Smokey Stover was the comic strip. “Notary Sojac” and “Foo” both seemed to get into that strip all the time. Now, following Smokey Stover, an extra comic strip…tacked on, as it were, was “The Squirrel Cage” There was the little hitchhiker with the placard “Nov Schmoz ka pop” Good to see the phrase is kept alive.
Schmoz and not Shmoz? Thanks for your scholarly remark.
Hi from London, Canada. I’m a 52 year old dad who discovered I was enjoying your books every bit as much as our kids (for whom we began purchasing them something like 15 years ago). My wife loves your stuff too, and the kids, now 18 and 15, are still enjoying your books. In fact, all four of us have already read your latest, The Education of Robert Nifkin, which arrived as a Christmas gift. While waiting our turn to read Nifkin, the rest of us started rereading some of your older books and (re)enjoyed them immensely. The best word I can find to describe what you write would be “delicious”! (Your description of Chicago in Chapter 6 of Robert Nifkin is a case in point.)
I haven’t had a chance to look around this web-site, so forgive me if the answers to my questions are already here, but some of the things I’d be interested to know about you would be:
Guestbook for our baseball team, the Mud Dogs. Here’s the address:
Many thanks. Keep up the wonderful work. It’s brought a lot of people a lot of pleasure.
I assume you meant for me to choose one question, and answer it. I choose the one about how did I come to have my picture taken with Kurt Vonnegut. Answer: He was sitting right there. What would you have done?
Several years ago on NPR you read a story I am unable to get out of my mind. It was among a collection of dog stories. Will you PLEASE PLEASE help me find it. It was about a female malamute and her story of aging gracefully. As I recall, you told how she became more tolerant of the other dogs and was very content to sit and rest and watch. It was a beautiful statement about growing older – for both people and dogs. Thank you for any help you may give. Sincerely, Brenda Russell
Sounds familiar, in that I had such a Malamute, but I don't remember writing such a piece! It might possibly be in Hoboken Fish & Chicago Whistle ( Xlibris ), but then again....hmmm.
If you want to actually hear most of my dog essays, read by the author himself, you can order the Unofficial Cassette from Evan, our host and webmaster, right here on this very site. (Profits from sale of cassettes go to the Home for Aged Malamutes, or some such thing).
O Mr. Pinkwater –
I just finished re-reading “Fat men from space” for the fifth time, for the first time in probably six years – and it is so good I am passing it on to my niece, in hopes she will discover the pleasures and perils of junk food. Her father is a chef, a very good chef, but I think there is an Oreo deficit to her diet, the chocolates not cheesy enough to gobble, the hamburgers a little too lean, and I don’t think she has been exposed to Gyros and onions at all !!
Seriously (if that’s appropriate), your prose is so clean, so deceptively effortless – I’ve read everything I can get my hands on – Thanks for all the good work.
I appreciate the opportunity to tell you how I feel.
Take care.
David
And I appreciate someone mentioning that I write clean prose, (after 30 years!). Getting cleaner too.
The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death has been my favorite book ever since I was 11years old, and I wanted to know. How many other books have you written that involve the characters form this book?
There are two Snarkout Boys books: The Avocado of Death, and the Baconburg horror, both out of print as individual books. Avocado of Death is included in 5 Novels, and Baconburg will be in 4 Fantastic Novels, to be published in spring.
where did you get the idea for the snarkout boys and the avacado of death? it was a good book. i also liked the sequel, the snarkout boys and the baconburg horror.
Hmmm. Where did I get the idea? People always ask that question, as though there were a ""where,"" from whence ideas come. I can't speak for anyone else, but my ideas are fragmentary and never any good until I tinker with them. Often there's a kernel of reality--in this case the Clark, a real movie house that was dear to me in my high school days in Chicago. And I had a friend named Winston with whom I'd ""Clark out,"" sometimes. Come to think of it, the whole book is utterly true, and not a word of it is fiction.
Dear Mr. Pinkwater,
I have just finished reading your biography and I found it very enlightening and educational, however. I would like to make a small correction: “…all of the colonial Jews at the time being Ladino speaking Sephardim”. Should read “…all of the colonial Jews at the time being Sephardic speaking Ladino.” I realize this is a minor point of fact but as I have to much extra time on my hands I thought I would send this email.
Sincerely,
Alec Greenfield
What it ought to say is Ladino-speaking Sephardim. OK?
Dear Pinky,
I am sick and its my birthday today. I love your books (especially Alan Mendalson the Boy from Mars, and The Snarkout Boys and The Avacado of Death)
My question to you is; I know you have been on NPR, did you get the name Alan Mendalson from that news dude on NPR? Sorry if I spelt Mendalson wrong but I don’t have the book anymore, I gave it to my dad in New York.
I made him read it but he didn’t like it much. He also forgot it was my birthday today cause when he called me I had to remind him. This is the worst birthday I have ever had except that I don’t have to go to school (thats the good part about it) This is my first time visiting this site.
My uncle told me about it. I love you. Please answer my very important
question!
Love,
Colie
There's a news dude on NPR called Alan Mendelsohn? I never heard him! I only listen to Corey Flintoff.
I am a very big fan of yours. I have read 10 books by you exactly and me and my dad listen to Chinwag Theatre(I am 10 years old by the way). I have some questions to ask:
Which comedians influence you or you like?
Do you watch The Simpsons?
I am pretty sure you read comics, if you do, which ones(I read them and I highly recommend the comic Bone)?
Is it true that you will be doing a sequel to Lizard Music?
Ok, that’s all my questions. Also, if you don’t watch The Simpsons, I think you should. It is is channel 5 and is on at 7:30 PM or 11:00 PM.
Keep writing great books!
Yuvi
Yuvi Brozgold --
1. All comedians, (also humorists and clowns), influence me for good or
bad, and always have.
2. Yes.
3. USED to read them. Don't regularly do so now.
4. Yes.
Where do you hear Chinwag Theater? Have you written to the radio
station to say you like it?
Dear Mr. Pinkwater:
I have read with delight your account of Herschel’s Chicago Hot-dogs. I just want to let you know that the tradition of the Chicago Hot-dog lives on!
I live on the North side of Chicago (Broadway/Hollywood), and I am a confirmed junk food junkie. (Two great taquirea’s, three chinese take-out’s, inumerable rib-joints, and Barry’s Pizza [best on the Northside] within walking distance – -Heaven!)
But I digress.
If you get to Chicago, you must do the following: Get on the Howard (Red Line) El, headed north. Get off at the Sheridan station. When you leave the station, head north (to the left as you exit). At the first street you come to, go west (left again). Half a block down, you will find Byron’s Vienna Red-hot’s. I reccomend the Jumbo Dog Combo (w/fries and a soda) with the works, making sure that you specify NO LETTUCE! (I don’t know why they include it, it borders on sacrilrge!) I’m not sure, but I think they have RC and Mr. Pibb on the fountain, both of wich truly complete the Chicago Hot-dog experience.
With deepest respect as a fan, and best wishes as a fellow Chicago Dog Lover,
NemoMnemonic
(a.k.a. Todd Light)
Thanks on behalf of myself and all who read here for the useful and detailed hot dog information. I have heard of the lettuce heresy, and don't know what to make of it. I suspect the Republicans.
Hello Mr. Pinkwater,
I sometimes listen to Chinwag Theatre on NPR and one day I heard a program that featured you reading your story Wingman. I’ve been thinking about it for months because I didn’t get to hear the end of the story. Can you please tell me if it’s available on tape, and if so, where I can purchase it?
No, Wingman is not available on tape at present, and may not even be in print. There was a (Dell?) paperback around a little while ago. I am planning to look into offering some recordings, but not right away. Meanwhile, be ready to record Wingman off the radio when we get around to repeating it. We also plan to upgrade the Chinwag website, so you might know in advance when a book like Wingman is apt to be repeated.
Dear Mr. Pinkwater,
I avidly listen to Chinwag Theater each week, and get depressed if I miss it. Thank you for a wonderful show, and thanks to Charity Nebbe too!
I myself am a musician, and I recently wrote music to accompany The Story of Ferdinand. I know nothing of your musical taste, but would like to send you a recording and get your input. Can you give me an address where I can send it?
My website is listed below, in case you’d like to see it.
Thanks,
Mark Fish
Chinwag Theater takes a back seat to no other radio program in the matter of having high-class and interesting listeners. You, Mr. Fish, are further proof that our broadcast is second only to the Metropolitan Opera in appealing to fancy dudes and dudesses.
Dear Mr. Pinkwater,
Horror of horrors! I am apparently an uneducated, cultural wasteland as I don’t even recognize your name. Oh, the shame of it all! If you can forgive me my previous ignorance, I would love to become a great fan of yours and start kissing up immediately. I happened onto your website by complete accident, and enjoyed your responses to the many emails you have listed. You remind me a great deal of one of my best friends who is also a sharp witted aficionado of verbal response. Have a kind and forgiving heart for those who have not been exposed to your greatness, and I wish you continued success in your future endeavors.
By COMPLETE accident? I think not. I think you were guided. I think this was meant. Begin reading at once. This may be the answer to all sorts of questions.
What tapes of you reading, commenting, etc. are available? I have an NPR tape called “Men and Dogs”, and have lost “Women and Cats”, but can’t locate them on the NPR web site.
73, doug
Those NPR tapes came from NPR and then from an outfit in LA that had some connection with NPR, and doesn't any more, I believe. I keep hearing about tapes I don't recall ever granting permission for. They just did as they pleased. The good thing about them is they're incompetent at distributing too--so not much harm is done. Women and Cats? They released a tape called Women and Cats? I never heard of it until now. Nibble nibble, little mice.
Dear Mr. Pinkwater,
My nine-year-old son Sam and I love your books. I’m a children’s book author too, and I would like to send you one of my books. Can you give me an address where I can send it?
Cheers,
Dan Gutman
PS: If you want to make sure I’m not some nut off the street before giving me an address, visit my web site ( www.dangutman.com )
I took a fast look at your website, which seems great. I looked at the rejection letters section. It speaks for itself. Nice.
