Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0003586, Thu, 14 Jan 1999 07:52:32 -0800

Subject
Re: RAY setters, collies (fwd)
Date
Body
From: "J. A. Rea" <JAREA@UKCC.UKY.EDU>

>From: Mary Krimmel <mary.krimmel@fanciful.org>

>On second reading of a message re dogs in Lolita I notice that author is
>John Rea. I would be delighted to learn that Mr. Rea does not pronounce
>his name Ree or Ria but John Ray! Could it be?
>
>Mary.krimmel@fanciful.org
>-------------

JOHN REA's RESPONSE:


Ah! Yes indeed! This problem first arose a number of years ago at a
"special section" on VN at MLA (back before we were an "allied Org.)
maybe 20 years ago, when I arose and made a couple of comments after
one of the papers. The moderator asked me to identify myself. Fearing
it might disrupt, I endeavored to avoid this, but was pressed, and said
what sounded like, "I'm John Ray". This did cause a slight commotion,
and I had to spell it. The spoken form of my name seemed to lend some
authority, or at least a certain cachet to my pronouncements. As they
say, "if you've got it, flaunt it!"

John