I began writing when I was still in the British Foreign Service, and it was then understood that even if you wrote about butterfly collecting, you used another name.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
I used the pen name because I knew I wanted to write better novels under my own name someday.
I technically have two last names, which is a lot of fun when you're making airline reservations.
I'm Serena Williams on the court, but away I have so many different names. I call myself Butterfly.
I used to make up names when I used to catalog my stuff.
I was named Beekeeper of the Year by the Florida State Beekeeping Association.
I thought it was pretty good to be mentioned in a big paper, so I decided to keep the nickname.
I was named after my two uncles. Roger Lee and Richard Allen. They simply changed the spelling to Leigh-Allyn to make it more feminine.
The idea of a pseudonym had been flitting around my brain for a long time, along with its cognate, disappearance. In the 1980s, I published some poems under a pen name in a literary magazine to see what it would feel like. It was fun. It was even a little thrilling.
I think it would be impossible if you had a name like mine not to get a little flack for it.
I wasn't aware I was trading on my good name; I've never had a good name.