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Jay Stevens

Post #754 – 19981009

October 9, 1998

Dear DP,

Well, I finally did it. I shucked off San Francisco and headed the wagon train Eastward. I am now in the advanced stages on buying a house in the Hudon Valley, having also shucked off Hoboken . I went into the A&P Sav-A-Center last night that will soon be my local grocery store and was stopped dead in my tracks.

These are not my people.

All these years I had thought of your descriptions of your (our, *MY*) neighbors as scratching, pest ridden subhumans to be quaint exaggeration. Was it too many years of literary theory that encouraged me to never take a text at face value? I never thought you really meant it.

What the heck do I do now?

Daniel replies:

Thanks for reminding me that it hasn't spread to the rest of the country. (Yet). Welcome to Dogpatch.


Brad Sondahl

Post #753 – 19981007

October 7, 1998

I think it is possible the internet connects several (probably 11, possibly more) universes. I read Draynen’s post, and felt compelled to respond. I sent a message to and the mail bounced back. Is it possible some of your fans are fictional? Not likely. Parallel universe? Obviously. My source for the kosher deli was impeccable–an ad in the KPBX public radio monthly magazine. Even though it can’t be pecked, it could have been a deal which went awry. I can’t walk into Auntie’s to check because it’s a three hour drive. It is possible that in my universe there is a kosher Islamic deli, while in Draynen’s there is only a McTavish’s. At any rate I’m seeking copyright to my universe so I can live off the royalties.

Daniel replies:

I see no reason why my fans shouldn't be fictional. I am.


Dru Pellizzari

Post #752 – 19981006

October 6, 1998

Dear Mr. Pinkwater,

Our class just read your book The Big Oramge Splot. It was very funny and we liked it a lot. We especially liked all of your idioms. Now we are drawing our own imagination houses. My house has Dunkin’ Doughnuts in it. My house has a tube attched to the mailbox, so the mail can be brought right inside. Thank you for writing such a fun book. Please write back!

Daniel replies:

I want a tube that connects the Dunkin' Donuts to my house.


Jeffrey R. Broido

Post #751 – 19981004

October 4, 1998

To Our Captain and Yenta:

Daniel, let me be the first to bring you the refulgent news. Barbara Sullivan (“Xenobia” late of GEnie) and yours truly, Jeff Broido (“The Bomber” late of GEnie) are engaged to be married, not to mention living together in New Jersey, a scant 32 miles due West of Hoboken. Barbara and I have both been enthusiastic fans of yours for years. She was collecting your books, you were collecting her porcelain tchatchkes. I was making the renowned Pinkwater Sound Bite sets for Windows. She had a Mac. I helped her transform the Windows sounds into Mac format. We met. We fell in love. We’re getting married. All other details are unimportant, but we owe it all to you. Consider yourself invited to the wedding whenever that may be. Bring Jill and as many dogs as are practical. We will not be serving cornmeal pancakes at the reception, but there will copious quantities of ratatouille.

Love,

Jeff

Daniel replies:

Barbara and Jeff -- I take no responsibility, but wish you the very best and most and coolest, and all of that.
Daniel


Various Authors

Post #750 – 19981002

October 2, 1998

Editor’s note: We received a number of email from this address (evidently a school class). Because of space and Mr. Pinkwater’s time, I have posted just a few.

Dear Mr.Pinkwater,

I liked the book Arthur’s Thanksgivings Emergency very much. My favorite part was about the 266pounds turkey. What made you want to be an author?

Please write back.

Sincerely,

Sunny Basu

Dear, Danial Pinkwater

You right very good books. I ingoyed reading your Thanksgiving emergency. It was cool.

sencerly Mike Weiss

Dear Mr. Pinkwater,

I read “Arthur’s Thanksgiving Emergency” in school. What gave you the idea for writing “Arthur’s Thanksgiving Emergency”? Also why did you pick an apartment in Chicago for them to live.

Sincerely,

Nick

Dear Mr. Pinkwater,

Do you get any ideas for your books from real life experiances How do you come up with all those awesome stories!

Dear Mr.Pinkwater,

We read your book Author’s Thanksgiving Emergency in our Reading book at school.My partner Alexa and I have two questions for you. My partner asks:How many books have you published.I ask:I saw a picture of you in school with cats,what are the’re names and how many cat do you have?

Dear Mr. Pinkwater

When I finished Arthur’s Thanksgiving Emergency, I just wanted to ask a simple question. What made you want to become a arther??

Sincerely,

Dan Grippi

Dear Mr. Pinkwater,

We recencly read your book Arthur`s Thanksing Emergency it was a great book and it was also funny even our teacher laughed. We will read your books throught the year`98.We were wondering if you might want to becoome our penpal? But if you`r to busy with writing you`r great book`s for chrildren of all ages that`s ok.

p.s. have fun

Sincerly,

Lindsay Murphy

Dear Mr. Pinkwater,

We read the story the Arthurs Thanksgiving Emergency. How did you write that story. It must have took some BRAINS.That chicken was humungo. You make cool stories,anywase I have to go bye.

Sincerely,

Mohammed Patel

Dear Mr. Pinkwater,

Why did you become a writer. How did you come up with the last name Bobowith. We read the story Aruthers Thanksgiving Emergency. That was a good story, how did you come up with it. I think you are a good writer not good great. Super Chicken I like that part it was very cool. What other story’s did you write. I like to read your story’s I read three of your story’s

Sincerely,

Jonathan Brascetta

Dear Mr. Pinkwater,

My class read Aurthur’s Thanksgiving Emergency. It was really cool! Professer M is the funniest in the story. I have a couple books of yours but I want more. My sister and I are big fans of your books. What are your pet’s names? For my birthday I want a dog. I want a Golden Retriever named Daisy.

Sincerely,Miesha

Dear, Danial Pinkwater

Have you ever copied of of any stories you have ever heard

Sincerely,Kyle Posey

Dear Mr. Pinkwater,

We read the story Arthur’s Thanksgiving Emergency , And we thought that it was very funny , We liked the big chicken!! And we just wanted to know ….. How did you ever come up with Arthur’s Thangsgiving Emergency??

Sincerely,

Arielle & Samantha

Daniel replies:

Thanks for all your neat emails. It's much better if a class gets together on a letter, and all contribute and all sign. Flooding one with email is not as bad as every kid in the class sending a separate stamped letter, which some teachers encourage. Invariable one letter arrives first, and very often I send a reply. Then the other 39 with the same zip code and 39 different return addresses arrive the next day, putting me in an awkward position. Even more ignorant teachers forward kids' letters to me in care of the publisher, and don't know enough to put a return address on the letter they enclose, if they enclose one. The still more ignorant yet publishers throw away the envelope, which presumably has a return address on it, and send on the letters to me, unanswerable unless some kid mentions the name of the school in the text of a letter. But I go on.
Here are my answers: Don't know. Thanks. I grew up there. It's all true. 70. 9. It's easy. No. I can't remember. Many. Cool. Never. Don't know.
Thanks again, kids. I am glad you read my stuff.


Ann Glass

Post #749 – 19981001

October 1, 1998

Since I was outdoors with my dog and my earphones, I couldn’t take notes on your long (NPR) conversation with Scott Simon on that wonderful, fabulous, unparalleled book that I think you called MOONLIGHT OVER MANHATTAN but I can’t find it under any title search and my wonderful, unparalleled etc. local bookstore for kids has never heard of it and I want to order a dozen copies for our school book fair but I can’t!

Can you help? Thanks so much. (P.S., love your commentaries and love your books and so do my kids.)

Daniel replies:

That's because the title is MUSIC OVER MANHATTAN, by Mark Karlins, published by Doubleday Books for Young Readers. I hear they sold the whole first printing, so there may be a tiny delay until your bookseller gets copies. Or you can get a 20% discount from amazon.com (on my books too! I think 5 NOVELS is only $8.76 or thereabouts). 
Thanks for writing.


Draynen

Post #748 – 19980924

September 24, 1998

DP-

I read the comments sent in Brad Sondahl, and quite frankly, I was alarmed. I recall no Islamic kosher cafe being placed in my favorite book store. I have obviously been spending too much time looking for your books on thier second floor. However, he was totaly correct on at least one point. It is a lovly place in which to do a book tour. Although I doubt they would get you a tour bus… Oh well. Spokane can tend to be a very backwards town, and it would be a shame if only Brad and I managed to show up.

I read your book(s) Five Novels. YAY!! I couldnt find it out here in Spokane, so I had to order it from my book club, which was nice because I got a poster as well. Strange poster though. Flying saucers and rocket ships… Strange…

Daniel replies:

 It would be fine if only you and Brad showed up. I have done bookstore appearances where nobody showed up at all. But...there are always compensations...usually bagels. The edition of 5 NOVELS you got is the Science Fiction Book Club hardcover, which comes with a poster based on the jacket which is by a famous Italian cover artist I never heard of, but it's a pretty decent cover/poster. There is talk of doing another collection like 5 NOVELS, only I don't know if it's for certain, and I don't know when. I do know that it will not be published by Farrar Straus and Giroux. To help the new publisher decide, a burst of sales on 5 NOVELS would be most useful. I would very much appreciate it if everyone who reads this post purchases at least one copy. It's a good Christmas gift for friends who can read, and if you go to barnesandnoble.com or amazon.com, it's a pretty inexpensive one. I only wind up with 54.5 cents per copy, and many publishers hold up the money (without paying interest) for as much as a year and a half, so I do not feel too greedy in making this plea to buy some.


Owen Maresh

Post #747 – 19980920

September 20, 1998

Well, the Codex sure sucked it up.. at least I didn’t have to pay for it and you didn’t have to write it. Nevertheless I got a copy. You should be commended on the ease of accessibility of your books. Let someone else commend you, I would prefer to wait for the train. I work on computers. I am (insert some sort of 3rd year college student identification stuff peppered with self evasive commentary about the ridiculous prices of milk these days right here). Ages ago (what ages? ten years more like it. or so.) there was a car (both of my sisters learned to drive before me, I was too disinterested). It was not a 1955 Dorbzeldge, a Froip or a Chevy.

I have unfortunately had to organize people. Three reasons (one reason in reality, but since I don’t visit reality to often, three will suffice). One: The administration is trying to make this college more normal. Two: The number of rainbow-irised geckos is terribly small. Three: I need contacts. Two out of the three are right. And no dada ducks! I spent too much time quacking at nauseatingly cute couples (cupholders) until it wore off.

Yours Birefringently, Owen Maresh

Daniel replies:

And yet you have not yet arranged for WBEZ, or even the University of Chicago radio statio, (still reading the news in Latin, are they?), to carry Chinwag Theater. Indeed, you don't even offer an apology or at least an excuse. How long will this sort of thing go on, Owen? When you needed a hundredweight of wonton wrappers, I did not refuse you--now I need a favor, and you continue to dis me.


Adam

Post #746 – 19980919

September 19, 1998

Having just picked up a used copy of Borgel, I noticed something I hadn’t noticed the first time I read it: that it was dedicated to Harlan Ellison (my other favorite author). Is Ellison a friend of yours? Does he like your books (I understand he’s tough to please)? And do you like his?

Daniel replies:

Harlan Ellison is like a cuddly Komodo Dragon that loves you. He subtly let me know by constantly mentioning it that he wanted me to dedicate a book to him. So I asked his permission. He acted like it was a big imposition on my part, which is how I knew he was pleased with the idea. He's just a big pussycat.


Jeffrey Bartone

Post #745 – 19980914

September 14, 1998

dear mr. p.

Is it a tour that you want? One of those big buses costs big big bucks. The only way to cover the cost of such a venture (the drive to Olympia and back) would be to make lots of stops for paid gigs along the way. Really, you don’t like to fly? I’d say a 20 city speaking tour would cover it… What time of year would you like to travel? We could videotape the tour (don’t look back II: pinkwater on the bus)…and drop in on your favorite radio audiences, schools, or kennels. Olympia will go a long way for you.

jeffrey Bartone

olympia film society

Daniel replies:

Don't think small. Isn't there some zillionaire who'd spring for the bus? (I'd like to be allowed to keep it after the visit).


Unsigned

Post #744 – 19980912

September 12, 1998

Is there any campaign underway to get Chicago Days/Hoboken Nights back in print? It would be wonderful to see that strange cover photo gracing bookstore shelves again…. and (of course) to see those incredible essays preserved. If not for that book I would never have known that there was ever such a place as bughouse square, that there were in fact people like “Navin Diebold”. Such things have only been told to me before in snatches of mazily nostalgic anecdote, terminally innaccurate and unbelievable. Your essays ring of truth. I believe that others of my generation (whatever they decide to call us) suffer under the same misapprehensions that I did, and therefore it is our solemn duty to get that book back on the shelves and preserve a chapter of cultural development that could otherwise be lost in the cold new world of modernized… I don’t have to go on. You see my point. Bring hope to the lives of the terminally television-dependant! Bring that book, dippy Ellison quote and all, back to the eyeballs of the English-speaking world!

Daniel replies:

Publishing is where you go when you are just not good enough to do anything else. The level of employee is way below convenience stores. and for the past few years they have been terrified of losing their awful jobs--and thus make few decisions, and usually bad ones when they do decide anything. Getting books reprinted is incredibly hard.


Carri B.

Post #743 – 19980912

September 12, 1998

Dear Mr. Pinkwater,

Hi, my name is Carri. I’m 15, and i live in a really small town. I bought your book, 5 Novels, and read it over the summer. They were absoulty great!!! I just started my Sophmore year in high school, and like most of you heros, am a loner. Nobody really ever talks to me, but i don’t really care. I like to read, and books are the only friends i need. Anyway, I just wrote to tell you that i really like your books and that they are truely a source of inspiration and information for someone like me. Thanks!!

Love,

Carri B. (from IDAHO)

Daniel replies:

High school can tend to suck. In some ways, my life started when I hit college. Meanwhile, there are many neat books, some of them by me, that you have yet to find. Have fun.


Monte Faul

Post #742 – 19980911

September 11, 1998

Every couple years or so it occurs to me that I read a most fascinatingly entertaining book when I was in gradeschool that somehow clicked with the way I thought. I never could remember what the book was called or exactly why it was so wonderful, but I identified with it so strongly that every once in a while I think of it.

This evening I was watching a PBS program on local film-making and one of the films contained a flash of a book entitle “Lizard Music”. That was the book.

I relate to your work…and that’s very rare.

thank you for writing.

Monte Daniel Faul

Daniel replies:

Thanks! Lizard Music is still in print...a Dell paperback, if you'd like to own a copy.


Jeffrey Bartone

Post #741 – 19980909

September 9, 1998

Hey Daniel!

We’d like to invite you to come visit. Get out of town much? The 15th annual Olympia Film Festival would like to bring you aboard. We – the olympia film society (ofs) – are a volunteer run non-profit in our 19th year operating out of the historic (and kind of run down) Capitol Theater in the heart of downtown Oly… a performing arts center for the misfit set. Mostly we show the art films weekdays and host all-ages punk rock shows on the weekend. Each year we put on our film fest, a ten-day marathon of imdie films, associated visual media and performing arts.

That’s sort of where you come in. We’d like you to maybe dig up some old home movies, slides, videos and talk. That kind of thing. We’re hoping you have a really big slide show that we could throw up on the big screen… you could talk your way through a giant size photo gallery…plates from books… your vacation to Alaska…et al! It could be part reading, part performance, and big, big, big. Olympia is a lovely town.

Call back soon.

xxxxxx

jeffrey bartone

OFS blueblood regular

Daniel replies:

Well, for starters, I'd require one of those buses that rock stars tour in...a nice one, with a roomy bathroom/shower...to pick me up here and take me all the way to Olympia and back. Other details to be negotiated.


Stefan Jones

Post #740 – 19980908

September 8, 1998

Dear Captain:

Weird!

I dropped by a local (Palo Alto) Borders on Sunday to pick up a copy of _The Education of Robert Nifkin_. I couldn’t figure out which of the many sub-sections of the childrens’ lit section it would be in, so I had a staffer look it up. The record appeared on the screen right away. There were three copies on hand, but there was a big “S” in front of the line. “What’s that?” I asked. “It means *suppressed* said the staffer. Either the publisher is holding back because there’s a new edition, or it’s something internal.”

Huh. I guess having one of your works Suppressed isn’t as classy as having something banned or censored, but it’s still pretty cool. I bet FSG could put a “SUPPRESSED BY BORDERS!” label on it and get better sales.

Best,

Stefan

Daniel replies:

Suppressed? Really? How neat! I like this very much. I have had books banned (in a small way, by libraries in primitive places, such as the county I live in), but never SUPPRESSED. Oh joy!
Look, could everyone reading this do me a favor? If you live near a Borders, go in and request the book, and when the clerk tells you it's suppressed, say, ""Damn good thing, too! I was only going to buy a copy so I could burn it."" Make them feel like they're not alone.


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