Just to clear up a little confusion about my writer-name: when I first started sending my writing out a few years ago, I decided to use the pseudonym "Maxwell James" as I was phobic about the idea of my own name floating out there in the Spectacle (I was reading a lot of Debord at the time...not recommended for anyone trying to get their act together!). So I started sending all my writing, both literary and speculative, out as "Maxwell James," usually not even bothering to tell people it was a pseudonym, thinking I'd do Thomas Pynchon one better, maybe even approach B. Traven territory.
Things went on like this for a few years, when a few things happened. First, I realized this hiding-behind-a-pseudonym thing was a little silly, and was also extremely difficult to maintain. Secondly, I read I Am Legend by Richard Matheson, and not only did I love Matheson's writing style and its frankness and psychological depth, but I also liked the way his name rolled off the tongue. Third, I realized that I was very interested in writing science fiction as well as literary fiction, and thought is would be a good idea to separate them somehow, mostly because of another writer I like, Iain M. Banks. However, I wanted more than a middle initial to split my two writer-selves, because I really don't understand what the point is with Banks' trip, so I decided to change my pseudonym to "Maxwell Jameson." Finally, I came to the conclusion that my real name, while I have no issues with it, is simply not very memorable. I'm not sure what form of it I will use for my literary endeavors, but I plan on writing scifi as Maxwell Jameson for the forseeable future.
One more thing: a friend of mine just pointed out that "Maxwell Jameson" can be taken to mean "Coffee Whiskey." Which I did not intend, but which I think is awesome.
So that's my story, in case you were wondering. Which you probably weren't. But that's ok.
Names do not make the legends the words that come from them do, but I write under a pseudonym due to the fact that I wish to be selective as to who I give my name to because I don't want it used by some anonymous individual out to do my reputation harm. It is also dangerous to use a real name for this reason.
ReplyDeleteA man on our poet list left a kind of inflammatory remark on one of my articles so I checked him out. within two minutes I had his address and criminal record...turned out he was a twice convicted child molester.
If I can get all that... whats to say he or someone like him could not target my kids? Take care!