I’ve been doing book reviews and stuff, but I’m about to have my first real published work. It’s not that big of a deal…just three articles in the Dictionary of Bible and Western Culture, but I’ve got this existential problem: how do I sign my name? I figure I’ve got three options:
Benjamin C. Blackwell
B. C. Blackwell
Ben Blackwell
I know if I were doing the proper academic thing I’d do one of the first two, but they sound so impersonal. Should I just grow up and use the full one or what?
Thursday, 14 August 2008 at 6:04 pm
You could go with your first initial, your full middle name and then your surname. Then again, you are N.T.Wright’s asst. So, B.C.Blackwell would be apropos. Too bad you’re not an OT scholar, then your B.C. would be similarly appropriate to Wright’s N.T.
Thursday, 14 August 2008 at 6:49 pm
I may be way off, but I feel like I tend to see ‘seasoned’ scholars go the last name only route (no offense or anything). Plus, I hate not knowing what a guys first name is. I would vote on the first one. The last one would work for a Christianity Today article or something of that sort
Thursday, 14 August 2008 at 7:14 pm
We are fans of B.C. Blackwell.
Nijay, though, thinks that it would also be suitable to sign as “b to the c Black-dawg”
Amy’s second choice is “Benny B.”
Thursday, 14 August 2008 at 7:35 pm
I’ll go with Benjamin C. Blackwell. It seems more proper.
Thursday, 14 August 2008 at 9:53 pm
There’s also the option–which was not mentioned–of, “Ben C. Blackwell”.
Thursday, 14 August 2008 at 11:30 pm
Wow, I wrote a lengthy reply… but it didn’t post.
In short: I like Ben C. Blackwell the best.
Friday, 15 August 2008 at 6:37 am
Don’t use Ben. Have you checked if anybody else in academia uses these signatures? It might be good to stay away from what is already circulating by somebody else.
Friday, 15 August 2008 at 6:45 am
Christin suggests Benjamin C. Blackwell.
Friday, 15 August 2008 at 7:14 am
FWIW, I started my career as “Robert C. Barrett”, did my physics work as “R. C. Barrett”, and have switched to “Rob Barrett” for theology.
I don’t have any great reasons, but I like that a Google for “Rob Barrett” finds everything about me rather than having different things under different forms of my name.
(Of course, it also finds info on the guitarist for the death metal band Cannibal Corpse, but I’m hoping most people can disambiguate us).
Friday, 15 August 2008 at 4:04 pm
Benjamin C. Blackwell, the Great.
Friday, 15 August 2008 at 5:50 pm
I figure if Ben Witherington can get away with Ben, so can you. Ben is more personable.
Monday, 18 August 2008 at 1:38 am
Have you considered the more gangster approach? “B-Murda” or perhaps, “Bone Thugs N’ Blackwell.” I’m absolutely positive you would not be confused with anyone else.
Monday, 18 August 2008 at 4:17 pm
Thanks for all your comments. While very tempted with the gangsta or Benny B. route, I ended up up going with Benjamin C. Blackwell because of the quick deadline. But I think I’ll probably go with Ben C. Blackwell from here on since it’s what I go by and the all important google factor.