Henry
Post #1976 – 20060605June 5, 2006
DP is awesome!
Daniel replies:
Well....yes.
Talk to DP Forum
Razzlee
Post #1975 – 20060603June 3, 2006
Dearest Captain Pinkwater,
Thank you.
Fondly,
Razzlee
Daniel replies:
Razzlee!
No, no, no...thank YOU!
Kris Pugh
Post #1974 – 20060531May 31, 2006
‘Way back in 1980 when I taught 5th grade, I required my students to hand in a book report every month. Timmy Moran turned in a report each month and all of them were on the book Fat Men From Space. This led to my reading the book. I have read it to or with my students every year since.
One year we wrote to our dentists to see if they had ever installed a radio tooth and most said it was a bunch of hooey. The next year we wrote to the dental school faculty at the University of Minnesota and found out that there was such a thing – even received dental journal articles chock full of interesting information.
I would just like to thank you for your contributions to the world of children’s literature. It’s a richer place because of you! If you would kindly reply to this missive, you will greatly thrill 25 2nd graders here in Anoka!
Daniel replies:
So happens that when I was living on Long Island in the late 1970s there was an item in the local papers. A man called the police, saying he was hearing music in his head. A policeman came to his house, and listened to the man's head. The policeman heard music. They both listened to the man's head for a while, and learned that it was a radio station in nearby Connecticut. The following day a dentist replaced the filling that was receiving the signal, and the music stopped. When asked, dentists tend to deny the existence of radio teeth, because they are mostly quiet people who shun attention. If your students would like to do some research on crystal radios, they may find that it is possible to receive radio signals on a razor blade! I have written 99 books other than Fat Men From Space. Anyone who reads all of them is likely to start hearing music in his head.
Luke Rosenberg
Post #1973 – 20060528May 28, 2006
dear D.P, I am in fith grade and I am a huge fan of your books. I am doing a project an need some info. A.S.A.P.
Daniel replies:
Luke, you came to the right place! This very website is chock full of information, both true and otherwise. Your search is at an end! Write on.
Anonymous Wombat
Post #1971 – 20060526May 26, 2006
It finally dawned on me to look for an official website. I did not grow up reading your books, but I read as many of them as I could get my hands on immediately afterwards, and have bought every single one I could find ever since. And I’m thrilled that you have started to anthologize the stuff that’s out of print, too — I’ve been looking for Yobgorgle for a long time. (The local library systems are woefully undersupplied with copies.)
I was originally going to ask if you were going to write another Snarkout Boys book, but I see that someone else beat me to it. Several someones. And the most complete answer was that you were working on a sequel to Lizard Music next. Which would be the one thing worth putting off another Snarkout Boys book for, I suppose. So… do you have any hints about when this book might come out? (And are you really going to write another Snarkout Boys book later? Please?)
Daniel replies:
I just finished one called THE NEDDIAD, which I think is much better than LIZARD MUSIC or either of the SNARKOUTs. It will be published by Houghton Mifflin in....what? I don't know...about a year? A little less? I'll be very interested to see what you and other readers think of it. I have talked with the publishers about maybe serializing it here on this website--they were hesitant, saying that if we put it on the web before publication, then nobody will buy a copy. I plan to reason with them more. Ed can forward any comments on this topic to the editor.
Phyllis
Post #1970 – 20060525May 25, 2006
Dear Mr. Pinkwater, I just love the picture of you, Jill and Lulu!! I was trying to put it as my background on the computer screen just for joy, but I could not get the dad burn thing to be a background, so I saved the whole site! And Maxine Too is precious!! She is going to be a big girl, and I never saw such a cute face. It looks like she is going to say something in a minute!!
Your wife reminds me so of all my Tennessee Thompson/ Reynolds relatives ( when they were there) Now there is only Aunt May, who is 86, and she is the funniest woman I have ever met. She is like a stand-up comic, but cornier.
When I heard you and Lulu read How To Be A Good Dog, I laughed so much that I cried. Then I started coughing and choking, but it cleared my sinus. So thank you for that!! Your voice is lovely reading books. How wonderful your family is. I guess you read that book The Secret Life of Dogs. It was an eye-opener for me. Lovely dogs everywhere. My Buzzy Bee lived to be 20. He was a white little dog with a black eye, like “My master’s voice” ads. Well, I can’t think of much else to type. I hope you and Jill and Lulu and Maxine and all the critters are having a very fine day!! Kind regards from Phyllis( this is what my English and Scottish penpals say, Kind regards!!)
Daniel replies:
About that coughing and choking--many people have that reaction to things I write, or read. Thank you for not holding it against me.
Lou Siegel
Post #1969 – 20060521May 21, 2006
Hope all is well
Nice piece on Checker cabs this week.
Check out the webpage for recent additions
Just completed another Schanker show at Mercury Gallery in Boston — www.LouisSchanker.info
Best Wishes
Lou Siegel
Daniel replies:
Thanks. I'll take a look.
Geek Girl Groupie
Post #1968 – 20060517May 17, 2006
During the pastel Izod ’80’s your books gave me training wheels for the sub-culture.
Now I belly dance at a dance studio above the local Center for Marxist Education and dream about authoring an underground comic book. Check me out at area51hooker.com.
This geek girl groupie will always love you. Oh my!
Daniel replies:
If Marxist belly dancing had gotten started sooner, the Soviet Union might not have collapsed.
MAX SCRUGGS
Post #2234 – 20060516May 16, 2006
Mr. Pinkwater,
My daughter, Jane, says you are her hero. I’m writing, however, to ask why messages to you are dated January 1st, 2007, instead of January 1, 2007; February 26th, 2007, instead of February 26, 2007. Is it because it’s the British way and you’re British? We don’t do it that way in the U.S.
Yours, Max Scruggs
Daniel replies:
You're just jealous cause I am Jane's hero--and this website is Canadian.
Julie Sydor
Post #1966 – 20060513May 13, 2006
Dear Mr. Pinkwater,
My name is Julie Sydor, I am an intern for the artist Donna Barr. Back in 1995, the creator of the Desert Peach asked if you would like to submit a story featuring WWII’s Most Unlikely Hero, or perhaps some of the other stray puppies from the 469th, for a collection of various artists’ interpretations of the popular series that was to be called “The Ersatz Peach”.
What you sent was a rejection letter. Various terms “twisty number”, “temptress”, “monkey’s paw”, and “Brenda Starr” were harshly slung.
Absolutely Hilarious.
Anywho, Mrs. Barr and I are moving to release a second edition available on lulu.com. All proceeds will again go to helping the Chicken Soup Brigade, Washington’s organization to helping people with AIDS live with comfort and dignity. We would like to update all the artist’s information, if you would like to send a new information blurb, please e-mail me and let me know.
Many Thanks,
Julie Sydor
Daniel replies:
Whatever free source that sent me Desert Peaches and Stinzes, unique works of art by Donna Barr, seems to have dried up a few years ago. I look back on them fondly. I have the most profound respect and fear for Ms. Barr, and would never ""harshly"" sling anything her way. My artist-information never changes, so what you have is probably fine. Good luck with your worthy enterprise.
Cynthia L. Mason
Post #1967 – 20060513May 13, 2006
Having written many things for other people that really mean nothing at all , I now am going to write for my favorite humans, the young ones, and taking your beauitful lead of weirdness and wonderful fantasty, I embark on, “The Peanut Butter and Jelly Fish”. I,m 53 , but really i’m only a 12 year old girl, 6 feet tall , never wanting to leave the the tree house.Thanks for all your great books. I am inspired by the child you still keep close at hand. All the best,
Cynthia
Daniel replies:
One of my serious friends once explained to me that I was wasting my education and talent by writing stuff for kids, and he hoped I would become serious like him, and write a great large American novel, and a serious one. Being a nice and open-minded person, I thought about this, and what it would be like if people like him were my readers instead of people like the people who like my stuff. I became so depressed that I had to drive to Poughkeepsie, New York, to the La Deliziosa bakery, and buy a sfogliatelle, (available only on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays). This helped, because the sfogliartelle is a crunchy, chewy pastry, looking exactly like a bivalve, and filled with ricotta and bits of citron, amazing warm from the oven, and also amazing cold, and very good with coffee. I like to think if my friend had one, he might have been less serious, and not have made such a silly suggestion. I could have gotten another one for him, but I would only have eaten it myself.
Albert Young
Post #1965 – 20060510May 10, 2006
I was just wondering if Mr. Pinkwater reviews books for new authors?
Thank you,
Albert Young
Daniel replies:
No, I don't review books for authors. I review published books for readers.
Anonymous
Post #1964 – 20060509May 9, 2006
Nothing for myself…but for my 16 year old daughter! So Dear Mr. Pinkwater, or at the very least designated agent who weighs at least 275 lbs. and sells salami door-to-door: Do you ever do a critique of young authors’ works? I think my daughter has your wonderful writing style, lots of creativity and totally “chuckley”(?)funny It looks like her ideas come so easy to her, but then she always danced to the beat of a different drummer. Just wondering! Thank you very much. Keep writing!!!!
Daniel replies:
No, I never do a critique of anybody's work. I don't believe in critiques much. Even if I did, I don't think I'd critique young authors' work. If there were a young author I wanted to encourage, I might express enthusiasm and appreciation, I might buy her as many blank journals as she could fill, I might ferry her to the library, or give her a gift-certificate at a bookshop for her birthday--but I would not urge her to compare herself to published authors, or seek publication, or succumb to the commercially-oriented idea that you're only good if some office workers at a publishing house want to give you a contract for your work, and if they don't--you're not. Look what happened to that Harvard kid the other week.
Betty Goldberg
Post #1962 – 20060502May 2, 2006
I am a middle aged mother of two sons who were raised being read to by me ad nauseum. Your books, early children’s book, children’s novel collections and adult books have been massively appreciated by my family — AND NOW — in addition to my normal work, I volunteer five mornings a week reading to anyone who will listen on a local elementary school yard. A throng of children runs to me each morning as I settle into my camping chair and pull various books from my book bag and I thought you might like to know that of all the books I read (and I read a LOT) The Big Orange Splot is ALWAYS and FOREVER deeply loved by the listening kids. And, after lo these many years of reading it – – I share their feelings. Toothgnasher Super Flash, Wempires, Doodle Flute et al, have ornamented my life and it brings me untold pleasure to brings these books into the lives of others.
Daniel replies:
Wow! What a nice thing to read. Someday I am going to visit some other author-websites and see if anyone else has readers like mine. If they do, why are they such sourpusses when you meet them? Must be publisher abuse.
Lise Eisenberg
Post #1963 – 20060430April 30, 2006
There’s this house that just appeared for sale on craigslist, and I thought of you. Something about Dutchess County and the kennel. So, in case you have a pile of money lying around and are not already living in your dream house, I figured you might want to know about it. I’ve edited down the effusive description of the house and grounds, but you can find the entire listing and some photographs at the URL below. (I’d be tempted myself, if it were closer to any center of civilisation. I remember some less than kind words you’ve said about Dutchess County, many years ago.)
Enjoy.
newyork.craigslist.org/wch/rfs/155761797.html
$819000 – Gorgeous home, total privacy – 21 acre Dutchess County hilltop estate
Daniel replies:
We already live in our dream house. Dutchess County is extremely beautiful. And as to a center of civilization, could anyone ask for more than Poughkeepsie, once the home of Smith Brothers Cough Drops, and presently of Vassar College? And only $819,000! Such a deal!