Talk to DP Forum

Submit a message

Quantum Fool

Post #705 – 19970101

January 1, 1997

I have been digging your crzy stories since I was a Pup, man and now i’m 19 and I still read SOB+Avacodo at least once a year, is that ok? Your Books are refreshingly spontaneous and have the most bueatiful, innocent sense of adventure, that is silently akin to what I’ve always felt is “THE way”. call me Holden, but they have always made me feel very comfortable. What influences you to write this way?

Daniel replies:

No, it's not ok. Stop reading that book every year--you're using up brain cells too fast. You want to end up like me?


Richard N. Lipow

Post #558 – 19970101

January 1, 1997

I always enjoy your commentary on NPR. Can you do something about the black and white photo on this site? Your prose is so colorful that the snapshot must not do you justice!

Daniel replies:

No, I'm sorry. That is actually what I look like. There's a color photo or two around this site, but they are just as disturbing. I asked Ed to post pictures of a beautiful 22-year-old girl, but in some respects he is a stickler for truthfulness. Well, it's about writing, isn't it? You can set your browser to ignore pictures.


Christel

Post #573 – 19970101

January 1, 1997

I’ve written before but i forgot to mention that i have a fine green iguana named Reynold. This of course had NOTHING to do with ANY of your books. Just in case you thought it did.

Daniel replies:

No, I didn't think that. No. I mean, no. I didn't Not at all.


Stefan Jones

Post #515 – 19970101

January 1, 1997

Dear Captain Pinkwater:

I was delighted to find FIVE NOVELS in the bookstore this afternoon. I bought two copies: one for myself, another to lend. I’m already mostly done with _Alan Mendelsohn_. Great stuff!

Now, I have some questions for you:

Did it hurt when they tattooed “5 NOVELS” into your palm prior to the cover shot? Are you able to use the hand normally, or was having it maimed with hundreds of needle pricks just part of the cost of marketing? Do your dogs shy away from you when you extend your blackened palm toward them? Do the Poghkeepsie yokels think your tattoo is the mark of Cain?

Daniel replies:

No, dogs like me. As to the yokels, they cringe before anyone who walks upright. That thing on my hand is a birthmark.


Christopher Heric

Post #526 – 19970101

January 1, 1997

Dear Daniel,

We have a week long assignement in school this week that makes us learn about you and your writing. What kind of things did you carve before you wrote books? Do you still do it? What is harder to be good at?

I think I would like to carve statues more than write books. I like your books.

Thanks

Christopher Heric

Shoreline Washington

4th Grade Parkwood Elementry.

P.S. My Dad helped me make sure this was spell correctly.

Daniel replies:

No one could tell what the things I used to carve were supposed to be. They looked a little like books. Carving things and writing books are both fun. I like writing better because what I write comes out looking a little like books.


Brad Sondahl

Post #666 – 19970101

January 1, 1997

Re your being the kiddie book guy for Saturday edition: Have you read any of Canadian author Gordon Korman’s books–they have a little less class, but remind our family of your style of humor. We’re currently reading A Semester in the Life of a Garbage Bag.

Daniel replies:

Never heard of that Canadian guy. The publishers send stuff in, most of it completely horrible, and I go though it trying to find something good, or interesting, or at least suitable for a conversation on the air. At the rate stuff comes in at present, I'd say the odds are something like 40 to 1 against a book being discussed, but if you feel strongly about this author, suggest to the publisher that they send something in to Weekend Edition Saturday, National Public Radio, 635 Massachusetts Ave, NY, Washington, DC 200001, Attn: Me.


Chris Pabst

Post #655 – 19970101

January 1, 1997

Mr. Pinkwater, I read your books when I was younger. They are partly responsible for inspiring me to become a writer. I used to have your picture among pictures of people that inspired me, but your menacing face caused me worse nightmares than when I had once eaten raw tuna. Your words, however, remain engrained in my mind like cigar smoke in my favorite shirt. -Chris Pabst

Daniel replies:

My _menacing_ face? I, who am known to be cute as a button, and a perfect pussycat? I think someone slipped you the wrong picture--possibly one of raw tuna.


Stefan Jones

Post #723 – 19970101

January 1, 1997

This is more of a annoucement to readers of this forum than a question for Daniel, but I hope it gets posted anyway. “Chinwag Theatre” is playing in the Bay Area on WQED, Sundays at 4:30 pm. Right now I’m listening to The Captain reading “The Cremation of Sam McGee.”

Well, here’s a question for the Captain. I brought home from work Friday a coulple of slices from something called a Cobb Salad Sandwich. It was leftovers from a business meeting, and the catering people were good enough to move it too the break room for us grunts.

The sandwich has slices of chicken, bacon, and blue cheese. The slice I had Friday evening was very good, considering. However, I’m not sure about the remaining slice.

My question: How can one tell when blue cheese has gone bad?

If this is outside your area of expertise, I will gladly limit my questions in the future to queries about dogs and Hoboken.

Daniel replies:

Most local fire departments have equipment for testing whether blue cheese has gone bad. It's good form to take the cheese to the firehouse rather than turn in an alarm. Hospital emergency rooms, and chemistry departments at universities can help you also. If you handle a lot of blue cheese, you can order a test kit from the Cheese Council--but they're rather expensive. We usually give some to the dogs. 
P.S. Did you fire off an email to KQED telling them you like the program? Just about every radio station has an email address, and listener comment is treated quite seriously. Even yours. Do not mention blue cheese. 
 
PPS: It has gone bad when it starts chewing toothpicks and smoking cigarettes simultaneously, and wearing condeferate flag t-shirts.


Strawberry Whine

Post #538 – 19970101

January 1, 1997

Mr. Pinkwater:

Thank you for replying to my recent letter. I was very pleased with the reference to Groucho Marx’s ode to Tuscaloosa. Did you know there was a mention of that town in a Zippy the Pinhead cartoon? I also have an ancient 78 record called “Tuscaloosa”. It’s one of those fantastic discs that have to be flipped mid-song. Not good for dancing, but very good for attracting funsters to your home. Do you have a recipe for tamales? I ate terrible ones tonight. No ole on my plate.

Daniel replies:

More to the point, do you have anything for repelling funsters?


Ted Cranford

Post #532 – 19970101

January 1, 1997

Dear Mr. Pinkwater,

I have enjoyed your comments for years on NPR and have looked periodically in bookstores for your books to no avail. You can imagine how shocked I was to learn this morning, during your interview with Dan Irwin, that you have written some 80 titles. You are exactly correct about the kinds of narrow subject/author bookstores that abound these days.

I want to select some of your books to read to my son, he just turned 6. I can guess that you wouldn’t want to put your books (or my children) in a pigeon hole but I wonder if you might suggest a few titles to start with for younger children? I enjoy reading to my son and daughter (she is 3) and I make a point of doing it every day. I just read your FAT!So? interview and enjoyed it. I guess I’ll have to get a copy of your “diet” book too. I’ve been fat all of my life too.

Aloha!

Ted

Daniel replies:

More like 70 titles, I think--but it's bad luck to count. Given the retail-rarity of my stuff, I'd say grab what titles you can find. Very few of my books are out-and-out stinkers, I'm proud to say. Amazon.com claims to have everything, and you can see what the children's room in the public library has. (That's where the books are, if they're anywhere). Reading to and with kids is God's work. Writing the stuff less so.


George

Post #579 – 19970101

January 1, 1997

Dear Mr. Pinkwater,

Thanks for answering my first message, although mine was rather skimpy on the word level. I guess you didn’t read my second message on the horrors of computers. It was awful trying to get your reply printed out, I’m thinking of having it framed. You still rule. I think you should write a book called the printer with a mind of it’s own, ‘cos tht’s what happened to me when I was trying to get your words of wisdom copied out of it.

Daniel replies:

Me still rule.


George H.

Post #607 – 19970101

January 1, 1997

Hello Mister Pinkwater,

You Rule.

George H.(Liverpool)

Daniel replies:

Me rule.


Walter Thompson

Post #638 – 19970101

January 1, 1997

You probably don’t remember me, and that’s fine. I’m sure you meet a lot of people, many of whom you’d rather forget. I met you several years ago in Huntington, NY, shortly before you moved to that farm upstate. You were at Helena Pittman’s place (I lost touch with her years ago), sitting on a tree stump, smoking a pipe and waxing poetic about something or other.

Anyway, I hope things are going well with you. If you’d like to know a little more about me, of if you care to read something I wrote, check out my home page at www.vni.net/~walter.

Daniel replies:

Matter of fact, I do remember you, Walter. Helena Pittman made a big deal that you were an enthusiastic reader of mine, and it would be so great if you could meet me, and it would be the greatest thing that ever happened to you, and I had to come to this gathering so it could take place. She led me out in the back yard, and had me sit on that tree stump, so your father could escort you up to me, and you and I could have this moment--it was a little like being taken to see Santa. Only what happened was, you and I exchanged a few words, I could see by your changing expression that you were realizing I was just another boring adult, and I said something like, ""It always happens like this kid. No good author can live up to his work.""
And you said, ""So, you wouldn't mind if I went and played with my friend now?""
""Not at all,"" I told you. ""I'll talk to your father. Just be sure to tell Helena that meeting me was the greatest event in your life."" 
So your father and I chatted until enough time had gone by that we could go into the house and get something to eat without arousing Helena's suspicions. Nice guy, your dad.


Mary Sophia Novak

Post #492 – 19970101

January 1, 1997

Dear Mr. Pinkwater:

(this message is also addressed to certain other Pinkwater fans, if you’re out there. You’ll know who you are in a minute.)

I was one of the people lucky enough to get a blurb printed on the back of “5 Novels” which is, by the way, a definitively cool episode in my life.

(See? If you’re one of the other people who got quoted on or in the book, this message is also for you.)

The publishing company was nice enough to offer to send a free copy of the book to each person who was quoted on or in it. Indeed, a copy of 5 Novels arrived at my parents’ house, and they sent it on to me.

However, it was the wrong copy. I think maybe the person who originally sent the books out didn’t realize they had autographs in them. I got a copy inscribed “To Russell.”

Within a few weeks, the publisher apparently realized their mistake, and they sent me a FedEx mailer to mail my wrong copy back, saying they’d send me the right one when I got it. That was in late September, I think. I’ve never heard from them again.

Russell, are you out there? Did you, at least, get _your_ copy back? It was definitely returned.

Have any of the other quoted people gotten their correct books yet?

Does anybody have my book?

Sigh…it’s nice to know the quote’s out there, anyway.

Daniel replies:

Mary Sophia Novak -- You've got a lot of damn nerve. They _tried_ to give you a copy--after practically no urging at all on my part. Isn't that enough? What do you want, custom service? FSG is an important company, with lots of important things to do. They can't keep wasting time on trivial little problems like yours. You want a copy, go to a bookstore and buy one...oh, you probably can't...for some reason most bookstores only got two. 
Tell you what, if there is anyone out there who contributed a quote, and didn't wind up with a book, please notify Ed. He will forward your address, and I will personally send you one. And thanks, all, for your marvelous kindness and patience.
(To clarify: Those people who contributed a quote _that was printed_, and didn't wind up with a copy, may apply to me for one. I don't know, and can't imagine, what Farrar Straus and Giroux may have offered to anyone--so I'd better draw a line. I apologize to anyone who has been disappointed. I know just how you feel.)


Mark Burstein

Post #481 – 19970101

January 1, 1997

Dear Mr. Pinkwater,

Scanning your fine site I found a query regarding “(I’ll Never Forget) The Day I Read a Book” by Jimmy Durante. You can find a 1947 recording of it on a CD called “Durante: The Patron of the Arts” on Viper’s Nest VN-151.

Daniel replies:

Mark Burstein -- Thanks, Mark. Many people ask me, and the people at Weekend Edition Saturday, where to find that Durante song.


1 … 197 198 199 200 201 … 209
Submit a message
  • October 2022
  • January 2022
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • November 2019
  • April 2019
  • November 2018
    • « Back
    More »