Why we sometimes use pen names?

[Saling Pusa Distro/closed]

Thinking about it, I dont know why I am scared to sign anything I write under my real name. I know I like what I do and am proud about whatever I write... but then i feel that there is a part of me that wouldn't want to let other people to be let into my thoughts... if that makes any sense.

your take on this?

[Saling Pusa Distro/closed]

in my language, kami means us. ha! thought I'd share that... not as cool as the others you've mentiond though... :P

kami said:

i'm old enough to remember when the original punk scene hit and fake names seemed cool - i took kami as a bastardisation of my name cammy (campbell) and it has stuck for thirty years! of course i didnt know back then it was a japanese god, a hindu god of love, recently a muppet or anything else - it just fit the bill.

pen names just make it easier for a lot of people to say what they think - for some reason that alter ego can let go then without fear of reprisal. even when people know who you really are anyway, you didnt say it, your alter ego did!

[NicoleIntrovert]

I use my pen name "Introvert" because it is my zine name and describes my personality. In addition, i didn't care for using my maiden name publically because it is VERY unique and people could easily track me down.

[Saling Pusa Distro/closed]

So is it safe to say that for some of us, we have pen names because we are scared? then doesn't that defy the our purpose for writing zines--which is to express ourselves without censorship and to be able to make our stand...?

yeah, i dont know...

[Ro- The Apocalypse Girl]

I usually see it more as "covering my ass" than censorship. I'm not scared- I advertise my zine to most of the people I know in real life, but in a practical world, things like this can cost you opportunities. At a job where you have to appear to be a person to be reckoned with, having a zine about New Agey or fantastical topics or whatever - even for personal reasons- can make the reader alter their opinion about you and not always in a good way. And how your co-workers/boss/family treats you depends on how they see you.

It sucks and it's unfair, but I think that's a human trait most people can't get away from.

I Am said:

So is it safe to say that for some of us, we have pen names because we are scared? then doesn't that defy the our purpose for writing zines--which is to express ourselves without censorship and to be able to make our stand...?

yeah, i dont know...

[NicoleIntrovert]

I Am said:

So is it safe to say that for some of us, we have pen names because we are scared? then doesn't that defy the our purpose for writing zines--which is to express ourselves without censorship and to be able to make our stand...?

yeah, i dont know...

Scared that we write about sensitive issues and we don't want someone such as a Bill Price (http://www.leekinginc.com/xeroxdebt/zineland.htm - scroll to the bottom) trying to contact us?

[Amazing Sunflower]

Sometimes I think I am too open about my life and my name and who I am, but I think it's too late to get coy now. I sort of figure that if my boss or my mom go through the trouble of looking me up on the internet, they deserve to know whatever they manage to find out.

Hopefully my no good ex-boyfriend doesn't decide to find me after all these years (and if he does, I hope it's to pay back the almost $2000 he owes me).

All that said, I TOTALLY support anyone who wants to use a pen name for issues of safety (physical, emotional, financial) or privacy. Some folks want to write about all their business while not having everyone in their circle know that business is theirs.

Another individual choice.

[Madrea Marie]

My own name is unique enough I just use it.
Forget the last name though.
I always had legality problems with my last name.
Of course, I am married now, and thats no longer a problem....
But I kinda got used to using my first and middle names.
Also my name is never taken, so that's convenient!
I was never creative enough to come up with a fake name...
I can be creative in other ways, but when it comes to IM names and such...
I just use my own...it's much easier for me.

[Saling Pusa Distro/closed]

i wish i had a unique name. blargh

Madrea Marie Loy said:

My own name is unique enough I just use it.
Forget the last name though.
I always had legality problems with my last name.
Of course, I am married now, and thats no longer a problem....
But I kinda got used to using my first and middle names.
Also my name is never taken, so that's convenient!
I was never creative enough to come up with a fake name...
I can be creative in other ways, but when it comes to IM names and such...
I just use my own...it's much easier for me.

[Josh Kramer]

I think pen names are great for security. Or being able to do something and not have people being biased because of their feelings of you.

It's like being a graffiti writer or something.
If you are out with some friends and they see your graffiti and are like "wow, thats really rad"
would it mean more to you if they had no idea it was your own?

[Madrea Marie]

Yeah I think I am often too open about my life. maybe that's one reason why I like to leave my last name off. But i'm sure if anyone ever did a search for my first and middle names they would still find me, regardless.

Chantel G. said:

Sometimes I think I am too open about my life and my name and who I am, but I think it's too late to get coy now. I sort of figure that if my boss or my mom go through the trouble of looking me up on the internet, they deserve to know whatever they manage to find out.

Hopefully my no good ex-boyfriend doesn't decide to find me after all these years (and if he does, I hope it's to pay back the almost $2000 he owes me).

All that said, I TOTALLY support anyone who wants to use a pen name for issues of safety (physical, emotional, financial) or privacy. Some folks want to write about all their business while not having everyone in their circle know that business is theirs.

Another individual choice.

[Madrea Marie]

I've always liked having a unique name. I gave my kids unique names. I hope they will be proud of them when they get older, and not embarrassed!

I Am said:

i wish i had a unique name. blargh

[Madrea Marie]

I use my real name cause I don't really have anything to hide, and I like it. sometimes I do think maybe I should have created some sort of pen name, but I don't think I'm going to start now. Honestly, I feel kinda cheesy trying to give myself a nickname. Nicknames are something that should be earned, or just something someone else gives you. At least for me. But my nicknames, stuff like May May and Mader, I definietly don't prefer over my real name! Which they are pretty much just making fun of my real name anyways.
I pretty much am who I am and don't really know how to be anything else.
so I might as well just go on using my real name.