The lure of a pseudonym
The draw of anonymity
Beckons to me
From the shadows
Where a myriad of topics
I'd love to explore
Reside
The lure of a pseudonym
So I can speak freely
Without worrying
What People with think
"She said what?"
"Oh my."
The lure of a pseudonym
So I don't embarrass
My husband
My children
My parents
My siblings too
The lure of a pseudonym
To cover for me
And my big mouth
A layer of protection
For privacy
Now and later
The lure of a pseudonym
So I can just be me
Opinions
Experiences
Hopes
Dreams
Fears
The lure of a pseudonym
Has one problem
If I say it
I mean it
Might as well fess up
And claim it
It was me
'Tis true
So I continue to resist
The draw of anonymity
I'll dance around the topics
I'd love to explore
Choosing conversation
Instead of writing
To express my thoughts
On a myriad of topics
That beckon
From the shadows
Ah, yes
The lure of a pseudonym
pseu·do·nym [sood-n-im], noun, a fictitious name used by an author to conceal his or her identity; pen name.
I have one all picked out too. Keepin' it a secret, just in case I decide to give in, to the lure of a pseudonym.
© 2011 Janean Baird, Turquoise Tangles
Turquoise Tangles 
Tara writes:Ok, now you're killing me! Dying to know what it is…..guess I'll have to keep my eyes open 🙂
Originally posted by anonymous:
Tara,
It's more than one post that I don't dare write. I tested one topic on a friend from high school, and the shock in her voice was clear, even across the miles, and through the telephone. She just doesn't see me in that light. Even though it's part of what makes me tick, and sigh, every now and then. It's a conversation we can have sometime too. Over the phone or in person. Promise.
Love,
Janean
Janean,This topic of what to write, what to say, who-when-where-how-to-say-it is as old as writing on the walls of caves and telling stories around that just discovered fire in that same cave.This topic of what is memoir for, how much and what to reveal, your privacy and others…it's an endless cunundrum…even, I expect, for those who eventually solve it in one way or another. Either by writing. Or, not.You solve it beautifully here.Aunt Janet
Originally posted by riehlife:
Dear Aunt Janet,
I love the word conundrum. That sums up the, "Do I or don't I?", just right. Memoir does appeal to me. That's the course I'm on. Though there could be some truth in fiction. Real life secrets camouflaged as imagination. Something to consider, as I share the words within. Thank you for being a guiding light.
Love,
Janean
If you can do fiction, it's definitely safer. Though first novels are often thinly veiled autobiography. Here's a definition of Roman a Clef from Wikipedia.Roman à clef or roman à clé (French pronunciation: [ʁɔmɑ̃n‿a kle]), French for "novel with a key", is a phrase used to describe a novel about real life, overlaid with a façade of fiction.[1] The fictitious names in the novel represent real people, and the "key" is the relationship between the nonfiction and the fiction.[2] This "key" may be produced separately by the author, or inferred through the use of epigraphs or other literary devices.[3]
Hi Janean,I have used a pseudonym for years, but most people now know that Kay Four is not my real name.I began using it as a kind of sheild from Internet stalkers. (Go ahead and stalk K4. She's not real, anyway) I could safely hide from would-be suitors and ax-murders. Now, however, most people know that Kay Four and Karen are one and the same.It is no longer an issue, since I stopped pursuing a masculine companion and realized that I am my own best company and I don't need a male hanging around to mess that up for me.Loved the poem! And I agree… If I say it, I mean it, so no need to hide.Kay Four, K4, Karen, etc.
Originally posted by riehlife:
Aunt Janet,
Thank you for the New Literary Word now in my vocabulary. Roman à clef. 'Tis new to me. More food for thought. Hmmmmm.
Love,
Janean
Originally posted by KayFour:
Karen,
Thank you. For knowing. So well. This conundrum. *my Aunt Janet's wonderful word for the question of how transparent to be in one's public writing*
I could of should of left it at just Turquoise Tangles and not added "© 2011 Janean Baird, Turquoise Tangles", but I felt like it was my work and I wanted my name on it too. Doggone pride. Oh, the day may come for a pseudonym, or anonymous guest blogging, if I just gotta say it, but want to protect my close family from embarrassment at my boldness. We shall see… 😉
My first blog post, back in March of this year was titled, "Olly Olly Oxen Free". In the conclusion I wrote, "I am walking in the dark without a flashlight to guide me. Fair warning though, this time, "olly olly oxen free" means I'm going to stop hiding from myself. Of course, the other thing we shouted, after, "olly olly oxen free" was, "come out, come out, wherever you are." Those secret places inside me, that I've held close, guarded and protected behind tall and sturdy walls with locked gates are going to come out of hiding and be in the light for all to see. I'm going to start from here and see where it takes me. Sometimes starting is the hardest part. No more hiding. Promise."
http://my.opera.com/jbaird/blog/olly-olly-oxen-free
~ Janean
Hi Janean,I protect my family/co-workers/self from my boldness by never using their real names. There was an incident five or six years ago (My goodness! Have I been on Opera THAT long?) when I relayed an incident that I thought was hysterical, but my son did not. He got VERY upset with me, even though I did not use his real name. And his wife was even worse. I won't go into what SHE did to me, but suffice it to say, it wasn't pretty. Since that time, NOTHING related to my youngest son, his wife or their two kids makes it to my blog. They are strictly off-limits.It's a shane really, but then, they started it. It would be so much nicer if they could laugh at themselves once in a while instead of bieng so up-tight about everything.The result of the blog entry: My daughter-in-law brutally flamed one of my loyal readers and the reader never returned to my blog again, not that I blame her a bit. I messaged her and tried to make amends, but the damage had already been done. I blocked my son and daughter-in-law from my blog, but seriously, all they would have to do is to create a new screen name and the same thing could happen again.Karen
Originally posted by KayFour:
I'm trying to do the same thing, Karen. I haven't settled on nicknames for my children yet and usually just say, "my friend" if it's a woman, or do first names only if I know the person won't mind. I try to be careful because I don't want to be avoided like the plague for fear I'll spill the beans in my blog, if they are beans meant to be kept locked up tightly in a vault forever.
Originally posted by KayFour:
Sounds like major fireworks, of the Disney World variety, for sure. I know some of my family members are more private than others. I try to be respectful and hope we could settle any problems off wall, if they do occur.
Originally posted by KayFour:
This is true. I'm guilty of it myself at times. Since having children I've gotten better at it. Much better.
Originally posted by KayFour:
Let me just say, I so enjoy your blog. It's their loss if they don't have access to your words sharing observations, lessons, stories and experiences from your life. ~ Janean