I chose the name Amani first. I was looking for a “belly dance name” – a stage name. Back before the abundance of personal info which is the internet, some dancers liked having a stage name to provide privacy. I hadn’t heard that it was a frequent problem, but I’m sure once in a while there was a guy who dancers wanted to keep some distance from. More than that, the dance name adds to the image. Debbie, Ann, and Jane are fine names, but Jamilah, Yasmine, or Zara have more zing when you’re covered in beads and sequins.

I found Amani in a book of character names at the public library. It’s Arabic for “wishes, dreams, desires.” I later read that it is also an African name meaning “peace” in Swahili, but I love the wishes meaning because I’ve been dreaming about the future my whole life. I have used Amani as my dance name for many years.

One Saturday morning, I was lying in bed and an inspiration hit me: “Amani Jesu” as my pen name. Jesu is the Latin version of Jesus. It can be pronounced several ways, including YAY-zu or JEE-zu. Although I wanted this as my pen name, I was concerned that other people would disapprove. Would people think it was taboo to use the name Jesu or perhaps expect my writing to be entirely religious? I was brought up as a Christian, and have no plans to change that, but I am open-minded about religion (good thing too, as I married a Hindu.) Despite my concerns, I liked the sound of the name, and it felt like the name was gifted to me, rather than thought up.

One thing I’ve always believed in, and that I see in other religions as well, is the presence of God in our lives. The name Jesus means “to deliver, to rescue.” Another name for Jesus, Emmanuel, means “God is with us,” which would suit me better, but doesn’t sound as good as a surname for Amani. And really, do I need a better representation of God being present in our lives than Jesus himself?

Interesting novel tidbit: The main character of my forthcoming novel, Eliana-Who-Sees-Us, has a question in her life and gets an answer from God in an unusual way.  It’s been so long since I started the novel, I don’t remember how I chose her name, but appropriately, her name comes from Hebrew with the meaning “God Has Answered Me.”