For someone as passionate about writing as Laura Lee is, it is no wonder that
she makes her living doing just that. She began her writing career at the age of
twelve when she published her first article, “My First Day of Junior High
School.” She continued to write for school organizations and theatre
groups. She graduated with commendation from Oakland University, then decided to
live abroad in England and Scotland. Upon returning to the United States, Lee
began working as a copywriter and radio announcer. However, her love of writing
was still strong, so she decided to work as a freelance writer and journalist
for the Albany Times Union.
Ms. Lee has written press releases, speeches, ad copy, and articles for
various publications. The Name's Familiar: Mr. Leotard, Barbie, and Chef
Boyardee and The Name's Familiar II look closely at the origins of familiar names, characters, brand names, and
phrases. She investigates the actual people whose names are now so familiar,
such as James Bond, Charlie Brown, and Chef Boyardee.
The idea for these books emerged after she discovered that the title
character in Alice and Wonderland was actually based on a real person.
This captivated her interest and led to her further research into other names.
Along with this research, she collected bits of trivia and anecdotes, which she
also included.
Laura Lee is currently living in New York, continuing to follow her first
love: writing.