Willa Cather’s 18 Signatures, 6 Pseudonyms: Like Twain’s 17 signatures, Hemingway’s 20 nicknames (see past posts), some are probably alternate personalities.

In multiple personality, alternate personalities may be named or unnamed. It is very common for some alternate personalities to have names that are simple variations in spelling of the person’s regular name. This is a great form of camouflage, since other people tend to attach little significance to seemingly trivial differences in spelling, and so don’t realize when they are talking to an alternate personality.

Willa Sibert Cather (born, Wilella Sibert Cather) signed her name in at least eighteen ways (1):

William Cather

William Cather, MD

Wm Cather

Wm Cather Jr.

Willa Cather

William

W. Cather

Cather

Willa

Willie

Willa S. Cather

Willa S.C.

Willa Sibert Cather

W.S.C.

W.

Aunt Willie

[No signature]

Aunt Willa

Cather is also known to have used at least six pseudonyms:

Henry Nicklemann

George Overing

Helen Delay

John Esten

Elizabeth L. Seymour

Charles Douglass

Search “pseudonyms” for past posts on this recurring subject.

1. Andrew Jewell and Janis Stout (Editors): The Selected Letters of Willa Cather. New York, Alfred A. Knopf, 2013.