Patricia J. DeLois

As a library intern, I conducted a focus group with a certain group of elderly ladies to find out what they wanted from the library.

"We like authors with three names," they said. "Write that down."

Mary Higgins Clark. Anne Rivers Siddons. (I suggested Joyce Carol Oates, but no, they didn't want her.)

Valuable information, and duly noted in my report.

When my boss found out that my book was being published, he asked if I was going to use three names, like Barbara Taylor Bradford.

"No," I said, "I'm going to use my middle initial, like Homer J. Simpson."

My middle initial has been part of my signature for longer than I can say. At some point I ceased to remember that I had a middle name; I had nothing but an initial. It was only when Joanne told me her middle name was Patricia that I remembered my middle name was Joann. Now we work together, and we call each other Joanne Patricia and Patricia Joann. We're like a bad comedy act. We are a bad comedy act.

But I'm Patricia J. on the dotted line. Always.

Now I've got powerful and influential people in the publishing industry telling me I should drop my middle initial, to "simplify" my name.

Seriously? Is it that complicated? I don't think people are confused by it. I meet people at book groups, and they call me Patricia, until I say, "Call me Patti." No one's ever called me Patricia J.

I told the agent I hope this isn't a deal breaker, because I'm not inclined to change my signature. Maybe if my middle name were Coreghessan, but...no, probably not.