Search
An association of writers working to advance literature, defend free expression, and to foster international literary fellowship. Manhattanville MAW Summers Writers Week Online
Pen Blogs
Recent Posts
PEN Blogroll
Browse by Subject
View by Post Title
World Voices Blogs
PEN Member Profiles
FAQ
Sign In
spacer
Newsletter

Home > Browse Member Blog Tags



MEMBER BLOG TAG: alina brodsky

Monday, May 3, 2010 12:26AM
 
Alias, Author
Tags: World Voices, aliases, pseudonyms, Bernardo Atxaga, Alina Brodsky, Randa Jarrar
 
In my visits to the various agent blogs, I’ve read about pseudonyms as a solution to a bad sales history, the idea being that U.S publishers are more willing to take on a debut author than one whose previous book(s) tanked. So when the moderator of the Friday panel “Incognito: Writers and Their Aliases,” Arnon Grunberg, asked if using a pseudonym when not forced to do so is an expression of narcissism, I though no—for the desperate author, it’s survival. However, panelist Randa Jarrar argued that writing itself is an act of narcissism, in that we create a form of art that takes up many hours of other people’s time.

Jarrar, Bernardo Atxaga, and Alina Brodsky joined Grunberg in discussing the importance of names...
 
More | 2 Comments | Add a Comment
 
Home | Site Map | Copyright / Privacy Policy | Contact Us © 2004-2012 PEN American Center. All rights reserved.