Giordano Lahaderne

February 16, 2011

Dear Mr. Pinkwater,

I’m a high school English teacher and I wrote to you a couple of years back in regards to my wanting a copy of Lizard Music. It was a moral crossroads for me, as I considered stealing the book from the local library as it was then out of print.

I wanted to follow up and let you know that I did, in fact, follow your advice. I did NOT deprive any future readers from the pleasures of Pinkwater, and found the exact copy I wanted on eBay of all places.

I am also overjoyed to find out that as of 2011, Lizard Music is again in print!

You mentioned in response to my first letter that you made the film rights for Lizard Music available to movie producers for adaptation. I want you to know that while I can wholeheartedly support audio versions of this book and even a graphic novel, I think it would be a little tragic if this book became a motion picture.

I say this because of selfishness (a recurring theme with me), but I always want Lizard Music to remain perfect in my own imagination. I’d like that floating island to remain forever mysterious in my brain exactly the way I pictured it. I also want it to remain somewhat obscure, as its obscurity is part of its great allure. I’ll go ahead put Lizard Music up there with A Confederacy of Dunces and One Hundred Years of Solitude as one of those books that’s just unfilmable. I think Young Adult Novel would make a better movie.

Thanks, Mr. Pinkwater, for all of the greatest reading experiences of my youth.

I know from personal experience that when someone makes an inferior movie out of a book that movie is soon forgotten, and the book does not suffer--and should it be as good as the book, or better, or a work of art in its own way, then we are all richer for it. I have not heard whether the Lizard Music movie project will go forward, but I am all for it, notwithstanding that I will receive a check enabling me to order house repairs. 
P.S. I would buy a ticket on the first day to see Confederacy of Dunces the Movie.