Not-London Holly’s email address is hollypainter@gmail.com while London Holly’s is hollypainter1@gmail.com. Even their personal websites are easily confused with Not-London Holly’s being www.hollypainter.com and London Holly’s being www.hollypainterpoetry.com.

“It is a little surreal; I suppose it’s not totally surprising someone has your name,” London Holly said. “Poetry for me is a way to connect with other people so it is sort of interesting, generally I would do that in person, but online we were able to find each other.”

Not-London Holly jokingly admits to being “a little pissed” her email doppelganger was out there. London Holly also expressed some momentary discomfort as both women are using the Internet as a marketing tool and it is tough enough make a living from poetry without having someone else trying to do the same thing.

Of course, Not-London Holly points out the Internet isn’t always a helpful tool in clearing up confusion either.

“I used to dominate the first page of a Google search, but now if you search for Holly Painter, poet, you get a smattering that appears to be the same person, because why would there be two?” Not-London Holly said. “Part of the reason why people can confuse us is because we have so many things the same and the more you pile on, the more people think that it can’t be a coincidence, we really must be the same person.”

London Holly hopes the two women can continue their relationship beyond the occasional breakfast by undertaking an art project together.

Admittedly, she doesn’t know quite what that might look like, but London Holly said it could be some kind of poetry or art project that involves other email doppelgangers. If the two Holly Painters could meet through the Internet, then surely others have found themselves in the same situation where they have been connected through technology.

“If we can find them, ask them to explore something else they have in common, have them present that side-by-side somehow in a blog or something; it is something I was thinking about,” London Holly said. “I always like those art projects that start out as something small and grow into something bigger.”