What's in a Name? Imposters, Doubles and Identities

It is widely known that Mark Twain is the pen name of Samuel Clemens, but why did poet Sylvia Plath publish a book as Victoria Lucas? Carmela Ciuraru, author of Nom de Plume: A (Secret) History of Pseudonyms talks with Darin Strauss, author of Half a Life; Elissa Schappell, author of Blueprints for Building Better Girls; and Ben Greenman of The New Yorker, about why authors generate alternative identities. The evening includes a "nom de plume" quiz! Co-sponsored by Artists & Audiences Exchange, a public program administered by the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) with leadership support from the New York State Council on the Arts.