Dear Sir.
You have a unique way with words. How might you change my name ,”Ross”, if you were to use it in a story? Thanks for your time and space.
Cordially, Ross Alden
Let me see...The how-to-name-the-baby book says Ross is derived from an Anglo-Saxon word, meaning ""horse,"" and Lawrence of Arabia once assumed the name of Ross, so I might change it to Horse of Arabia. (Or Cleveland, or Lithuania--your choice).
Dear Daniel,
I have been reading your books for 20 years now (ever since I stumbled upon ‘Alan Mendelssohn the Boy From Mars’ at the library) and I have enjoyed reading them again and again. I was so pleased when Fish Whistle came out and I learned that many of your ideas for characters and situations came from your own life.
I just listened to your interview on ‘Fresh Air’ from last month and I was curious about these ‘Classic Comics’. I wanted you to know they are available on eBay, assuming I found the right ones. I went ahead and bid on Number 1, The Three Musketeers: cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=2264366690. Are these the comics you spoke of?
A big fan,
Jessica Israels
Of course, there is no saying that Fish Whistle (now available combined with another book as Hoboken Fish & Chicago Whistle) is not completely made up. Yes, those are the comics I spoke of (Classics Illustrated is the correct title for the series. Check this: http://ksacomics.com/ci/ci.htm. ). I have a bunch of them in reprints, including The Three Musketeers. The reprints are on good paper, somewhat smaller than the originals, and may still be available somewhere. I will check Ebay, and bid against you.
Daniel:
Speaking of “Doltspeak” – have you observed how common it has become for people to refer to the most heinous miscreants as “gentleman”? On TV I hear this term applied to murderers, terrorists, child molesters, you name it. What’s wrong with “man”? This is insane.
There’s got to be an NPR commentary in this for you.
Many miscreants are, and have always been, gentlemen. However, I agree that people speaking on media should not refer to them as such, unless they are. When they are not, they should call them knaves.
Hello Everyone,
I heard Mr. Pinkwater on the Sat. edition of Morning Edition and heard his lugubrious statements about the usage of pundit. I would like to know how he feels about these two words; “Realtor” and “Jewelry”. I have heard so many people pronounce these words as “Real-a-tor” and “Jewel-er-y.” As one who aspires to do and say things correctly whenever possible I would like some help with this situation. Can you give me your thoughts please?
I love hearing Mr. Pinkwater on the radio and look forward to his next installment. I especially enjoy his readings with Scott Simon. Please forgive any grammatical errors in this message.
I think ""jewel-er-y"" is correct, when speaking of the greater community of jewelers.
Daniel:
Perfect. “Pundint” drives me crazy too. Even otherwise smart people are saying it now. For example, Jim Lehrer on PBS. Maybe if you bump into him in the hall at NPR or PBS you could have a word with him.
Your comments about “looking up ‘pundint’ in the dictionary” reminded me of a childhood memory. When I was a child, I brought home a word that I had learned on the school bus. It was the word Jean Shepherd referred to as “the Queen Mother” of dirty words. F blank blank blank. Fudge. Well when I used the word in front of my mother, she (being a progressive student of child psychology) took me right over to the dictionary and told me to look it up. Of course, it was nowhere to be found. She then told me “There’s no such word. Never say it again.”
Needless to say, the technique did not work.
Robert Witriol
Rochester, NY
I'm not allowed in the hall at NPR.
In answer to Donna Haight’s question of July 13: The author of the story about Christmas customs in Holland, involving six to eight black men, is David Sedaris. Here is a link to a CD of him reading that piece: www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1586215647/103-7853059-4151053?v=glance Just a warning, some of his material may be too risque for kids.
My own question (I sent this several years ago, but if there was a reply I didn’t catch it): why does the audio book of Borgel end in the middle? Is there a complete version somewhere? My kids and I loved the half we heard, but then I was forced to read the rest to them myself, a pale shadow of DP’s great reading.
I decided to check out this website again because I’m writing a column about children’s authors’ websites for some papers in upstate NY and the Berkshires. I’d love to interview DP — maybe I’ll get up the nerve one day. Thanks!
It takes nerves of steel to interview DP. The reason only half of BORGEL is available on tape is that the appalling, and deservedly defunct, Dove Audio which released the tape (and apparently the company which acquired their list--neither of which company has ever communicated with me, sent me royalties, or responded to my requests that they stop using my material, to which they have no rights--), received boxes with a place for one cassette instead of two...so...they just shipped with half the book rather than be put to the expense of getting other boxes. I am not making any of this up. Feel free to demand a refund--and good luck in getting it.
Mr Pinkwater;
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for writing so many great books for kids. I distinctly remember really enjoying your books as a child. It is with such fondness and emotion that I recall entering the world of Pinkwater fiction….it was another world for me. A different world. A world full of hope and positivity without being patronizing or preachy. I will always recall fondly the rebelious ways of the snarkout boys, the freaky gadgets of Alan Mendelson (are such things really possible??) and the way the Dadaists turned everything upside down. When I think of your work I always remembered your description of an avacado (was it on ice?) in a room, hooked up to a bunch of electronic equipment.
Do not doubt for a second that your work inspired me and helped mold me into who I am today, and that my memories of reading your books are some of my best! These reccolections and thoughts are based on twenty year old memories, so you know there was some real impact.
At thirty I know that there’s no way I’m too old for Daniel Pinkwater! So, I’m going to start buying ALL of your books. Starting with re reading the ones I so fondly remember, I intend to buy every one I can find. My wife is pregnant now, so I figure I have about 7 years to buy and read them all before my child will be ready to start reading these precious “books from when Dad was a kid” .
If you ever doubt that you have done good work in your life, cease. Your books entertained and inspired me and no doubt did the same for countless others.
Again, You have my sincere gratitude and deepest respect.
Sincerely.
Boone A.E.S.
P.S. I like avacados and eggplants too! Coincedence??
P.P.S. I’m still working on acheiving omega state.
I would like everyone to note that the writer of this unsolicited posting nowhere indicates that he is surving time in a correctional institution or otherwise gives any reason to believe he is an antisocial person, a ward of the state, or a foreign terrorist. I think this should give pause to some of my critics.
Mr. Pinkwater, I’m glad to see you are consistent in your recommendation that people not meet famous writers that they admire. I read that in your forum archives, as well as in a note you wrote to me 10 or so years ago when I was a high-school aged fan of yours. I do have one thing I’ve always meant to write you about, though. A correction. In Fish Whistle (or Chicago Days/Hoboken Nights) you state that you only got one fan letter for Norb, and that it was from some famous writer. However, when Norb was still in my newspaper every day, I wrote you telling you that it was the finest strip ever wrought by human hands. My question: Was this some creative minimization, not to be taken literally, or (as I suspect) were you demonstrating some prophetic powers and declaring that I will be a famous writer some day. If it’s the latter, then I’m glad you weren’t slighting a loyal fan, but instead were bestowing a boon, a blessing, a declaration of what we both surely hope will turn out to be true (unless you have any long-standing objections to _becoming_ a famous writer as well as meeting same). Seriously, though, thanks for your books. I picked them up years ago & never put them down (boy are my arms tired), and recently had the opportunity to introduce my little sister to a copy of Lizard Music, which she enjoyed. Authors we admire in common have been a big part of our relationship, since we live in different cities, and I appreciate your part in that. Next I sent her Salinger, and Hesse. I think that’s the company in which you belong.
A loyal fan,
Devin Collins
In fact, we received two positive fan letters while Norb was running. One from a famous author, and one from a famous cartoonist. (There were a lot of letters a year after we packed it in, asking, ""Where is it?"" Yours never reached me. You must understand that letters sent in care of publishers, (and in this case newspapers), pass through the hands of incompetent wretches. Many are simply discarded, or eaten, or mistakenly sent to other authors, who, unlike me, are too depressed and intoxicated to forward them, or return them to the same incompent wretches who missent them in the first place, where they are simply discarded, or eaten. Thank you for admiring my work, and comparing me to great writers.
I love The Big Orange Splot! Thanks a million for creating this masterpiece!
Creating masterpieces is its own reward--still, it is very nice when someone says thanks.
Hi Mr. Pinkwater,
UC Berkeley’s student newspaper the Daily Californian just began a new feature in their arts section called “Taster’s Choice,” where the paper’s writers recommend pieces of art that they’ve loved throughout their life or recently discovered that they need to let the Berkeley population know about, and the first column was written about your book “Lizard Music.”
The mini-feature ran in the arts section of our issue on Thursday, July 29 and can be found online at www.dailycal.org/article.php?id=15714 – I hope you enjoy it!
Rich Bunnell
Arts Editor
The Daily Californian
Mr. Boyk wrote a good piece. Please convey my respects and best wishes. I am honored to have been cited in the student newspaper of a great and historic university.
Mr. Pinkwater, I just heard something that I don’t know if you’ll find hilarious or appalling. Apparently a library patron in Chester, New Hampshire has asked that “Fat Camp Commandos” be removed from the library’s shelves because it “makes fun of fat people.” I didn’t realize your books were such a source of controversy! No word of a fatwa being issued, but I’ll keep you posted.
J.Z. Smith
New Hampshire
BR
We just had the Grandmother of a young patron come in and she returned the book “Fat Camp Commandos” by Daniel Pinkwater and she asked for it to be removed from our shelves. She was given and filled out a Request for Reconsideration of Materials form. Her complaint was that the book “made fun of fat people”, however she did not even get past the first few pages. She thinks it should be taken off the shelves. We are very familiar with the Library’s Bill of Rights what we were wondering is has anyone else had a challenge on this particular book and if so what did you tell the patron.
Thanks for any info.
Melissa Rossetti
Asst. Director
Chester Public Library
Chester, NH
If you are in touch, please convey the following: In regard to the library patron who desires that my book FAT CAMP COMMANDOS be removed from the shelves ""because it makes fun of fat people,"" I want to say that I agree with that fat person. Not only does the book make fun of fat people, but the author continues to think fat people are terribly funny--some more than others.
Hello.
I just wanted to say thankyou to Daniel for entertaining an almost 40 year old woman. Some years ago I was ambling around the children’s library with my son looking for something I’d not already read (See, I’d taken my boy as a ruse…..he was only a few weeks old at the time) and there was your copy of Borgel….although I’m sure it wasn’t called that then. I read it, raved about it, took it back to the library and then decided to buy my own copy. But, being a total duffer I managed to forget a. what it was called and b. who it was by.
Now, this makes buying a book very difficult. I tried all sorts of combinations at the bookshop….did it have ‘popsicle’ in the title? No, as it turns out….but at the time I was convinced it did. The poor bloke in the bookshop thought I was crackers, but he was too polite to say so…..remember this is England.
Now we fast-forward a few years. My son is now 12 and I’m still searching for this great book. But now I have a computer. And the amazing thing is you can sit for ages and try all kinds of combinations without feeling guilty about boring anybody else….and you can find the book you are looking for….and I did. I had to order it second hand from someone in America and it was now called Borgel (which it wasn’t before) and it cost me an arm and a leg but it was worth every penny….it is such a good book….so mad and imaginative and funny.
Since then I’ve managed to get a copy of The Hoboken Chicken Emergency, Lizard Music and The Afterlife Diet. I just wanted to let you know how good I think your books are and to say thankyou very much indeed Mr Pinkwater.
By the way have you read The Eyre Affair/ Lost in a Good Book/ The Well of Lost Plots…..all by Jasper Fforde? If you havent, then find them and read them……I think you would like them. They are a little bit Lewis Carroll, a little bit SF, very original and very clever.
Thankyou again,
Amanda Easton.
I think Borgel was called ""Time Tourists,"" or something similar in England. Had you written here first, I could have told you that it's included in one of the two (cheap) paperback anthologies, 5 NOVELS and 4 FANTASTIC NOVELS. That's nine novels, eight of which you haven't read, and you can probably get them from amazon UK. Sorry about the sales pitch. Thanks for all the kind words.
DP’s a big sneak. He appears to write for the Inner Child, but I think he’s really writing, in an adult voice, for the Innerer Adult.
Ah.. Subversive. I thought so!
But the innermost quark-child comes around and reads it when the Innerer Adult is asleep, or looking at reality TV.
Just a note to say “Thanks” after listening to your Fresh Air interview. One seldom gets to listen to a salubrious adult.
Thank you for your vote of salubriousness.
My husband keeps bringing up the subject of seeing someone he thought might have been you in Glenfinnan Scotland in May. Any chance you were there? I didn’t think so.
We both enjoy hearing you on public radio.
Thank you!
Probably my cousin Hamish. Did this lookalike have a bagel ornament on his sporran?
