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Manseau, as in a resident of Le Mans, France. Pronounced MAN-SO.
I added that name almost 21 years ago. But how I ended up with the hyphen in between is far more interesting.
At the time I married my husband, Tom, I was a reporter at a national newspaper and had established a byline – the Holy Grail to reporters – of Laurie J. Storey. That byline was everywhere and people “knew” me by it. (They didn’t actually know me, but they felt like they did because they read my articles.)
Hence, on the day after my wedding, my wonderful new husband informed me that I could call myself anything I liked in my private life, but he did not want his last name appearing in the newspaper, because, “I don’t want any of those nuts calling me on Sunday morning.” He was fondly talking about my following, my readers, my fans.
So, for two years, I led two lives. I was Laurie Manseau in my personal life – my credit card and checking account said so – and Laurie J. Storey in my professional life. And then, I made a discovery.
I was completing a writing assignment during my Master’s program on life for women in the clergy, and was interviewing the associate pastor at my church – a woman who had just begun her career and who knew me personally. A couple of hours into the interview she became animated and told me that if I really wanted to get some tips from a professional writer, that I really should meet this reporter that she knew went to our church, but had never met. “Her name is Laurie Storey.”
Identity crisis.
That’s the day I decided to hyphenate my name. Yes, it made for a big, old, long name. Yes, I got all sorts of congratulations notes from my “professional” audience on my new marriage, despite having celebrated my second anniversary months earlier. Yes, Tom would just have to learn to live with the fan club’s calls.
And, yes, today there are still implications. The airline and banking industry haven’t figured out that hyphenated names are mainstream. Deal with it!
Laurie J. Storey-Manseau is owner of StoreyManseau, LLC, an integrated marketing agency, and is author of WIMS - Walking In My Sleep.
