Melissa Jarvis

March 27, 2011

Hello, Mr. Pinkwater,

I am writing a critical essay on a selection of your novels — Blue Moose, Yobgorgle, The Hoboken Chicken Emergency — and I wondered … does food make a such a prevalent appearance in all of your novels? I could read them all and find out, but my paper is due in just a few days. Does food appear so frequently because, like me, you love food and want to celebrate it or are you making a comment on the eating habits of Earth (especially those in the US)? I would like to think it is the former.

I do want to mention that my favorite characters so far are the Blue Moose and Uncle Mel. Gingerbread and eggs with olives are two of my favorite things.

Thanks for your consideration to my questions. Take care, Melissa

The answers to your questions are, ""yes,"" and, ""yes and yes."" If you have seen a picture of me you must have an idea that food has taken place at some point. I like good food, also eating it, and while I am no cook myself, I am married to one, and sometimes I am allowed to offer her ideas, which sometimes work out. For your further information, I do not eat like some of the characters in my books--I like cheap hamburgers and pizza and things like that, but I only eat them at long, (meaning weeks and months, or months and months), intervals....because if you eat that way frequently you will definitely die.