"My name is Eliza Salinger, like the author."

She introduced herself in such a way as to make me wonder whether or not she took herself this seriously all the time. Because I thought she must have been at least half-joking, I made a half-smile and cocked my head to one side. However, she must have taken this as a sign of ignorance, because she continued, "S-A-L-I-N-G-E-R. You know...Catcher in the Rye, Nine Stories...?"

"Right," was the most articulate thing I could come up with to say to Ms. Salinger. Then I thought, "Did you really just spell that out?" She went on to speak very slowly and importantly about James Joyce, as if she were sharing some private conversation that she had with him at a recent cocktail party in her apartment.

You know, Eliza, for some reason I can actually imagine you in one of Salinger's stories. You would be one of the girls that made Holden or Franny so disappointed and frustrated all of the time. Yes, you would make an excellent literary character. In fact, I'm trying to find a way to write a whole short story about you.

That settles one thing though. From now on I am going to introduce myself as "Catherine, like The Great."