How a child in The Hallway of Doorknobs got her name, a nod to Alanis Morissette and one unexpected puppy
I knew early on that I wanted a nod to Alanis Morissette in this book. Her music has been with me for most of my life. But I didn’t want to use her name in the story, because Alanis is so fully her own.
Her songs first reached me when I was young. She said the things so many young women were thinking, and things I didn’t yet have words for myself.
Years later, after I became a therapist, they reached me again. I was learning about Internal Family Systems, the approach this book grows from, and I found out that Alanis is part of that world too. She wrote the foreword to No Bad Parts, the book by Richard Schwartz, who created IFS. The songs I loved as a girl opened back up and meant something new. The songs hadn’t changed. I had.
Then I got to meet her.
It was a small VIP experience. We meditated together. There were photos, and a chance to ask questions. I asked her whether she thought in parts before she wrote some of her songs. She laughed and said something like, “I’ve always thought in parts. I’m a Gemini.”
Someone else in the group asked what IFS even was, and Alanis explained it to them herself. Watching her do that, easy and generous, is something I’ll always remember.
And right in the middle of all this, a puppy trotted in to say hello. Alanis told us the puppy didn’t have a name yet. Just a soft, unexpected bit of joy in the room.
I found out later that her family had named her Baby Blue Luna.
That was my answer. I had been looking for a way to honor Alanis without using her name, and there it was. Luna. A nod to her, carried through a once-nameless puppy, on a day I will always keep.
So Luna walks the hallway now. One of the children who helps other children feel a little less alone with what they carry.
This is part of a series about how the children in The Hallway of Doorknobs: A Journey to the Feelings Inside got their names.
- Behind the name: Jack - October 12, 2026
- Behind the name: Sara - October 7, 2026
- Behind the name: Manuel - October 5, 2026
I found this touching for more than one reason. It’s coming full circle, noticing that your connection with Alanis Morissette has come full circle from when you were a child to when you were an adult. Again, experiencing the connection with her music and with her as a person through her lyrics. The IFS connection is an added blessing. I can see why you would want to honor her in your book. And it also touches me about the puppy. What a sweet and lovely way to bring Alanis into the story.
It really does feel full circle to me, especially the connection between Alanis, IFS, and the book. And the puppy! I can actually picture Luna in the hallway with the kids in the book. She was such a beautiful baby French bulldog, with that gorgeous gray coloring. Seriously? Petting and playing with Alanis’ puppy? My teenage self is still kind of in shock.
That is a wonderful story, I love the name Luna and I love that you have that photo of the two of you! Thank you for sharing that story-I hope Alanis appreciates it too!