Excerpt
It is a sad and shocking fact of my young life that my parents named me Mary Elizabeth Cep by mistake. I've known since I was five that my true name is Lola. I don't remember where I first heard it, but I loved it immediately. Lola. . . . Lola is romantic and mysterious. It's evocative and resonant. It's unusual-as I am. Mary Elizabeth sounds like the maid in an English drama. You know, "Mary Elizabeth," smarms the Lady of the Manor, "please show Mr. Smudgins into the parlor." Having a generous nature, I can forgive my parents this error, major though it is. I can see that it wasn't really their fault. They both watch PBS a lot. But that doesn't mean that I have to accept their mistake as final.
When I become an actor, I'm going to legally change my name to Lola Elspeth Cep. Or maybe Lola Elspeth Sep. I haven't made up my mind about the spelling yet.
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CONFESSIONS OF A TEENAGE DRAMA QUEEN by Dyan Sheldon. Copyright (c) 1999 by Dyan Sheldon. Published by Candlewick Press, Inc., Cambridge, MA.