Easton Ellis, Bret - or - Ellis, Bret Easton ... ?

The Onion: I was surprised to learn that you don't use your middle name in your daily business.

Bret Easton Ellis: Well, you know, I don't. It's not on any of my checks; it's not on my tax forms or anything like that. It was something that, when I was very young and very pretentious and just starting out as a writer, I thought I needed. My mentor, my professor at Bennington, when I gave him my final draft of Less Than Zero, noticed that the manuscript had "Bret Easton Ellis" on it. And he said, "What is this? Why do you have your middle name on this? That is so pretentious. Take the Easton out." I didn't listen to him, but he also thought Less Than Zero was a terrible title. He wanted me to change it to A Winter Vacation, or Minus Numbers was his other name. So I thought, if he thinks that should be the title, and he thinks I should lose the Easton, I'm going to keep the title and I'm going to keep the Easton.