Gil Schwartz, AKA humor writer Stanley Bing, chats with Dorian Benkoil about "what it's like to be corporate cog by day, sharpshooting business humorist by night, weekends and every other spare moment."

Mediabistro: What does writing under a pen name do for you that writing under your own name doesn't?

Schwartz/Bing: Well, for a long while I was hidden completely, and it was really terrific. When I was a kid, I always loved stuff about guys with secret identities. Zorro in particular. Big nerd by day. Guy in a silky black cape at night, flying through windows, saving people, being sort of dangerous and legendary. This was as close as I could get to that. I was younger, and didn't understand at that time how splendid senior management generally is. I settled scores. I reported on people's weirdness without endangering them or betraying them in any way. Nobody knew who I was. People used to send me my own column with a little note at the top saying, "I think you'll enjoy this. It sounds like you." I'd send it back to them with another buckslip on top that said, "Stop bothering me with this crap."

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