Viking of Mars

September 26, 2002

U rool

Nan Carlson

September 19, 2002

Dear Mr. Pinkwater:

My daughter and I have just discovered Larry. Upon researching the lifestyles of polar bears, I was pleased to find the truthfulness in your delightful story: that polar bears are often born as twins and do indeed lead very solitary lifestyles. I have not found confirmation about the hitting on the head aspect of polar bear life, but I now have no reason to doubt this must also be true.

Thank you for Larry. And Roy.

Patsy Nevins

September 18, 2002

Hello, Daniel,

I just wanted to tell you how much I love your books. I love the collections of essays, & “The Afterlife Diet”, as well as your wonderful children’s books. I believe, however, that of all your work, my favorites have to be “Fat Camp Commandos” & “Fat Camp Commandos Go West.” I am one of Hank Wann’s Gabcafe Fatsos, & I love all the quirky, interesting, 3-dimensional, & positive fat characters you create. I think that Ralph, Sylvia, & Mavis are the best of the bunch. They are fun, funny, delightfully subversive, & educational as hell! I congratulate you on being able to entertain while raising consciousness & promoting fat acceptance. Thank you for books that make me feel good from beginning to end, & for writing which does not follow the old “& they lost weight, & became thin & beautiful & lived happily ever after” formula. I may have just turned 53 years old (“Fat Camp Commandos Go West” was my own birthday present to myself), but I am definitely one of your kids! I hope that Ralph, Sylvia, & Mavis will have many more adventures.

Best always,

Patsy Nevins

Dwight Bowie

September 15, 2002

I am trying to get a copy of a piece you did a couple of years ago. I don’t remember the title but it had to do with a child doing “pretty good” throughout school, but never quite getting it. Point was how we let less than top performance be ok.

Can you help?

thanks

Dwight Bowie

Heather Hoffmann

September 15, 2002

I was wondering if you, or anyone else who happens to read this, knows where or how I could get a copy of the Chinwag Theater shows on which Borgel was read in its entirety. I would do nearly anything to get a copy….well maybe not ANYTHING, but I would be forever indebted to the kind soul who could help me find an unabridged audio version of this fabulous work. My blood still boils when I think about Dove Audio only publishing excerpts. The world needs to be able to hear all of Borgel. It is fantastic when read, but hearing it makes it even better. What other books of yours are available in audio form?

Thanks so much!

Heather

Alan Epstein

September 11, 2002

Is the Magic Moscow still there?

Sherril Smoger-Kessous

September 10, 2002

Dear Daniel Pinkwater,

I was very excited to find that Scott Simon was going to be hosting an event on Wednesday, September 18 at the New York Historical Society called From The Front Lines: An Evening with Scott Simon. I have purchased tickets with my sister to attend. There is only one thing that would make that evening even better. That would be if you were to appear with Scott for a portion and maybe even read some of your favorite children’s books like you often do on Weekend Edition Saturday.

Any chance???

Fondly,

Sherril Smoger-Kessous

Parsippany, New Jersey

Michael Cooke

September 10, 2002

Mr. Pinkwater or Pinkwater Representative,

I am a librarian for Town Center Elementary School in Coppell, Texas. Yes, the state of horned toads and chili dogs. I am currently putting together several webpages to my school site, and I took a picture of a student holding up a nice copy of your book, Irving and Muktuk, for an addition to my online catalog webpage. I sincerely hope that you will grant me the honor of having this photograph on display.

My eight-year-old son, Forrest, and I are rabid (Are there any other kind in Texas?) fans of all your books. Keep writing those masterpieces of wit, kindness, and humanity. You are the best!

Cindy Trisler

September 9, 2002

Dear Daniel Pinkwater,

I’m looking for a poem about oysters which I’m just sure you recited on Garrison Keillor’s show some years ago. I remember the line “nothing slicker, nothing moister..”

I looked through the list of books (whew! such a long list) but didn’t see anything that promised to contain this poem. Didn’t you have an anthology of food poems? I swear I saw that somewhere.

Anyway, I am teaching a group of medium-security prisoners who are in a culinary program and the topic of hated food came up. As their English instructor, I tuned in to their enthusiasm and asked them to write. Results? Several essays on a variety of green things, notably brussel sprouts and rutabagas, but two or three on oysters! (Chicken liver got a good treatment, too.)

I’d love to find that book. Seems like there was something on rutabags, too. I think my students would get a laugh from it.

Lee Squires

September 2, 2002

Le Chat,

I have a kink on my Floggins chip which runs in parallel with my hard drive and wreaks havoc on my ‘puter. Two amongst the many things that occur with a kinked Floggins are an extremely slow processing turnaround, and a consistent misspelling of the word ‘tomarrow’. Sabatini, no doubt could have repaired it faster than a fish can whistle, but (mores the pity) couldn’t be located. Why is that?

On a completely different note, several of my multitudinous children are becoming Pinkwater fans. Is this correctable by nutritional supplements, or will I have to resort to surgery?

The Old Woman Who Lives in a Shoe

Jamie B.

August 31, 2002

Dear DP,

I have been searching relentlessly for a quote from an interview you gave on NPR. A good friend of mine has sited you as having the true insight on those that own French cars. I would like to find the exact… or at least approximate quote (or get the essential scoop from you) so that I can have it printed and framed for my husband. You see, he repairs and restores Citroens… an occupation that makes for many interesting encounters and queries from those of us with some sense of practicality.

Yours truly,

Jamie B.

Noelle Nordstrom

August 31, 2002

Dear Mr. Pinkwater,

My family and I enjoyed listening to a tape of you reading “Moose Tales” during our recent, 1200 mile road trip. We played the tape several times and it probably kept us from killing each other. My 4 year old daughter is now obsessed with clam chowder, and wants to have a dinner with the same fare you would find at Mr. Breton’s restaurant. This will be a fun thing to do, but I need a good gingerbread recipe. Is there one that you would recommend? Thank you very much for writing stories that tickle all of us to the core, for expanding my kid’s interest in food beyond jam sandwiches, and hopefully for sharing a Pinkwater-approved gingerbread recipe!

Sincerely, Noelle

John Withers, Jr.

August 30, 2002

TO: Daniel Pinkwater & Scott Simon

New York & Illinois

FROM: John S. Withers, Jr.

Hamden, Connecticut

For a number of years I have been sending copies of children’s books to my sister (3rd Grade Teacher) and to her elementary school library in San Antonio, Texas based on the book reviews that Mr. Pinkwater and Mr. Simon do on Saturday mornings.

After listening to one of your book reviews the other day and realizing at the same time that I had never forwarded one of Mr. Pinkwater’s books on to San Antonio I decided to email you two questions:

1) Is it possible to purchase one or more of Mr. Pinkwater’s books through you and have him inscribe the book to a school?

2) Have you considered making a computer CD either for general school use or specifically for a school, perhaps doing one of your book reviews or even better, making a special presentation for the school?

In the case of my sister’s school, an urban school in the center of San Antonio, either of the above would be a special treat for my sister and the school.

With best regards,

John S. Withers, Jr.

Tony Gies

August 26, 2002

Hello Mr. Pinkwater,

I was introduced to your work through a mutual friend and have fallen in love with your creative stories. Mind you I’m an analytical chemist (Mass Spectroscopist)so reading is my passion…unfortunately my reading is usually limited to the sciences…QuantumElectro Dynamics being one of my favorite subjects. I can think of no greater subject then the beautiful uncertainty that provides our very existence. Your writings also embrace this wonderful spirit of uncertainty that brings me so much happiness. You are a true artist in every sense and I want to thank you for sharing your stories with the world…keep them coming!

Chris Raschka

August 26, 2002

Dear Mr. Pinkwater,

Thank you so much, and to Mr. Simon, too, of course, for the most beautiful reading of Arlene Sardine I have ever heard.

I am eager, too, to try sardines on toast a la Pinkwater.

Long live Arlene, in our hearts, (and guts).

Yours,

delicately smoked in New York City,

Chris Raschka

Mr. Raschka is the author of “Arlene Sardine,” which was read on Weekend Edition Saturday by Daniel and Scott Simon.