I have read and reread Borgel so many times that my copy at last vanished entirely, no doubt reduced to subatomic particles during a long car trip. Uncle Borgel’s rambling quest for the Great Popsicle strongly influenced my impressionable young mind, gradually developing into a lifelong fascination (okay, so I’m only twenty-one, but it’s still lifelong) with long journeys, roadside attractions, and the everpresent possibility of bizarre adventure. And root beer. Mr. Pinkwater’s books have gotten me safely through high school, have travelled with me to college and to Ireland and back, have been passed on to friends (and in most cases, happily, returned). Give thanks, for four more are once again available to the public at large. Huzzah!
How many nights I have tossed and turned thinking that my work may have had some impact on the impressionable young minds of the impressionable young such as little Shaenon K. Garrity. But, after a while I get tired of tossing and turning, and go upstairs to bed, and get a good night's sleep.
