tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139625267522039683.post1999435063642132257..comments2023-11-05T07:53:12.708-05:00Comments on Poets United: Moonlight MusingsRosemary Nissen-Wadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05913841031559499568noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139625267522039683.post-28261879025862121532019-09-02T17:49:51.538-04:002019-09-02T17:49:51.538-04:00What a lovely comment, Rosemary. Thank you.What a lovely comment, Rosemary. Thank you.Wendy Bourkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09475940407969993348noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139625267522039683.post-71471714688248680662019-09-02T02:55:26.530-04:002019-09-02T02:55:26.530-04:00Well, it's a lovely name for a writer, and sur...Well, it's a lovely name for a writer, and surely works well in any capacity. How lucky you are to have a name you like, which there is no need to change.Rosemary Nissen-Wadehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05913841031559499568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139625267522039683.post-3204026888146024822019-09-02T02:49:41.212-04:002019-09-02T02:49:41.212-04:00I think that when you publish your book (please, p...I think that when you publish your book (please, please!) it would be good to write something in the blurb, or even on the title page, to the effect that you blog as dsnake1 – incidentally, I've always wondered why – so that your readers make all the necessary connections.Rosemary Nissen-Wadehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05913841031559499568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139625267522039683.post-42225180401181501972019-09-02T02:44:59.476-04:002019-09-02T02:44:59.476-04:00You are much more famous to me than some cartoonis...You are much more famous to me than some cartoonist I never heard of before! And he could do a lot worse than be associated with you. (Smile.)Rosemary Nissen-Wadehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05913841031559499568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139625267522039683.post-25049911407509190802019-09-02T02:42:37.769-04:002019-09-02T02:42:37.769-04:00With a name like yours, why wouldn't you love ...With a name like yours, why wouldn't you love and embrace it?! And it seems to suit both your self and your writing.<br /><br />Nevertheless, your thoughts about the children's authorship are interesting, and I think very valid. Applause for considering such matters.Rosemary Nissen-Wadehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05913841031559499568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139625267522039683.post-47892400574467550982019-09-02T02:38:23.844-04:002019-09-02T02:38:23.844-04:00Oh, I never thought of Wendy as childish myself – ...Oh, I never thought of Wendy as childish myself – but then, I have never been in a position where I needed to give it much thought.<br /><br />Because I have read a lot of your poetry by now (and I suppose because I only know you online) I always think of you as 'Wendy Bourke', the whole thing, and I have expectations that this name will lead me to poetry I love reading.<br /><br />I think this might be worth noting: that the name, whatever it is, becomes associated with the writing, and it is the writing which drives the response to the name.Rosemary Nissen-Wadehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05913841031559499568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139625267522039683.post-7185606135771722972019-09-02T02:32:37.443-04:002019-09-02T02:32:37.443-04:00Gosh, Sumana, it sounds really complicated for you...Gosh, Sumana, it sounds really complicated for you. Yet I note you seem to be making it all work, for each aspect of your many-faceted life. I think you have a very good mins (as well as a good heart) and I'm glad that's the one you use for your writing. I think you could say pen-name rather than pseudonym (as the latter might suggest fake) – though perhaps there is no need to say anything. Yes, I agree, it's not the name which makes the rose smell sweet or the poem resonate. Rosemary Nissen-Wadehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05913841031559499568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139625267522039683.post-4172106387718763472019-09-01T13:40:15.408-04:002019-09-01T13:40:15.408-04:00I started writing within the last 10 years. By th...I started writing within the last 10 years. By that time I'd been married a long time and my married name became too connected to my identity. I'd never use my middle name because I detest it. So I'm simply Myrna Rosa. I don't think I'll ever publish enough that my name will be an issue. <br />Myrna R.https://www.blogger.com/profile/15088915165678737118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139625267522039683.post-70986765949300294202019-09-01T10:05:50.647-04:002019-09-01T10:05:50.647-04:00An interesting question you are asking, Rosemary.
...An interesting question you are asking, Rosemary.<br />As a Chinese writing in the English language, does this makes it more interesting? Even the same Chinese surname or name in different dialects are pronounced differently.<br />But i have come to a stage where if I am to publish a book, it will be under my real or given name. Then again, perhaps I am better known as dsnake1 in the blogosphere. 😁<br />dsnake1https://www.blogger.com/profile/08724264906690080704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139625267522039683.post-84938869749785249862019-09-01T07:59:30.001-04:002019-09-01T07:59:30.001-04:00How interesting! I read every story. There was a...How interesting! I read every story. There was a time that I called myself Sky, but that didn't last long. Now I like my name, and I am not published enough to consider how my last name Chast conjures up Roz Chast, the cartoonist. That isn't a bad association, is it?Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05723639294340760325noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139625267522039683.post-40221129357747321382019-09-01T01:06:35.364-04:002019-09-01T01:06:35.364-04:00I've always loved my name. So I like using it....I've always loved my name. So I like using it. But like your post suggests there are many reasons for changes. I've been working on a children's book with a friend. She wants to co-publish. I'm not sure yet. However, if I do, I plan to use a pseudonym--I don't want young children running into my grown-up words by accident. Magaly Guerrerohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18295455026184103230noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139625267522039683.post-17287210792327112212019-08-31T21:14:12.617-04:002019-08-31T21:14:12.617-04:00This is really an interesting topic Rosemary. I h...This is really an interesting topic Rosemary. I have disliked my name 'Wendy' from the moment I realized that I wasn't a child, anymore. 'Wendy' does not age well … or at all (lol). I remember, years ago, hearing about a poet who had changed her Wendy-name to Gwendolyn, with the words: who would take anything a Wendy had to say seriously … it's a little girl's name … and not a real little girl, at that. It is from that 50's era of Debbie's, Cindy's, Susie's and Kathy's. Eventually the Debbie's returned to being Deborah's … the Cindy's to Cynthia's … etc. And the poor Wendy's (it seems to me) were left behind in that kiddie time warp. (I gather it is far more common - and probably better liked - in the UK because of the Peter Pan connection. But it is very out-of-fashion in Canada - and is often applied to literary/stage characters to imply a vacuous older child/woman.) Hence, I have yet to meet a Wendy who actually liked her name.<br /><br />Amongst family and friends, I have always gone by 'Wend' … and that was my preference for my pen name. As luck would have it, one of the first times I submitted a poem under the name of 'Wend', I was asked if it was a typo. S-o-o-o, reluctantly I went back to 'Wendy'. I do regret that decision and often wish I had just persevered and stuck with what I feel fits me best. But - it's just a name - so I try to be philosophic.<br /><br />An awesome post and conversation, Rosemary, and I've enjoyed reading both your essay and the comments it generated. One's name has so many issues and layers and emotions attached to it - more so, I think, when you put it 'out there' with your work. In a way the work and the writer's name become so intertwined.<br /><br />I suspect we've just scratched the surface of a very complicated - and fascinating - issue.Wendy Bourkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09475940407969993348noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139625267522039683.post-47655101205121466232019-08-31T01:40:59.578-04:002019-08-31T01:40:59.578-04:00This is très interesting Rosemary. I am Sumana Roy...This is très interesting Rosemary. I am Sumana Roy ('Roy' being my husband's surname) online and that is what I want to remain. I wonder if it can be treated as a pseudonym....as officially (all my certificates, passport & other documents) I am Sumona Gangopadhhyay. In Bengal 'Gangopadhyay' is also known as 'Ganguli'. Many know me as Sumona ganguli too. I have kept 'ganguli' in my mail id. Yet In another important govt. document, my voter's ID, I am Sumona Roy, different from my online identity which has an 'a' instead of an 'o' in my first name. Apart from this I have other names too, known to my relatives. Oh! What a mess of alphabet! By the way 'Sumana' has a meaning. 'Su' in Sanskrit and Bengali means 'good' and 'Mana' means mind. I believe "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet" :) Sumana Royhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17333363799083094084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139625267522039683.post-91197840115012980702019-08-30T19:13:48.012-04:002019-08-30T19:13:48.012-04:00I have sometimes wished I'd followed one early...I have sometimes wished I'd followed one early idea, to write under both my given names, as Rosemary Eve (using Eve like a surname) ... but it's too late now.Rosemary Nissen-Wadehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05913841031559499568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139625267522039683.post-46202430508979438242019-08-30T19:11:10.950-04:002019-08-30T19:11:10.950-04:00Oh, there was never any question of us not keeping...Oh, there was never any question of us not keeping this version. Magaly's is a bonus, not a replacement.<br /><br />Glad to know you like my Musings. EVERY time, I think 'Oh dear, they won't find this interesting' - but luckily you-all always do. I guess what preoccupies one poet will likely have been on others' minds as well.Rosemary Nissen-Wadehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05913841031559499568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139625267522039683.post-32111299720002301562019-08-30T18:20:47.900-04:002019-08-30T18:20:47.900-04:00It's a very distinctive name, which is good fo...It's a very distinctive name, which is good for a writer, and the alliteration is attractive and memorable. And if you Google it, you will probably find you are the only Linda Lee Lyberg in the world (just as I am the only Rosemary Nissen-Wade, though there are other Rosemary Wades and even Rosemary Nissens).<br />Rosemary Nissen-Wadehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05913841031559499568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139625267522039683.post-57886224865172195222019-08-30T17:52:45.335-04:002019-08-30T17:52:45.335-04:00Ha ha, I have a number of blogs too, including som...Ha ha, I have a number of blogs too, including some which are now archival and a personal journal 'of which I am the only invited reader'. The archival ones include three which were Andrew's when he was alive, for which I have taken over responsibility. (I had the password, with his full knowledge and consent.)Rosemary Nissen-Wadehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05913841031559499568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139625267522039683.post-54679646354722591812019-08-30T17:44:07.678-04:002019-08-30T17:44:07.678-04:00You definitely have the right to the name of your ...You definitely have the right to the name of your choice!<br /><br />When I was young, most people abbreviated my first name to Rose or Rosie. It never occurred to me I could stop them. When Bill Nissen entered my life, he said, 'You have a beautiful name. You should use it.' (My mother, who gave it to me because she thought it a beautiful name, was delighted.) Now, if anyone attempts to abbreviate it – which I know they mean as friendly – I smile sweetly and say, 'My friends call me Rosemary'. That does the trick.Rosemary Nissen-Wadehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05913841031559499568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139625267522039683.post-66668727975829586092019-08-30T17:36:26.195-04:002019-08-30T17:36:26.195-04:00Now that Andrew is no longer with us, I am thinkin...Now that Andrew is no longer with us, I am thinking of becoming 'Nissen-Wade' legally. I'm told that if you use a name and are widely known by it, it has legal status – but it's still confusing if there are two. And since I use Nissen-Wade online, as well as professionally off-line, there are now many people who assume that is the legal and only name.Rosemary Nissen-Wadehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05913841031559499568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139625267522039683.post-28156975587723258072019-08-30T17:31:39.342-04:002019-08-30T17:31:39.342-04:00An approach at once fascinating and very valid. Th...An approach at once fascinating and very valid. Thanks for sharing.<br /><br />Hard to butcher my name – except that people always have to be told, 'It's not NissAn as in car but NissEn'. (I used to say, 'NissEn as in hut' but these days no-one remembers what a Nissen hut even was.)Rosemary Nissen-Wadehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05913841031559499568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139625267522039683.post-48540976939749194132019-08-30T13:54:55.752-04:002019-08-30T13:54:55.752-04:00This is an interesting topic, and one which I have...This is an interesting topic, and one which I have thought about from time to time. <br /><br />The first poetry I wrote was under my maiden name, Kim Sayers, and the first published poems in Germany were under that name. Then I married an Irishman and became Kim Bourke. That marriage didn’t last long, and it was quite a while before I remarried and became Kim Russell. <br /><br />My writer’s name includes my middle initial, Kim M. Russell, so as not to be confused with the American journalist of the same name.<br /> <br />I’ve never considered a pseudonym, but I for a while I wondered about writing under my maiden name again, especially once both of my parents had passed away, in their honour, but, by then, I had already been published in several anthologies and had established my blog/website.<br />Kim M. Russellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16668459794787447606noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139625267522039683.post-39188507066348705362019-08-30T12:17:31.904-04:002019-08-30T12:17:31.904-04:00I always enjoy your musings, and thank you for kee...I always enjoy your musings, and thank you for keeping this regular version as well. <br /><br />I really enjoyed reading about how your “writer” name came about. And also the names of the writers and poets you talk about. <br /><br />You also pose a very interesting question, “What Name Are You Making?” Honestly, it’s something I never thought much about. I guess because I started writing late, and just went with my married surname. <br /><br />But I can relate with 'almost disappearing', I used to have a personal/expat blog under a pseudonym. When I discontinued it, I lost contact with many bloggers I had made an acquaintance with. WordPress is a big world; it's not always easy to reconnect.<br /><br />But overall, I think writers have a leeway to reinvent themselves and choose whatever names “speak” to them. And as you put it, we can never fully know from the beginning where this path will take us. What speaks of a writer (for me) is their work and as in the examples you’ve given. I love George Orwell’s writings, I don’t know or really care what his really name was.<br /><br />Lastly, Rosemary the poet, is so fitting. I read somewhere something to this effect, "when one is so big, they don’t need a last name". Think about that! :)<br /><br />As for me? I’m still not sure if I want to be remembered as only a poet or a writer (a title that encompasses other works).<br /><br />Wow, thank you for this interesting topic, Rosemary! Khaya Ronkainenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06286352495379234651noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139625267522039683.post-52385474872120783432019-08-30T11:14:19.083-04:002019-08-30T11:14:19.083-04:00You've picked an interesting topic Rosemary. W...You've picked an interesting topic Rosemary. When I left my career back in 2017, I was known as Linda Lyberg (my married name), and my nickname sometimes was "Double L." Those close to me knew my initials were actually LLL- Linda Lee Lyberg. When I decided to establish myself as a writer, I didn't want to be associated with my work career, which although lucrative, was not the 'real 'me, merely a facet. I wanted to be true to myself, and in doing so, I went with my whole name as a writer. What's amazing is I have had people from my work life who are still friends say to me- Wow, I knew you could write (my inspiring emails to my team were always impeccable), but I didn't know you could write like this! Many people didn't know the real me. When you are a senior executive, you keep your distance. Now, I'm out there, exposed to the world, and I love it!Linda Lee Lyberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03669367010600000396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139625267522039683.post-57855993998803884642019-08-30T10:38:59.833-04:002019-08-30T10:38:59.833-04:00I have two pseudonyms, one that I've used for ...I have two pseudonyms, one that I've used for a looong time is also a reconfiguration of my name, the other is one I've picked up when I starting writing blogs, "Jimmiehov". <br /><br />I have two blogs active now, ones I started with in 2005. One more I post when I feel like posting which has been about three times a year or less, a tongue-in-cheek Q&A blog in 2096--"Ask Dr. Jim (blog)". <br /><br />I have nine other blogs, some are stagnant, one tends to be seasonal and on which I will sometimes post for a specific readership, i.e. family, etc. Another is my private writing blog of which I am the only invited reader.<br /><br />I blog for fun and to satisfy a personal urge to write. 801 "poems" are labeled "poem", 557 are "Toads" or "Real Toads", and 300 or so with variations of "OSI". <br />..<br />Jimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02982249173214655060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139625267522039683.post-8111609720780284782019-08-30T10:20:49.066-04:002019-08-30T10:20:49.066-04:00My writing / spoken name is: [Ron. Lavalette]. Not...My writing / spoken name is: [Ron. Lavalette]. Note the period. My name is Ronald Lavalette. I’ve never liked Ronald. No one ever calls me Ronald; at least they don’t do so more than once. Ron., please.<br /><br />My family, when I was young, all called me Ronnie. Ick. I dislike that even more than Ronald. As soon as I realized I was old enough to tell people what to call me, I told them to call me Ron. Period.<br /> <br />My writing name has always been [Ron.]. When I’m notified by an editor/publisher that my work has been accepted for publication, I always send a “thank you” and call their attention to my Bio, pointing out the period (just in case they missed it), and asking them (nicely) to ensure that my writing name appears correctly in the Contributors Notes.<br /><br />I’m fully aware that to some folks this seems like a trivial & vain affectation, but it’s been my trivial and vain affectation for my entire writing lifetime, and it matters to me. After all, if lower case unpunctuated initials were good enough for e e cummings and an abbreviated first name was good enough for Geo. Washington, why shouldn’t I, too, be afforded the same allowance, eh?<br />Ron. Lavalettehttp://rlavalette.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.com