Mike Engstrom

December 22, 2002

daniel

it upsets me very much that thus far no one has menitoned a particular work of yours. well dammit i will do it for you all. alan mendehlson, the boy from mars, was the very first novel of yours i touched, and it sadly became my gateway drug. i became helpless. (is this a support group for recovering and self-proclaimed addicts? sorry if not) anyway at the age of ten i somehow managed to come up with an original copy of the book. it is in the utterly worst condition, yet remains my most prized possession. someday i may start a church dedicated to my worship, with alan mendehlson as the bible. my life, personality, intelligence, and opinions will forever be affected by you. mil gracias…

ps did you ever find inspiration from sources that have been known to alter one’s perception, state of conciousness?? especially in you earlier writings? you know, things like hot chocolate or corn-bread muffins?

hahaha

mr. jerris

Lisa Cope

December 22, 2002

I just finished my student teaching in a 6th grade class. During my stint with the 6th graders, I decided to read aloud “Lizard Music” (a childhood favorite of mine) to the class. When I finished, there was a run in the school library for any book that you had written. I then read “The Orange Splot”, “The Hobokken Chicken Emergency”, “Fat Men From Space”, and “Author’s Day”. The kids loved it all! They wrote me letters of advice for my next teaching job. Almost every one one of them said that in order to get the new classes to like me, I should read books by Pinkwater.

Thanks for your clever imagination. We appreciate your books!

Enid Cloyed

December 10, 2002

I have come to the frightening realization that my cat is the reincarnation of a polar bear. Truth be told, he is a most wondrous creature.

I am currently re-reading your 5 novels book, ecstatic that such wonders like Avacado of Death and Alan Mendelson are back in print. My mum, a cataloger, has spent many an hour speaking on your wondrous sense of humor. Soon, I got sick of her incessant yakking, and I read all I could of your works. I have to admit…mum was right. I was wondering…what should one do if one has a goofy name? Perhaps Jill would know, only I am dying to resolve the problem that has been plaguing me since my existence.

I have started a Dada-like petition to my school about stocking your books. So far the crusade has proved near fatal as they have locked me in a utility closet with nothing but a stick and a bit of string to keep me occupied.

How can I possibly escape? It is so damp in here, and I have nothing to eat (not even crunchy granola) I humbly ask the advice of such a wicked cool writer as you.

~ Honoria Maude Cloyed

Caryn Shields

December 8, 2002

Dear Mr. Pinkwater,

My name is Caryn Shields and I’m a senior majoring in elementary education at Penn State University. My boyfriend, Mark, just recently introduced me to your books because they were his favorite as a child and still are. I’m taking a course in Children’s Literature right now and we are writing a paper on a children’s author/illustrator of our choice. I decided to write about you after reading The Big Orange Splot. I used that book during a visit to a kindergarten class where I read them the story and then had the students draw a picture of the house of their dreams. Mark told me about this website so I thought I would leave a little message and ask if there’s anything you would want my classmates and I about you, or children’s books, or anything in general. Thanks for your time.

🙂 Caryn Shields

John Reid

December 7, 2002

you reviewed a story about a penguin chick and his problem of being lost among all the look-alike penguins. Will you tell the the title and/or author?

Are you doing less NPR or am I listening less? Do more.

Martin Zimmerman

December 6, 2002

Anybody know what movie Jimmy Durante sang “(I’ll Never Forget) The Day I Read a Book” in?

Emily Wean

December 1, 2002

Hi Daniel Pinkwater (again, I have done a note to you before)!

My name is Emily Wean and I am 10. I noticed the contest that was coming up. Unfortunately, today is December 1st and my dad cant even enter the contest (since you have to be 18 or older). I am pretty sad about that. Basically I was wondering if the pzone would be holding any more contests. Even if they are for 18 or older, my dad could enter.

My friend Aleah and I love your books. In our classroom, if you finish a book, you put a penny in a jar for as many 27 pages there are (or whatever the number of pages is closest to). At the end of school, we buy lots of candy with the pennies and have a party. Aleah and I have read more books than everyone in the class, and most of them are your books. Together, we are trying to make a goal of having read all of the Daniel Pinkwater books over the year. Do you think it’s possible?

Your fan,

Emily Wean

A Reader

November 25, 2002

Dear Daniiel Pinkwater

Whenever in class that we have too write a story I always try to write a Kevin Shapiro story(I was able to onece). But If we have to actully write a real story I never can get the names right.

When I read The Wuggie Nurple Story just recentley, I was amazed at how well you made the names(Exploding Poptart and King Waffle are definetly classics). Well anyway I was wondering how you name your characters? I have always had trouble with it.

P.S. I am planning to name all future pets I have:Borgel Lenord Neeble The Chicken Man and Winston Bongo. I also wish to change my middle name to Borgel

Erik Johnson

November 23, 2002

Dear Mr. Pinkwater,

My name is Erik Johnson. I am 8 years old and live in Harvard Mass. and I read The Hoboken Chicken Emergency. I thought it was a good book because it was funny! My favorite part was when they got to keep Henrietta. Why was Henrietta 266 pounds instead of another number? I think my dog Klara is like Henrietta because she goes crazy when she doesn’t get enough attention. I am getting more of your books.

From, Erik Johnson

PS I am mailing you a letter too.

Katy Manz

November 23, 2002

Dear sir,

When I was much younger we were assigned “Lizard Music” to read in school. Well, I loved writing at the time but found reading what others had written rather boring. So I never read it and pretended I had. It seems only appropriate now that I am in college, I am writing a paper comparing child/animal perspective. The two books I am comparing are”Lizard Music” and “The Lion, the witch, and the Wardrobe”.This is the first book I have ever read of yours(I think), and it influenced me in a very strange way. Upon reading the last page, my mind was blank. I wasn’t quite sure what to make of the whole thing and decided to chew on it for a couple days. As time passed and I had some time to think it over I found myself analyzing every aspect of it. Why did he go there? Why was it important? What in the land needed to be changed? How did it change? Who changed it? That’s enough you get the idea. The point I’m trying to make(and probably not doing a very good job at it) is that it challenged me. It was not a story that I would pick to read leisurely, but I think that is not the only reason someone should read. My brother is studying film and music. He is always trying to expose me to works that do not deliver the story for you, but rather make you find it for yourself. Well, even though the story in your book seemed simple enough, It left me with a lot of questions that I have had a blast in attempting to answer. So, as an aspiring writer, teacher, etc., thanks for the lesson!

sincerely, Katy

Isaiah Thuku Kabuchu

November 18, 2002

Dear sir,

Iam a young kenyan and i would like to know more about Messiah as i would like to converted from a christian to Messiah believing person .I am living here in Kenya East Africa and living in abject poverty Please as you send me info about Messiah also send me us dollars 300 to help me start a small second hand shoe selling business .

Thank you

Isaiah Thuku Kabuchu

Aliza Metal

November 18, 2002

My parents never read us Goodnight Moon. Our lullaby was The Doors’ “People are Strange” and our bedtime stories were The Fat Cat and The Wuggie Norple Story. How they found the only two children’s books that feature both an ever growing orange cat and bizarre names (like Papercup Mixmaster and Exploding Poptart, Skahottentot and Skolinkenlot leave us with warm fuzzy feelings – possibly nausea, as the Fat Cat eats the latter two, along with the rest of the characters in this ode to my parent’s dementia) we will never know, but I am grateful to them and to you for supplying them. The book is a treasure. My 17 year old cat’s name is Wuggie Norple and she has borne the name with dignity, grace, and girth to rival her namesake. Thank you.

Mark Pendergrast

November 18, 2002

Hello — I’m not sure whether this will reach Daniel Pinkwater or not. I hope so. If not, I hope others on this list will appreciate my brilliant work below and will help me to get it published. I am already a semi-famous author (see my website below) of books for adults, but you can tell where my heart is from this story, which is basically an extended fart joke. As you may have guessed anyway, it was inspired (as much great art is) by autobiographical experience. I made this great bean soup…. and for some reason my wife complained vociferously about it.

I think it should be an illustrated classic and earn tons of royalties. I would appreciate hearing from anyone who agrees with me but if you are terminally offended, please keep it to yourself, as my wife has requested of me regarding my flatulence.

Yours,

Mark Pendergrast nasw.org/users/markp/

To save space, we have put this fascinating short story here — Ed.

Michelle Martin

November 16, 2002

Dear Mr. Pinkwater,

A dear friend of mine introduced me to your books with The Big Orange Splot many years ago. She has recently finished building (with her own tow hands, along with many others) her own dream house. I would love to send you a page from The Big Orange Splot for you to sign as a house warming gift for her. Is this possible? How can I go about such a thing if it is allowable?

Many thanks either way. Youe books have brought great joy and amusment over the years.

William Edsel

November 16, 2002

Good Morning, I loved the piece that Author Daniel Pinkwater did on small town America coffee shops, and how they are the essence of community. My wife goes to such a place everyday, and I would like to give her a copy of this talk. I tried to find it on the Web but could not. I heard it on UNC NPR on Tuesday, Nov 12, 2002 at 6:50 am. Could you tell me where I could get a copy. Thanks.