Patrick Clark

June 10, 2020

Hi Mr Pinkwater,

I have been a huge fan of your books since my first purchase of The Snarkout Boys and the Avacado of Death at Hodge Podge books on Lark St in Albany in the 1980s.

Of course, as a kid, I found the scenes of cigar smoking and beer drinking to be delightful and funny. These days, however, it occurs to be that “helicopter parents” might see such scenes in a very different light.

So, my question(s): Have you found that your 70s/ 80s books have been interpreted differently by parents of millennials or so-called Gen-Z-ers? Have you gotten any pushback over Leonard and Alan’s smoking, or Walter, Winston and Rat’s underage drinking?

Thanks so much for your nerd-affirming books!!

-Patrick

makayla morgan

June 5, 2020

I recently (2 months ago) acquired Lizard Music again.

My first and only previous copy was in 1983.

I can not put into words how this story made absolute complete sense to me when I was younger.

I am now close to fifty years, and after reading this again since 1983, it makes even more sense.

You are truly an imaginarion….I’m sure you know what I mean.

Thank you Mr. Pinkwater for writing, this is truly my favorite YA book ever.

I hope you are well and safe.

Kindest regards,

Makayla

David Gallahan

June 5, 2020

Your books and the work of your neighbors up river (ZBS foundation, also
connected to NPR back in the day) were the core of our family
mythology when I was raising my children (1980s and 90s) and your
growing collection of books remain sources of inspiration and
delight. For Adventures of a Cat Whiskered Girl and Bushman
Lives! I discovered your online serial pre-release which were an added treat. But then came the devastating
news that the publisher wouldn’t do the sequel. That book really
demands a sequel more than any of the others: so many balls are in
the air!

Iwas just getting ready to ask for any information on where in your
mind this was all leading. Now, on this forum, I read that you are thinking of
working on that sequel and that has totally made my day!

Yes please, please do. I’m also really looking forward to Adventures
of a Dwergish Girl.

With
deepest gratitude and lots of respect.

David

Kathleen Swift

May 31, 2020

Hello:  I am writing on behalf of First Unitarian
Universalist Church of San Diego where I serve as Director of Family
Ministries. Like most churches, we are holding services online via
live-stream.  Would you give permission
for us to read “The Big Orange Splot” in an upcoming service?  If yes, please reply to this email—and
thanks.  I hope you and your family are
safe and healthy.

Zac

May 27, 2020

Hi!

I Love Lizard Music, have been reading it since was little. The story was so fun! Did you ever make a sequel? What happened to the chicken man? Did the island ever come back? And omg is Fat Men from space inspired by the part in the book when it was a late night movie in the background?

You are so cool! ???? your fan-

Zac

David Doty

May 24, 2020

I am extremely please to learn of the forthcoming release of Adventures of a Dwergish Girl, which I have just ordered. I am also pleased to learn that you might be writing a follow-up to Bushman Lives. I greatly enjoyed the tetralogy that began with the Neddiad and look forward to any continuation of that series. I consider these books to be the equal of the best of your earlier work (Lizard Music, Borgel, Snarkout Boys, Mendelsohn), and I long for more. Thank you.

——DBD

Matt

May 22, 2020

Hello Mr. Pinkwater,

    I hope you and your family are well and that you are staying safe in the age of Covid-19. I was hoping to ask you for some advice. I would like to be respectful of your time, so I will be brief.

    My name is Matt, I am a filmmaker, and a fan of your books. My sister introduced them to me when I was in elementary school and I still enjoy them to this day. I am currently working on trying to write better stories.

    In your books the characters and the story feel like they naturally fit together. I’ve tried the methods recommended by the podcasts, courses, and other resources I have on the subject, but I still lose that natural feeling when I flesh out my characters to make them feel real. I was wondering if you have any advice about how to make characters and story naturally fit together?

   I would greatly appreciate any wisdom you’d be willing to share but if you are too busy, or for any reason would prefer not to answer, I completely understand.

Thank you so much in advance!

Best,

  Matt

Diana Bren

May 16, 2020

Hello,

My husband is a huge fan (me of course as well), I just ordered a used The Wuggie Norple book as he used to have one as a kid. We want to share the story with our children now 4 and 6.

It would mean so much to have a letter sent to him from you? Is this something you do?

Thank you

Diana Bren

Beverlee Jobrack

May 15, 2020

Yesterday our beloved dog, Buddee, a bagle dog, was diagnosed with cancer of the spleen that has spread to his lungs. We are heartbroken.  Both of us remember listening to your tale on NPR years ago about feeding your dog boiled chicken and are wanting to hear that again.  Last night we bought a big package of chicken breast and boiled one up for him. He was very happy. Please send a link to your story.  Thanks, Beverlee

Arabella

May 11, 2020

I really have not Ever talked to a writer of my favorite book before the one The Big Orange Splot. That one! That was a good one!

Patrick Reese

May 5, 2020

How are you doing with the coronavirus going around I heard about this website by reading a story all about you and your books I agree that u do a great job -stay really safe-patrick reese

DONNA VENORA TUKEL

April 17, 2020

Dear Mr. Pinkwater,

I read constantly to my son when he was a child and I have always remembered one specific detail from one of your books very clearly. ( At least I think it was one of your books but it may not have been Tooth Gnasher Superflash which for some reason I no longer have. And I keep thinking there were aliens in this book.)  Did you dedicate one of your books “to your cat who threw up on your keyboard” ?  That came to mind today while I was attending a class online which my son was teaching and his cat kept jumping up onto his desk and keyboard.

In addition to my question, I would like to thank you for writing so many wonderful books.  When the time comes when we are able to venture outside, I plan to go the library (usually my second home) and look at many of your books again.

Stay well – Donna Tukel

Cyril Armandoberger

April 13, 2020

Dear Daniel,

I can remember, as a young boy, listening to the Snarkout Boys audio-book, and one of the first things I remember is the snatch of classical music played at the beginning. Do you have any idea of the title of this piece?

Thank you!

Jessy Randall

April 8, 2020

I am getting through the COVID-19 quarantine by rereading your books. I just re-read Bushman Lives and liked it even more than I liked it the first time, which was already a lot.

I googled around and learned that you used Twitter to share some or all of a sequel to Bushman Lives, but I can’t figure out how to see those old tweets. Is it possible? If it isn’t, would you consider putting the sequel out in some other way? I really really want to read it. I mean, they got to go to the island in Lizard Music – in Victor’s case he got to go back – but we didn’t get to hear about it! Is the Museum of Memory still there? I think about that museum every day.

Please help.

Amy and Tilda Jordan

April 6, 2020

Greetings, Mr. Pinkwater! After many readings and listenings to The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death/Baconburg Horror, we have ascertained that Osgood Sigerson is quite possibly Theobald Galt, Walter’s father, in disguise. The clues are these:

p. 107-8 (the first encounter with Sigerson near Beanbender’s Beer Garden) “…There was something familiar about the muffled voice coming from within the hood. I couldn’t place it…”

Sigerson and Theobald share an addiction to avocados and offer overlapping factoids regarding them.  p. 114 “Many of [the avocado stories] I recognized from my father’s store of information about the disgusting things.:” and “I knew all about the banana-and-avocado fritters in Dar es Salaam…”

A very specific anecdote!

On page 137, Sigerson encourages everyone sitting at the Hasty Tasty to try the raison toast, which he insists is delicious. Walter then narrated, “As a general rule, I don’t eat raisin toast. I don’t know anybody who does, except my father.”

Hmmmmmm!

Osgood Sigerson is described early on as wearing a fake nose and on page 78 as having “…his whole face covered with some kind of white makeup.” Toward the end of the book, on page 152, Theobald is said to keep his collar buttons in an old NOSE PUTTY can. 

Lastly, Walter says that he is “not going with [Theobald] to the annual American Avocado Fancier’s convention, unless it’s definite that Osgood Sigerson is going to be there. My father thinks that Sigerson won’t come. Apparently, they’ve never met. Sigerson seems to make it to the convention only every other year, and somehow those years my father doesn’t go.”

Is this because they are the SAME PERSON??

Was it your intent to beguile us readers with the possibility of a Theobald-Osgood symbiosis? Or is all of the social isolating messing with our heads?

All the best to you and your family. Stay safe. We love you!

Amy and Tilda