If Ernest Hemingway's name was Bob Jones he wouldn't be considered a great writer

[ReadingPicks'n'Pics]

what do you actually mean? Hemingway's works are considered classics because of his talent not his name. He wasn't a Kardashian.

[mkfs]

Also doesn't hold true for, say, Henry Miller.

[Raphael]

hahah, i see what you mean. Michael Smith wouldn't ever be renowned either.

[Benja]

Irish poet.

[Feliks]

That's just not so!

Sincerely,
James Jones

^^^^Yeah! What he said!
--Frank Norris

You tell 'im!
--Thomas Wolfe

Good lord!
--Paul Scott

[One]

What a groundless theory. If a writer is good enough it doesn't matter if his name is Arseface or Joseph Fritzel. The only reason people connect the name 'Hemingway' with great writing is (surprise surprise), because of Ernest Hemingway.

[Feliks]

The next thing you know they'll be saying Crippen was mad

[Raphael]

"and who is Michael Smith?" I just made it up to use as an example of somebody with a really common name. I was agreeing with you Alex. It's hard for him to stand out in history when there are hundreds more with the same name.

That's why people use pen names, especially if their name sounds like somebody else and they don't want to keep say 'i'm X, the author not the other one. It might not be the best situation is you're an author named Thomas Edison.

Many females make their names look male based on what they're writing for similar reasons. Ex. J.K. Rowling. Also, many sons of known people change their last names because they don't want their success to be attributed to their well known parents.

Also you can make work good based on a name. It's really really difficult to criticize Nolan movies without people coming to his defense. Pretend Interstellar didn't come from Nolan. Would you have thought it was good? Pretend the current Interstellar was said to be made by Michael Bay. Then would you say it's good?

To say names don't matter in terms of books, I beg to differ.

[Feliks]

Oh God is that a Nolan film too? ack

[Joseph]

I've often wondered if Tennessee Williams had kept the name Tom what would be his reputation?

[Lillian]

You know, I really do believe that Ernest Hemingway became famous because of the total amazingness of his writing. And if his name helped, well good for whoever named him. That is my comment.

[Tom]

The thing to be said is; Ernest Hemingway made the name Hemingway famous because of his wonderful writing. Some of his relatives benefited from his name but Hemingway made the name iconic all by himself. If his name had been Bill Johnson that name would have been iconic. We would have been talking about all the writing innovations that Bill Johnson had made in literature. We would be reading Bill Johnson's "The Sun Also Rises".

[Monty J]

Bill Johnson was an amazing skier:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Joh...

[Tom]

Monty J wrote: "Bill Johnson was an amazing skier:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Joh..."

Agreed! There was no one like him in his breakneck downhill runs.

[Monty J]

Tom wrote: "Monty J wrote: "Bill Johnson was an amazing skier:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Joh..."

Agreed! There was no one like him in his breakneck downhill runs."


Yup. I watched him win gold in Switzerland. He as tucking where no one else would tuck, staying airborne for insane amounts of time and distance. The other skiers, mostly the spoiled progeny of the European upper class, couldn't stand him because he made them look like amateurs.

[Greg]

Raphael wrote: ""and who is Michael Smith?" I just made it up to use as an example of somebody with a really common name. I was agreeing with you Alex. It's hard for him to stand out in history when there are h..."
Raphael, what a great question. I don't go to as many movies as I used to (I'd rather read) but I do go see all of Christopher Nolan's films. So, yes, I saw "Intersteller" during it's first run and thought it was good, not as great as "Momento" or "The Prestige." Had Micheal Bay's name been on the marquee as the director of "Intersteller" I would not have paid $12 for a ticket, and probably would never have seen it. Pop culture is alive and well and absolutely names are chosen carefully and influence what we want to see, what we read.

[Michael]

It's an inane question. As by One wrote above: "The only reason people connect the name 'Hemingway' with great writing is (surprise surprise), because of Ernest Hemingway."