliottes in the United States? What secretive, potentially evil government agency has a database that will reveal the female ... [Continue reading this entry]

"Hi. My name is Elliotte." surprised look - "Elliotte? For real, your name is Elliotte?" mental sigh - "Yes. Elliotte. My dad named me after a cocktail waitress in Hawaii. Nice to meet you Joe." This is a conversation I have had hundreds, ... [Continue reading this entry]

Now, nasty dictionaries (note the word "dic" in their name) make viragoes sound bad - a quick Google search gave me "a noisy or scolding or domineering woman," and wikipedia even said it's " a pejorative name for ... [Continue reading this entry]