Rachel Citrin

February 7, 2007

Dear Mr. Pinkwater,

I am 11 years old and my name is Rachel. I have loved your books and find them very interesting and funny. I have dreams of becoming a writer (like a million other people– my parents tell me) and I have recently written a small book. Would you be interested in reading it and tell me what you think of it? If you let me know, I can send it to you. Please e-mail me. Please don’t post my message to the forum.

I lived in France last year with my parents and speak French quite well. I enjoy reading, writing, art, acting, singing, and dancing. I illustrate my own books.

I will wait eagerly for your reply,

Rachel

Miss Mary

February 6, 2007

Dear Mr. Pinkwater

My 9 year old son has listen to Fishwhistle on tape so many times that he as worn it out! We are on our second copy. He loves your voice and your stories. He would like to know if you could post a picture of Arnold and of Juneau.

And, I would like to thank you. My son was a reluctant reader until Fishwhistle and now, he has started to read all of your books! Books are magic, and I thank you for revealing that to my boy.

Sincerely

Miss Mary

Lars Lee

February 5, 2007

First of all, let me thank you for your wonderful writings that have been loved by me and my children alike. “The Snarkout Boys…” helped foster a great love for old theaters and old movies in my kids and “I do not feel sick” has become a stock phrase of my family.

I’m currently on a play selection committee for our area children’s theater and I was wondering what works of yours has been adapted to stage, especially for young companies. I’d love to bring a play of yours to the group for consideration.

harrison

February 5, 2007

I loved The Big Orange Splot as a kid! Now I am a high school junior speech competitor wondering what published work of yours would be most suited to memorize and use for my 8 minute(or so )’Humor’ piece? I’ve been doing very well in competition and would love your recommendation of something of yours or of another writer’s that you especially think funny.

Thank You!

Dave Hochman

February 1, 2007

Daniel – 20 years ago when I was about 10, I wrote to you about how I wanted to be a comic book writer, and you actually wrote me back! Anyway, a few years later we adopted a puppy, and you sent me a copy of Superpuppy! Unfortunately, “Skruffy” then bit a family member, and a decision was made to send Skruffy to the pound. I called information, got your phone number and called you in hysterics asking what to do. Your advice was that yes, in fact Skruffy should be put down, which freaked me out even more. There was a happy ending – Skruffy got given to a family member where he lived for 17 years – the only person Skruffy bit after that was a cable installer who knocked on the door then just walked in the house. Anyhoo, I’m now in my thirties and am a writer, of sorts (I work in PR) Just figured I’d drop you line. Any chance you recollect this?

Lisa B.

January 31, 2007

Many years ago, BC (before children), my husband and I read your delightful short story about Vampires (Wempires?) in, I think, Omni magazine.

Is it available ANYWHERE?

Because of that story, we’ve always called our son, Ian, Sonnye Boy. He doesn’t mind. We told him the story as well as we could remember it, but I would love for him to have the pleasure of reading it himself.

Mette

January 30, 2007

Hilarious site you got here!

I found a clip from NPR where you talk about having dyscalculia. It sounds like you read it from a book, and I was just wondering if you could tell me what book it was?

I’m dyscalculic myself, and I run dyscalculiaforum.com, an international discussion forum. I’m always looking for stories about dyscalculia, and if you have written about this in one of your books, well, then I just have to own it. But I’m just a poor, poor college girl – I can’t afford to buy your whole catalog to find out if those words are in one of your books. So, IF you for some reason have the time to answer me, I would be really happy.

Word,

Mette

Shana

January 23, 2007

Hello Daniel,

My son is in love with Larry the polar bear. My husband wants to take a family field trip to Bayonne. When you grow up in Staten Island, you spend a lot of time ignoring New Jersey, so I don’t know the first thing about Bayonne. Do you know of a suitable Hotel Larry-esque hotel in Bayonne that we could go look at?

best

Shana

Joe Wesbrook

January 22, 2007

Dear Mr. Pinkwater,

Several years ago I came across a (rubber)stamp with what I assume was a “cartoonish” drawing of you. I bought the stamp, because the drawing also resembled me. Now, years later, I’d like to use the image as the logo for Joe The Book Guy, my soon-to-come web site (and sometime down the pike, used bookstore). I’ll be happy to send you a photo so you can indeed see that yes, the image does resemble me, and if there are copyright fees involved, well, if they’re reasonable, I’ll be happy to pay them. I can’t and won’t use the image without your permission, but if you see the resemblance, then I think you’ll agree that the image would be a fitting logo. Thank you. Joe Wesbrook

Leilani Ruesink

January 22, 2007

I love you, Daniel Manus Pinkwater!

Mark Rowan

January 21, 2007

Wooh boy, Mr. Pinkwater. In the interest of me not looking like a fool, can we stipulate that I spoke out of turn? How about we change it to which authors you have proclaimed “admiration” for, and not love?

The first one I remember, because it happens every December, is that someone will mistake you for Jean Shepherd, and you are very flattered.

From the NPR commentaries, I seem to remember Lafcadio Hearn and Harvey Kurtzman (a publisher, technically, rather than an author, granted) coming in for acclaim.

I also seem to recall you recommending Treasure Island to at least one young reader who demanded more YA books from you.

And of course, I caught the tail-end of your magnificent reading of “The Shooting Of Dan McGrew” on NPR, just by accident.

That’s the list I can remember off the top of my head, but I have time on my hands right now, so I would happily research the issue, to remind you of which authors you have and have not complimented publicly.

(Incidentally, did you know that Art Garfunkel has never read even ONE of your books? www.artgarfunkel.com/library.html has a complete list of every book the man has read since 1968. Between his reading and his walking, I don’t see how he has time to record.)

Mark Rowan, Honorable Vice-President Of Mexico

Kevin Buso

January 21, 2007

Hey- I grew up in Red Hook, crawling all over the Hudson Valley that we both call home, discovering all it’s fantastic nooks and crannies. I never appreciated the Hudson Valley that much once I moved out to western PA for school, until I heard your piece on my absolutely most favorite restaurant, The Golden Wok. I also just read your adventure into the K-mart parking lot (good choice on location by the way).

Anyways, I just had to share my appreciation, and I thought I might add that I know some wonderful people that I can promise you’d enjoy the company of up in Tivoli. They throw great parties and the bars always open!

Cheers

Max

January 20, 2007

Dear Mr. Pinkwater:

I own five of your short stories, all put together in a great volume known as 5 Novels. My favorite from the five is Alan Mendlsohn, Boy from Mars. I know you have written many books, so here is a question for you: Do any of the following books have sequels or prequels?

1. Alan Mendelsohn, Boy From Mars

2. The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death

3. Young Adult Novel

On another of my several figurative hands, are there any of your books out there that would be good for a reader (who only owns the collection entitled 5 Novels) to start with?

Finally, is there a short story/novellete/novella/novel that contains a collection of Kevin Shapiro stories?

Thank you for all the information.

Snarkfully yours,

Max, devoted reader as soon as I get my hands on some more of your literature.

Dusty Proctor

January 19, 2007

Do you train dogs?

Hannah

January 17, 2007

Dear Mr. Pinkwater,

Sorry if I seem to be hogging your message board – I know I posted a few days ago – but I just want to deliver the happy news that there is, indeed, a recipe for avocado pie. In fact, there are multiple recipes, and they don’t require baking. They do generally require two avocados (or one really big avocado), a graham cracker crust, lemon juice and some kind of thickener.

This recipe calls for sweetened condensed milk. This other one is fancier, as it involves cream cheese and pecans. I plan to try my hand at the simpler avocado pie recipe this evening.

On the subject of avocado fritters, I haven’t found any for avocado and cheese, although I have found a couple for avocado and crab fritters. But those are a little more complicated.

By the way, I have learned that a plain old slice of avocado tastes delicious when topped with sour cream and a sprinkling of brown sugar.

Snark on,

Hannah