Celeste Norpel
Post #1509 – 20020712
July 12, 2002
DP,
Hi! My name is Celeste Norpel and about two years ago, a friend of mine gave me a copy of The Wuggie Norple Story that she found at a flea market. Since then I’ve been trying to find copies of it to give to my brothers and sisters so that they can share it with their kids. I haven’t been able to find it, and I was hoping you could help me with my search. And by the way, where did you get the name Wuggie Norple?
Thanks a lot,
Celeste Norpel
Daniel replies:
Norpel is a fine and beautiful name. Bear ir proudly. The name Wuggie Norple, and most of the text, came to me in a dream--the only time this has happened, anyway with such clarity. If you read a couple or three posts up, you will find some online sources for used children's books. It's out of print, of course. Celeste Norpel...what a euphonious appelation!
Mark Fisher
Post #1508 – 20020711
July 11, 2002
Tayereh Daniel,
About 1992 or 1993, you did a piece on NPR (I think it was ATC) that may have been, I believe, the original Uncle Boris Yukon story, complete with untranslated Yiddish dialogue. What was it exactly and does it exist anywhere in writing or in recorded form?
Daniel replies:
It's the first chapter in the book, identical to the radio piece.
Steve Gurney
Post #1507 – 20020709
July 9, 2002
DP,
One of the fond memories of my childhood was owning and reading and rereading your book Wingman. Recently, my nephew has gotten into comic books and I thought it’d be a great story for him to read. Unfortunately, as you no doubt know, it is no longer in print. I was wondering if there are any plans to bring it back into circulation or if you knew of any place on line that I can get a copy of it for a reasonable price….
Sincerely,
Steve Gurney
Daniel replies:
I always start with Cattermole 20th Century Children's Books (books@cattermole.com ), then there's alibris.com, half.com, and various others. Ed? I think there was a (Dell?) paperback floating around.
There is, and it's mine, and you can't have it. But if you're really interested in getting a copy, try BiblioFind. They're sure to have a few copies available for a decent price. -- Ed.
Heather
Post #1506 – 20020705
July 5, 2002
Was there ever an unabriged audio version of Borgel? My mom happened to pick up the excerpts that dove audio put out a while back. It was cheap, and having read some of your books before, we figured it would be good. We absolutely love it and listen to it every year when we take our anual road trip to New Jersey from Colorado. It would be fabulous to have the whole book on tape. It would actually make the long boring ride through Nebraska fun. However, I have not been able to locate it. Did it ever exist?
Also, is Borgel in print anymore? I can check it out from my library, but I would love to own it, and can’t seem to find it at any stores.
Wholewheat fig bars and all natural honney sweetened gingerbeer make a wonderful combination, and are wonderful food for on the road. Borgel certainly knew the right way to travel.
Daniel replies:
I still wake up screaming because of Dove Audio--and I believe I am not the only one. I recorded the entire BORGEL, but they only published the one cassette because someone had ordered the wrong size boxes. I could tell you more stories, but then you'd wake up screaming.
Borgel can be found with 3 other reprinted books in 4 Fantastic Novels, (Simon and Schuster), $10.00, paperback. If you also purchase 5 Novels, Farrar Straus and Giroux, you will have nine of my novels for a little over twenty bucks.
Nanna Ogburn
Post #1505 – 20020704
July 4, 2002
Whilst I was shelving books at my university library, I stumbled across a book called “Ducks!”. I read this book because my boyfriend is the number one fan of ducks in general. Anyway, this was a big mistake because soon I fell right on my bottom laughing until I was in pain. I even read the book out loud to the few patrons whom I had bothered by this outburst so they could understand that I was not just crazy. So, I was determined to get this book for my boyfriend, nieces, nephew, father, siblings, and any random stranger I came across that looked like they hadn’t read in a while. But, it is sadly out of print. How can I get my hands on some copies of this great story?
Nanna Ogburn
p.s. My boyfriend would like to make note that ducks do not lie, and he is quite offended at the affront on this most noble of creatures.
Daniel replies:
It's in print! It's in print! Xlibris, ( xlibris.com ) is offering DUCKS! You order, and they will print and bind one just for you. The ink-and-paper quality of the Xlibris edition is a bit better than the original from the conventional publisher. Amazon should be listing it soon.
Stubby
Post #1504 – 20020702
July 2, 2002
Dear DP,
This is Stubby .thanks for the info, but you didn’t answer my question. WHAT IS A BORGELNUSKIE!!!!!!!!!????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!??????????????!!!!!!
signed
Stubegious S. Jones
leader and founder of the Opposite bros.
Daniel replies:
What IS a borgelnuskie? What an appropriate question to contemplate, coming as it does on July 3rd, one day before the Glorious Fourth, our national natal day. What IS a borgelnuskie? It is a hot summer day at the beach. It is a visit to the art museum with your aunt Annabelle. It is the roar of the crowd carried on the wind from the distant stadium. It is building a model race car in the basement, and being careful not to inhale glue fumes. It is toothmarks in a Number Two Ticonderoga pencil. It is hamsters playing in the rays of the setting sun. What is a Borgenuskie? It is America. And Canada. And northern Mexico. And Puerto Rico. Happy Independence day, Stubby.
Stubby Jones
Post #1503 – 20020628
June 28, 2002
Dear MR.Pinkwater
Hi.This is Stubby again. Remember me? Well thanks for your reply. You really should consider writing a sequel to Alan Mendehlson: Boy from Mars. I have 2 more questions: 1. can I send you some storys? 2. what is a borgelnuskie? pleez get back to me soon
singed,
Stubegious S. Jones
leader and founder of the Opposite bros.
Daniel replies:
No, you may not send me some stories, and thanks for reminding me--we're fresh out of borgelnuskies, and I have to go and get some!
Ted Kekatos
Post #1502 – 20020625
June 25, 2002
Mr. Pinkwater,
Is there a Nettlehorst Alumni organization? Can you link me?
Kirk (Ted) Kekatos
Class of 1941
Daniel replies:
Yes there is, and no I can't. I lost the contact/address. Is there a Nettlehorst song?
Tim Wheeler
Post #1501 – 20020623
June 23, 2002
Dear Mr. Pinkwater:
I’d like your opinion. And since you’ve had my ear for many years on NPR I know you have many. (Opinions, not ears.)
I want to know what you think about Southwest Airlines policy of charging what we will gently call “two-seated passengers” for two seats. And I ask you this because you make no bones about the fact that you’re not skin and bones.
Please advise.
Your friend,
Tim Wheeler
Daniel replies:
If you go to npr.org and then to the All Things Considered program of June 20, you may listen to my remarks on this subject.
Jesse Ross
Post #1500 – 20020620
June 20, 2002
Hello, I’m a different person from the Jesse Ross who has already written you in regards to your sequel to “Lizard Music”. I stumbled across this site while engaged in the low practice of looking up my own name on the internet.
It’s a nice coincidence, though. My sister graduated from Bard college a few weeks ago, and while I was there I ignominiously stole her copy of Lizard Music (it was previously mine, and previously to that apparently property of a library in Montana). I was struck by how much it brought back memories of childhood – the good, thinky parts of it. I’ve also been delighted recently to see that “Yobgorgle” is in print in one of your huge collections. I grew up in Rochester, and aside from a half-remembered and definitely over my head John Updike story in the New Yorker (involving adultery, if you believe it, and set at poor old Midtown Mall – there was snow, too, I think), Yobgorgle was my only indication that the world of books had heard of Rochester. I’ll definitely read it again soon.
Incidentally, do you think I should give that copy of “Lizard Music” back to my sister? I mean, it *was* mine originally.
Anyways, you rule, Daniel Pinkwater!!! I believe I can speak for all of Rochester when I say we are grateful. Never change.
Your fan,
Jesse Ross
P.S. – The Rochester public library downtown has remodeled and expanded, and the children’s section is no longer in the room with the secret door. There’s some sort of dreary administrative office or something there now.
P.P.S. – One or two people have mentioned that that man in Central Square in Cambridge reminds them of the Chicken Man. He always reminded me of *someone* and now I remember who!
Daniel replies:
Yes, you should give the book back to your sister. If she just graduated with Bard she will be realizing what an unfamilar place the real world is, and may want something comforting to read.
Stubegious S. Jones
Post #1499 – 20020620
June 20, 2002
Dear MR.Pinkwater,
Hello.My name is Stubby.I am short, and I am fat, and I am an author. Well enough with formalities, what I really wanted to ask you is did you ever write a sequel to the book Alan Mendelson, boy from Mars? Please write back!
signed,
Stubegious S. Jones
leader and founder of the Opposite Bros.
Daniel replies:
I have never even been tempted to write a sequel to A. Mendelsohn. You provide a small sample, but enough to convince me that you are not only an author, but probably a good one. Thanks for visiting Ed's Museum of Curiosities.
Jackson Landers
Post #1498 – 20020610
June 10, 2002
As a fan of your work since the age of 8, I am puzzled by one aspect of this website: where the heck are the dogs? C’mon, I want to see pictures of Maxine, Juno, Arctic Flake and all the other more important figures of your essays. In most cases, the ‘picture of my dog’ section of a personal website comes off as pointless and dull. But if ever there was an exception, this would be it.
Now if only George Thurber was still alive, wielding a digital camera. My literary dog-worship could be fully indulged.
Daniel replies:
It's James Thurber. I will send a digital picture of Lulu to Ed, who can post it for your dog-worshipping enjoyment.
Robert Berkman
Post #1497 – 20020607
June 7, 2002
Can you tell me what the words are for the Jimmy Durante song Daniel uses on his “Weekend Edition” book review? I would like to use it next year in my school…..
Thanks!
Daniel replies:
If you email wesat@npr.org, they can direct you to the CD with the song. Or, you could just do a google search on ""I'll never forget the day I read a book,"" and see if lyrics come up--but I think you need the actual voice of the Great Durante to put it over.
Christel
Post #1496 – 20020607
June 7, 2002
If you are interested in making some of your hard-to-finds available online you might want to check out nospine.com if you haven’t heard about it already. You submit books in RTF (Word) or PDF files and people pay to download them. You get 80%. You could even do books with illustrations using the PDF format I’m pretty sure. It would take some work getting the books ready for this type of publication, but you could get somebody else to do that. Maybe even me.
-Christel (again)
Daniel replies:
I already have something going with Xlibris. Is this similar?
The Voice of America
Post #1494 – 20020605
June 5, 2002
Mr. P.
I am a fan visiting a friend and using her computer. I have tried to find away to phrase this so that it would be appropriate for all ages and I can not. So I will be blunt. I lost some friends in the WTC and a friend of mine at the Pentagon was seriously hurt. You are a handsome man, and a quasi-sage. You are also a man who finds humor in most everything. Here is my question. How in the Blue Hell can I or anyone in America ever laugh again. I just came out of an 8 and a half month funk during which I read every book you have written including a rare edition of Java Jack and Fat Elliot an d the Gorilla. Help me friend, if anyone can. Tell me how I can ever find laughter again?
Sign me
The voice of America
Daniel replies:
You will. Healing takes time. You can't speed it up--just take it easy. Eight-and-a-half months is about right for a funk.
