Daniel replies:

So, there was this distinguished writer who was a big fan of mine because he and his daughter bonded over books I wrote. Years later, I call the editorial department at a publishing house, and who answers the phone but the daughter! "What are you doing working in a publishing house? Weren't you raised better than that?" A year later, she calls me to say she is giving up the idea of working in publishing, and going back to teaching. "In all the time I've been here, I haven't heard anyone say a word about books as books, or the fact that we're producing them for use by children." It is not true of every single publisher, just the major ones. And, this is my way of telling you that if you didn't receive a reply to your letter, it's because it was never forwarded to me.

Something in your email was particularly gratifying... not that I am amazing, I know all about that. It is where you mention that rebellion is part of your life, and you have an activist streak. I have been aware all along that my readers are going to have to deal with some pretty bad stuff, and it's particularly bad just lately. There's a bit of temptation to address the bad stuff directly, which temptation I can usually resist. I try to comfort myself that in some way the stuff I've written contains nutrients which may contribute to one such as you taking claim to your own life. Thanks for writing to me, and suggesting that you may have gotten some vitamins to grow on from books of mine.

I hope you'll take a look at some of the more recent novels, like The Neddiad, and Bushman Lives. And thanks.