"And suddenly that name will never be the same to me" --West Side Story (Bernstein & Sondheim)

When I was in grade school I thought about becoming a writer. Coming up with pen names was as far as I got.

How's this for a nom de plume: Shelley Garfield.

I've no idea where I got it from but I liked it. Strong. Easy to pronounce (unlike my last name at the time.) Had a successful feel to it. Not a million of them already out there. Just 10 thousand. I could visualize it on the cover of a bestseller. As in:

Intriguing Title



by



Shelley Garfield

Did I mention I didn't write? Oh, yeah, I did mention that.

A few years later, I decided Shelley Garfield was too pedestrian. So I went for: Aquel.

Just Aquel. Pronounced Ah-kel.

Exotic. Sexy. And anything that looked sort of like "Raquel", of the Welch fame, I figured would be a good money-maker. Hm, I was reading more trashy stuff by that age, so maybe that's where the exotic, sexy stuff came in.

I was smart enough not to share my pen name information far and wide at the time. I think I told one friend.

And, now? The whole world. Yes, you, representing the whole world now know this deep secret.

You totally owe me. Tell me something dorky about you.

Do it or I'll tell Mr. Myrtleman you drew a picture of him during class and made his ass really big.