A Simple Case...

...of mistaken identity. Someone recently pointed out that a minor character in Benders shares a name with a rather more central character in a considerably more—make that infinitely more—famous book, F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. This is a fact which, if indeed I had ever known it, I had entirely forgotten.

I don't know how Mr. Fitzgerald arrived at the name "Jordan Baker" for his novel, but my Jordan has a somewhat interesting backstory. In early 2020, I was reaching the completion of the first complete rough draft of Benders. Work was interrupted by a two-week trip to Asia, a tour organized by an aid organization for a group of donors. One member of the organization traveled in the company of her granddaughter, Jordan. Since she was at the younger end of the age group for my target audience, I asked if she would like to read the rough draft and give me feedback. She agreed, but even long after the tour ended, I never heard from her.

Later, when I decided Ellie needed a foil, if not exactly a nemesis, I decided to name this cliquey and rather snarky person Jordan. But what of a last name? I remembered that Jordan and her grandmother enjoyed creating gluten-free items for bake sales. And so, "Jordan Baker." It is interesting (at least to me) that my Jordan Baker and the one from The Great Gatsby share a tenuous relationship with the truth.