Art Thieme

January 1, 1997

M…. Dan, Howdy! This is Art Thieme, New to computer but it’s great trying to say HOWDY this way. Hope ya get it. First time I tried I disabled my computer for 3 days; clicked send in wrong place. Since school I’ve been a folksinger and now am disabled. Can’t pick now;MS> Had an NPR radio show in thr’80s. Was fun some ways; others not. So, if it wasn’t for time we’d have to do everything all at once! For sure, best regards, Art Thieme

Daniel, Howdy! A cement mason friend of mine was tired of kids writing their names in the wet cement. He chased ’em arount the block six times. Came back wheezin’ & puffin’. I told him, “I thought you liked kids!” His answer: “In the abstract, yes. In the concrete, NO!” All the best in ’98, Art Thieme

P.S.–I sang for kids for 22 years through Urban Gateways in Chicago.

Marcus Harwell

January 1, 1997

Mr. Pinkwater,

I had no choice. I had to write and tell you what a terrific time I’ve had with your work over the years. Were I to ignore this opportunity to convey my fond good wishes (the electronic equivalent of a smile and a “thumbs up”), my conscience would smack me right in the frontal lobe.

_Alan Mendelsohn_ is my favorite. When I found, to my amazement, that my partner hadn’t even HEARD of it, I stopped what I was doing, yanked the book off the shelf, and subjected him to a forced reading. After all, the book helped shape (warp, some say) my already lopsided view of the world and its otherworldly denizens. It wouldn’t have been the same kidhood without it, and I might have grown up to be an accountant (urk!) or a senator (gack!), instead of the goofy artist I became.

Yours, with much affection,

Marcus Harwell

Jake, Age 13

January 1, 1997

Dear Mr. Pinkwater,

My name is Jake. I go to J.L. Stanford Middle School. I just read your book, Alan Mendelsohn, The Boy From Mars. I liked the book, it was funny. I have some questions and I hope you have the answers.

1. Who are the Waka-Wakians? And where did you get the inspiration for those guys?

2. What gave you the idea of writing this story?

3. Was Alan Mendelsohn really a Martian?

4. What does Rolzup look like?

5. Were you the inspiration for the way William Lloyd Floyd looked?

Thank you,

Jake, Age 13

David Klein

January 1, 1997

The E-mail joke concerning the talking frog mentioned in your last commentary had made the rounds in similar form for at least 2 years. The geeky/nerdie types (among which I am numbered) find it endearing – a reinforcement of the odd ball loner techie image we claim as our birthright (even if we don’t match the mold).

One of the people to whom I forwarded the joke some years ago found it less than humorous as she thought the joke was a drawn from life image of her son.

Just thought I’d pass that along.

Tom Johnson

January 1, 1997

Dear Daniel,

As a fan of NPR I heard you give an interview to Scott Simon, and to my amazement, another author I’m fond of, namely Harlan Ellison, popped up. Or was it the other way around? At any rate, since I am also a fan of the television show Babylon 5, and Harlan Ellison is a consultant to the show, I thought you might ask to appear as an alien on the show. Ask Harlan, maybe he could arrange a cameo. It would be a hoot, and show support for the only intelligent science fiction show on television. Besides, you could really impress people by being an alien on TV, especially kids.

Hal

January 1, 1997

DMP,

You know what you should get them to do? You should get them to release an anthology of your short fiction. By “short fiction” I mean, of course, your picture books–anything shorter than, say “The Magic Goose.” You could probably fit all of them in one volume if you just put the text in with no pictures. Purists might complain that the esthetic experience of reading your work will be tainted by taking away the art, but I’ve read two of your books this way (“Wempires” in Omni and “Devil in the Drain” in Marvin Kaye’s _Devils and Demons_ anthology) and can personally testify that they are still dang good reads, pictures or no pictures. Plus, picture books cost a lot and the old ones are hard to find. The world needs a handy one-volume collection of Pinkwater short stories, perhaps bound in rhinoceros hide with gilded page edges, but also released as a mass market paperback so I could buy one. (I thought _5 Novels_ was a great idea, and I hope it miraculously becomes a best seller so you can release a companion volume containing _Yobgorgle_, _Lizard Music_ and the underappreciated _Worms of Kukumlima_.)

On a completely unrelated note: I am moving to Hoboken in a few days and wondered if you could tell me all the cool places to go in Hoboken. By “cool” I mean places where I won’t get beaten up.

Young Dave Wooten

January 1, 1997

At some point in my life, dear Danny, I was reading a funny children’s book I had picked out of the heaps at the bookstore. I had a funny feeling. It didn’t lessen. I had read this Before. And suddenly, in a flash, I remembered a librarian pointing me to Daniel Manus Pinkwater’s Lizard Music (as she was at a loss for finding other books I hadn’t read.. “well, as a last straw..”) The rest is hazy, but I’ve been reading all of your books again and I finally came across Wingman which nearly brought tears to my eyes as I was so familiar with it and had cared for it so much, and even remembered caring for it but hadn’t known which book it was. It’s not that I’m older than twenty-three, or anything, but thanks.

Chris Cummins

January 1, 1997

I just wanted to thank you for the great books. “Fat Men From Space” was my favorite book growing up, and still remains on my shelf alongside of other great works.

I am a film student, and I believe that it would make a fantastic film. Has their ever been plans to adapt it to a film?

Thanks again!

Chris Cummins

Fred Robey

January 1, 1997

Dear Captin,

The more of your books I hunt down and read the more I enjoy them. I also found your audio tapes in the libary, they were great. I would like to say thanks for your contribution to the litary arts. It is fun to read Chicago days and Hoboken nights and then wander around Chicago and find the places you wrote about.

Please keep up the good work.

Your Fan,

Fred.

Fred Robey

January 1, 1997

Dear Captin Pinkwater,

I enjoy your books A loT!!!!! Also I am not writing you to yell about how you beat up on fat Jew’s. I am writing to say that you are a great writer. That it is all for now. I am in awe that I found this site!!!!

Ps. I have heard of chicken man from some of the old timers that work the cta!

Adam Matz

January 1, 1997

I don’t have much to say other than if I have kids I am going to force feed them Pinkwater books until they are old enough to live on their own. You are a wonderful author and I wish you the best in everything you do. (interesting note – my nickname is also “The Chicken Man” like Mr. Kanemoto, alas it is just because of my pitifully skinny legs)

John

January 1, 1997

what do you recommend for depression, mr. pinkwater? It’s been a long day. still love you tho.

john

Aleta Fera

January 1, 1997

Hey!

The Snarkout Boys series is a favorite of mine, even though I’m in university now (must be that inner 12 year old, hmm?) Does the new novel take place at Genghis Khan High (I noticed Ms. Sweet, the psycho biology teacher) One thing I always wondered; what are the thirteen different levels which The Baconburg Horror can be read on?

PS A friend of mine saw the Chicken Man riding a bus a couple years ago. I love it when reality and fiction collide!!!

Ella Bass

January 1, 1997

I’m a teacher at Lauderbach Elementary School in Chula Vista, Ca and my fifth grade students just finished reading Pinkwater’s story “The Hoboken Chicken Adventure.” We learned that his story was made into a movie for television and we would like to know how we could view the movie in our classroom. How do we gain access to the movie? We would appreciate any information you can give us.

draynen

January 1, 1997

Ok, so I have read your books for a long time, from the age of eight, or maybe five. I still dont like avacadoes, but we all have our faults. I stopped reading your books for a while about a year back, because I had discovered Douglas Adams and the imfamous Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, funny as hell, but no real fat men, or lizards for that matter(allright, for Adams’s sake, there was one fat man, but he was spending a year dead for tax purposes), and I was feeling lost and confused. I needed a pinkwater fix, so I went to my local library, only to find that some haggis headed yokel had stolen them all! And it wasn’t me! Now the only book I have of yours is the last guru(which I, coincidentaly, stole from a library). Now I cant find your books anywhere, excluding this sight, whic doesnt count because I am only 16 and dont have a credit card. How else can I obtain them? Back door bookcover ripping operations? The chicago mafia? Out of town library? Or can I just break down in tears at my book store? Also, did they make movies out of any of your other books besides the Hoboken Chicken Emergency?

P.S. I am fat and proud, even if it is a bit embarassing in pe. Really, when will it ever come in handy in real life? “Fifty squat thrusts now! Or you dont get the raise!!”