LITERARY ALIASES

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 February 1931, Page 10

LITERARY ALIASES

WHY PEN-NASIES ARE CHOSEN.

Queer reasons for. literary aliases were suggested by 'the sion of the novelist,, Miss Marjorie Bowen, that she is also the “George Freedy,” who wrote. “General ; Crack and “Rocklitz” (writes. F. .. Kingsley, in the Sydney Morning Herald”). Nor is hers the only piquant j.?nnamo recently revealed., When Miss Rebecca West was married the other day, the fact, already known to bookish folk, that her baptismal name was Cecily Fairfield, was broadcast across the globe. . .. Though the dual identity df “Marjorie Bowen” and “George Preedy ~ tho lady’s real name is Gabrielle Long —was a closer secret, some pundits with a flair for .such probings have long suspected such “collusion.” Not only did they notice how both the Bowen and the Preedy books showed expert knowledge of a similar phase o£ German and Dutch history, but they culled circumstantial evidence from the likeness' of literary stylo. Little tricks of punctuation appeared in both series of novels, and with such clues, some critics asked Miss MarjorieBowen outright if she were “George Preedy.” Her evasive answers strengthened the critics’ belie! that they had scented another fariio'us alias.

Tho question that naturally crops up in the reader’s mind when ledrhing of such ndminal changes is, “Why do authors thus hide behind pen-naines?” Miss Marjorie Bowen’s reply to that question may cover her own particular case. She simply declares that she was tired of “Marjorie Bowen,” and thought another name might cause her historical novels to be more seriously weighed. But there are several other famous pen-names that remain more or less mysterious as to the reason fdr their choice. It is easy to understand why tho ex-convict Sydney Porter did not care to write liis wonderful Short stories under his original naihe. His best-known literary alias, “O. Henry,” was probably picked up haphazard by him from a scribbled signature oil the back of a medical prescription lie. was “making up” at the ’moment. x

SIMPLIFIED FORMS. It is notable hoi’v riiany authbrs with fine baptismal flourishes have simplified such names for their literary works. That Anthony Hope Hawkins should drop his surname is understandable, and that <Dikrah Kuyumjian should prefer to be known to his sophisticated readers as ( “Michael Arlen” is no less obvious, in, Arlen’s case there was probably the Additional idea of matching his pen-name to his mainly British clientele. For a similar reason did Joseph dolirad Korniezewski drop his cbnsohani-ciuttered surname.

Besides trying to match tlieir pennames with the nationality of their readers, some novelists have obviously chosen names to suit their peculiar type of fiction. A hoi, passionate novel, by a Mrs H. E. Pelham Browne would also be a contradiction in terms. But. when the authoress so baptised writes as “Cynthia SJtockley,” the reader gets the right “amosphere,” even before opening the book. Doubtless Arthur Sarsfield Ward had a similar trick, tip his., literary sleeve when he chose to be known 'io the devourbrs of his miirder “thrillers” as “Sax Rohmer.” A Mr Arthur Ward would surely, be a respectable citizen who paid his hicome-tax regularly, and lived in as much fear as any man of becoming bald. But the very name

of “Sax Rohmer” breathes a devildaring air of sinister iiiysteries. Such a shrewd chaiigb in ri’ame recalls how the most famous movie ‘.‘vamp” of Carly Silent .film .days, Theodosia, Goodman, had Herself exotically billed as “Tlibda Bdfd.” Wlieh Rudyard Kipling ili’Sl b v hl-st into fame, sbme critics debiai’feda hame so melodiously niajedtiC as ftjsr must surely be an assumed one. But the fact is that great writers who have adopted pen-names, have usually

ehoSeil something simpler tliah flieir baptismal^liflgs. . • ; Qn the the screeft the. bpposite rules..~£here, Nicholas tlllidan is knoy?i±.Xs “Douglas Fairbanks,” and liis Wit®, nee Gladys Smith; shines as “Mary Pickford.” , u . One interesting reason for a penname is seen in the case bf a profbssional man such as Willard Huntington .^right^whoAhinksUlis fame aS a novelist inigHt clasfi with, his- other activities, and so signs himself “S.S. Van Dine” in his literary hours.