Comments on: Pseudonym http://allegralingo.com/blog/2009/12/pseudonym/ From the desk of Allegra Lingo Fri, 18 Dec 2009 04:41:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: Melony http://allegralingo.com/blog/2009/12/pseudonym/comment-page-1/#comment-7 Melony Fri, 18 Dec 2009 04:41:43 +0000 http://allegralingo.com/blog/?p=10#comment-7 You write "Self doubt I can overcome. The limitations and prejudices of a society I can not." I have two responses to this. 1) I'm a woman in a research field that a generation ago was predominantly made up of men, but is now evenly split between men and women. It takes brave soles to pave to the way and break the status quo. If my predecesors had done their research under pseudonyms, what would my field look like today? You may not reach the same level of success as a man, but you may break down barriers for the next generation of women so that this isn't an issue in the future. 2) We have a black president. If that doesn't give you hope that the limitations and prejudices of society can be overcome, I don't know what would. Stay true to yourself! Oh, and heartbreaking, bad boyfriends and struggles with weight are over rated. Can't really comment on the pink dresses. :-) You write “Self doubt I can overcome. The limitations and prejudices of a society I can not.” I have two responses to this. 1) I’m a woman in a research field that a generation ago was predominantly made up of men, but is now evenly split between men and women. It takes brave soles to pave to the way and break the status quo. If my predecesors had done their research under pseudonyms, what would my field look like today? You may not reach the same level of success as a man, but you may break down barriers for the next generation of women so that this isn’t an issue in the future. 2) We have a black president. If that doesn’t give you hope that the limitations and prejudices of society can be overcome, I don’t know what would.

Stay true to yourself!

Oh, and heartbreaking, bad boyfriends and struggles with weight are over rated. Can’t really comment on the pink dresses. :-)

]]> By: AmazonAmy http://allegralingo.com/blog/2009/12/pseudonym/comment-page-1/#comment-6 AmazonAmy Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:38:57 +0000 http://allegralingo.com/blog/?p=10#comment-6 I've been thinking about this for a few hours now, and even as I've been writing this comment, I've clarified my feelings. The heart of the matter, to me, is this statement: "Self doubt I can overcome. The limitations and prejudices of a society I can not." Think about the great leaders of society -- the truly great, revolutionary leaders... Susan B Anthony. Margaret Sanger. Gandhi. Martin Luther King Jr. These men and women fought the limitations and prejudices of society... and while they may not have won every battle, they did win at least some of the wars. Oh, no, I don't believe those wars are over -- if they were, we wouldn't be having this discussion today! But by choosing to fight for their beliefs, even in the face of opposition and hardship, those great men and women -- and countless people like you and me -- did win the ground on which we stand today. In short (and recognizing it's far easier for me to say than for you to do): I vote NO. You are an incredibly talented, bright, thoughtful woman with so much to offer. Stand up and shine. Lead. Forge trails. Sure, you'll be broken from time to time, but this is a fight worth fighting, because you're fighting for the most important thing of all: yourself. I’ve been thinking about this for a few hours now, and even as I’ve been writing this comment, I’ve clarified my feelings.

The heart of the matter, to me, is this statement: “Self doubt I can overcome. The limitations and prejudices of a society I can not.”

Think about the great leaders of society — the truly great, revolutionary leaders… Susan B Anthony. Margaret Sanger. Gandhi. Martin Luther King Jr. These men and women fought the limitations and prejudices of society… and while they may not have won every battle, they did win at least some of the wars.

Oh, no, I don’t believe those wars are over — if they were, we wouldn’t be having this discussion today! But by choosing to fight for their beliefs, even in the face of opposition and hardship, those great men and women — and countless people like you and me — did win the ground on which we stand today.

In short (and recognizing it’s far easier for me to say than for you to do): I vote NO. You are an incredibly talented, bright, thoughtful woman with so much to offer. Stand up and shine. Lead. Forge trails. Sure, you’ll be broken from time to time, but this is a fight worth fighting, because you’re fighting for the most important thing of all: yourself.

]]> By: Kate Vanover http://allegralingo.com/blog/2009/12/pseudonym/comment-page-1/#comment-5 Kate Vanover Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:32:43 +0000 http://allegralingo.com/blog/?p=10#comment-5 You raise excellent points and it saddens me that though women have made great strides in being viewed as 'equals' to men intellectually (I would argue men need to step it up to be equal to women) we still haven't achieved, as a society, the gender-specific blinders that we need to really move on. I think if you use a pseudonym, then "they" have won. I think you should just buckle down (sorry, it's going to have to be you!) and DO WHAT YOU WANT and work harder than men have to, and BE THE ONE that breaks down that barrier.... How 'bout it? You up for it? ;) You raise excellent points and it saddens me that though women have made great strides in being viewed as ‘equals’ to men intellectually (I would argue men need to step it up to be equal to women) we still haven’t achieved, as a society, the gender-specific blinders that we need to really move on.

I think if you use a pseudonym, then “they” have won. I think you should just buckle down (sorry, it’s going to have to be you!) and DO WHAT YOU WANT and work harder than men have to, and BE THE ONE that breaks down that barrier….

How ’bout it? You up for it? ;)

]]> By: Nina http://allegralingo.com/blog/2009/12/pseudonym/comment-page-1/#comment-4 Nina Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:46:40 +0000 http://allegralingo.com/blog/?p=10#comment-4 Oh how I wish I lived in a world where gender (both one's own and that of the person one shared one's life with) didn't make a whit of difference in one's success and failure, and in the respect that one was shown. But sadly, despite all the progress made in my lifetime (I am 53) we are not all that much further along on the road. I am of two minds on your questions. My gut reaction, as a feminist child of the sixties, was don't change your name - it's giving in, admitting defeat, playing it "their" way. Be the person you are, define yourself as you see fit, and not as they tell you you should be to be taken seriously. But then.... In truth, if this is what you would like to do, to research and write these wonderful things, does the end justify the means? If the world is a better place for your having written and shared these projects with us (and I do believe that the world is made better by art, says the daughter of an artist!) does it really matter how you got to where you are, got the respect and the right to do this work? For me, the answer would lie in my definition of personal integrity - and your definition, everyone's definition, might be different than mine. My choice would be to not use a pseudonym - not only a male one, but any completely made up name that changed my gender, my ethnicity, my anything. It is a definite truth that these things and others will impact your success, your opportunities, and much more. I wish it weren't true, but it is. But playing by their rules would make me feel that I was condoning the prejudices, giving in to their truths, and that wouldn't sit well with me. For me, I would I would be more comfortable using gender neutral initials rather than a full male pseudonym. It's still a truth, it's still authentically me, not me using a male persona to play the system. If I found that I still came up against the problems I would reassess. I genuinely can't say that I wouldn't ever use a male pseudonym, but I can say that I wouldn't be entirely comfortable doing so. Oh how I wish I lived in a world where gender (both one’s own and that of the person one shared one’s life with) didn’t make a whit of difference in one’s success and failure, and in the respect that one was shown. But sadly, despite all the progress made in my lifetime (I am 53) we are not all that much further along on the road.

I am of two minds on your questions. My gut reaction, as a feminist child of the sixties, was don’t change your name – it’s giving in, admitting defeat, playing it “their” way. Be the person you are, define yourself as you see fit, and not as they tell you you should be to be taken seriously. But then….

In truth, if this is what you would like to do, to research and write these wonderful things, does the end justify the means? If the world is a better place for your having written and shared these projects with us (and I do believe that the world is made better by art, says the daughter of an artist!) does it really matter how you got to where you are, got the respect and the right to do this work?

For me, the answer would lie in my definition of personal integrity – and your definition, everyone’s definition, might be different than mine. My choice would be to not use a pseudonym – not only a male one, but any completely made up name that changed my gender, my ethnicity, my anything. It is a definite truth that these things and others will impact your success, your opportunities, and much more. I wish it weren’t true, but it is. But playing by their rules would make me feel that I was condoning the prejudices, giving in to their truths, and that wouldn’t sit well with me.

For me, I would I would be more comfortable using gender neutral initials rather than a full male pseudonym. It’s still a truth, it’s still authentically me, not me using a male persona to play the system. If I found that I still came up against the problems I would reassess. I genuinely can’t say that I wouldn’t ever use a male pseudonym, but I can say that I wouldn’t be entirely comfortable doing so.

]]> By: Shea Sundstøl http://allegralingo.com/blog/2009/12/pseudonym/comment-page-1/#comment-3 Shea Sundstøl Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:05:47 +0000 http://allegralingo.com/blog/?p=10#comment-3 I definitely see your point. It feels like taking a male pseudonym is in a way an admission of defeat, but then one can also not ignore the fact that women are judged differently from men especially in the performing arts. But then I was blessed with a non-gender specific name (if I had a dollar for every time I heard "I know a guy named Shea!" I'd have a pretty full wallet). Have you considered just doing the initials thing first? I definitely see your point. It feels like taking a male pseudonym is in a way an admission of defeat, but then one can also not ignore the fact that women are judged differently from men especially in the performing arts. But then I was blessed with a non-gender specific name (if I had a dollar for every time I heard “I know a guy named Shea!” I’d have a pretty full wallet). Have you considered just doing the initials thing first?

]]> By: Shalena http://allegralingo.com/blog/2009/12/pseudonym/comment-page-1/#comment-2 Shalena Thu, 17 Dec 2009 09:49:41 +0000 http://allegralingo.com/blog/?p=10#comment-2 I will admit to not having heard or seen any of your previous work. I saw a link to this and followed. I was truly touched and amazed by your writing. I have feelings of sadness that even in todays "modern" world women still have to ponder such issues. I will admit to not having heard or seen any of your previous work. I saw a link to this and followed. I was truly touched and amazed by your writing. I have feelings of sadness that even in todays “modern” world women still have to ponder such issues.

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