Nice little mini-biographies of a dozen or so writers that used pen-names, some of whom were real oddballs. ( )

I greatly enjoyed this. Some of the authors profiled were unfamiliar to me, but now I feel compelled to pick up works by all of them. Some lived tragic lives, others quiet ones, but all were written about compellingly. Definitely recommended. ( )

Another one from my Read Your Library series. This is one I'd tried to read before, but let time get away from me and had to return to the library before I could read it. This time, I was determined to get to it, and I'm glad I did.

Nom de Plume explores the various reasons authors assume a pseudonym when writing a book; whether it be for privacy, anonymity, or to protect family or friends from scrutiny, the reasons don't matter so much as the stories these authors tell, and in the case of this book, the stories of these particular authors' lives.

Definitely a look at the true lives behind some very famous names, and most of them only leave you wanting to learn more about these authors and the lives they led outside their fiction. ( )

Loved it! ( )

What’s in a name? There are many reasons to write under an assumed one: striving for equality; a morbid fear of publicity; a sordid past; the love of masquerade; an affluent upbringing; and perhaps even multiple-personality syndrome.

Carmela Ciuraru’s Nom de Plume is a wonderful collection of brief biographies that focus on writers who are known to us today under an assumed name (or were so known when they published — Charlotte Bronte and her sisters published as the Bell brothers – Acton, Currer and Ellis.)

There is no single reason why an author assumes a fictional identity — sometimes playfully — more often due to tragic heart-breaking necessity. Ciuraru’s meditation on identity and masquerade is an illuminating read. ( )