Judy Nollet
the e-Writing expert™

Why "White Plume"?

People often ask why I chose "White Plume Communications" as my business name. For one, a plume suggests an old quill pen—a reminder that the art of writing did not begin with word processing.

My real reason, though, comes from Cyrano de Bergerac. At the end of that play, Cyrano proclaims that he will never surrender to enemies such as falsehood and prejudice. He has one pure thing to carry to the next world, one item unstained that he can call his own: his white plume, or panache (which also means spirit or verve). Cyrano wears a white plume in his hat throughout the play. In his final speech, it's obviously a metaphor for his integrity.

Cyrano and his white plume provide a high ideal, but one worth reaching for. Honesty, fairness, loyalty, integrity: that's what White Plume really means.

So what's with the hat?

You no doubt noticed the feathered hat I wear in my photograph. That's the point: getting noticed. I wear my white plume whenever I attend professional development events and meetings. It's a conversation starter. It's a visual reminder of my business name. In other words, it's a shameless marketing ploy. Oh, and it also covers bad-hair days...

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