Kayla
Post #3644 – 20140308
March 8, 2014
My most favorite childhood book was Irving and Muktuk – Two Bad Bears. Now, it's the inspiration for a school project. If it's not too much to ask, can you please tell me who/what inspired this book?
Thanks!
Daniel replies:
Two Bad Bears, the first of the Irving and Muktuk series was inspired by the Larry series, (Young Larry, At the Hotel Larry, Bongo Larry, etc.). Larry is such a good polar bear, and is always helpful, saves people from drowning, is polite, has never eaten a person. But, we thought, possibly not all bears are as good as Larry. So we came up with Irving and Muktuk, who are fairly bad. They lie, cheat and steal, (but also have never eaten a person...so they say).
Bucky
Post #3646 – 20140308
March 8, 2014
Dear Mr. Pinkwater;
I put keyboard to screen in search of an answer that has troubled my sleep for many years?
Have you ever owned a red pick, an old FORD I think. When I ask this I am not concerned with the entire sum of your days but rather in the last 10 years. I will explain
I have been an avid follower of your writings for many years, through my ex wife who was and is a children's librarian as well as a cadre of friends who introduced me to your prose in the science fiction community. All of your works I have loved a lot, but your works about the Hudson River Valley touched a part of me I didn't know existed until that moment. I am a native Californian and thus unacquainted with this thing called "seasons".
That is until I became involved with a woman long distance over the internet who lived in Kerhonksen and whom I was know to visit on occasion. On one such occasion I was making my way to her house from Stewart Newberg in a rental cal into whose radio I had plugged my iPhone and, which at the moment in question, I was listening to "Chicago Days, Hoboken Nights". I listen to your works a lot when I drive and actually time some trips and rest stops by the length of them. Also, being as I was where I was I figured it was what all the locals did.
I was pulled up to a stop light in New Paltz when it happens, a flash of oxidized red in the sunlight. It was a truck. Behind the wheel was a large man. His head was shaven. He had familiar round spectacles. The jacket he was wearing was similar to one I had seen on a dust jacket. He had a gentleman's figure. Was it he, er you? My neck snapped around with a speed that throated to dislocate my skull but the vision was gone from view behind a Stewarts.
Now I know that you live in the Hudson river Valley but I am ignorant of where. This could be like a message from a relative in another country who hears of an earthquake in Oklahoma and ask if you are OK in Los Angeles. Or maybe not. The chance of it being yo I expect are rather slim, but if it wasn't consider this a warning. There is someone in that area who either looks so much like you as top fool a rapid fan or there is someone manufacturing a clone army of Pinkwaters to undertake who know what nefarious deed.
Thank you for your time, your words, your humor and please keep writing
Your Pal
Bucky
Daniel replies:
There are a great many people in the vicinity of New Paltz, especially in the mountains nearby, who look exactly like me. I myself never go there. Draw your own conclusions. A pickup truck? What do you take me for?
J Mark Hamlow
Post #3645 – 20140308
March 8, 2014
Boing Boing says Daniel Pinkwater is tweeting a Bushman Lives! sequel because his publisher won't offer an advance contract on it. I think he should launch an all-out Kickstarter campaign to fund the writing of "I Snarked with a Zombie", "Escape to Zwerg Mountain" and the Bushman sequel. I mean seriously, I'm dyin' here!
Daniel replies:
Boing Boing says that. Not me, I do not say that. Maybe I am tweeting a novel @danielpinkwater . I have no comment. I don't think kickstarter is for me for various reasons.
Bob Levinson
Post #3640 – 20140301
March 1, 2014
Mr. Pinkwater,
I heard you on Bob Edwards this morning and, once again, you were a delight.
I really enjoy hearing you on NPR when you're on there as well.
I am 4 years younger than you (not that it matters at this age) and could not agree with you more about comis books and our mutual history with them. They were great and were OURS-no parents, no adults, no 'authorities,' as you put it today. And, I too, and still do, spend more time at the library (though my hands always need washing) than anywhere else and, my greatest job ever, working part-time at a bookstore for $ 5.50 an hour in the late '90's when money was really bad in the house?
Last thing. I read the Mr. Plumbean story book to my son more than all other books combined. I wanted him to know that MUST express himself, that he could do whatever he wanted, be whomever he wanted to be as long as it made him happy and injured no one. The hell with whatever anyone and everyone else thinks or says.
He got a scholorship to Yale became a writer-working for an company that helps kids in school who are struggling, could not asked for more.
You deserve some of the credit for that.
Live to be 200 and never stop writing.
My best,
Bob
Daniel replies:
Thanks for the kind words. I so much enjoy working with Bob Edwards and his capable helpers. I don't think you'll be hearing me on NPR...not sure if it's policy still, or ever was, but at one point anyone so much as having lunch with the satellite radio folks used to be excommunicated. Washington DC, you know.
Lew Freeman
Post #3638 – 20140228
February 28, 2014
Several years ago you told a story of when you were playing piccolo in the high school and were to play the solo part in the "Start and Stripes Forever" at a 4th of July concert. As I recall, you never could get it right and when the event arrived, you didn't show up (I guess calling in sick). But, when the concert was played on the radio, you played along at home . . . perfectly. Is that story available on line – in print, or better yet, in podcast? I'd like to share it with someone who had a similar experience when in school. Thanks.
Daniel replies:
It may be in the collection Fish Whistle, available as an ebook from Amazon, and also from other places. Or in Chicago Days, Hoboken Nights, or in Hoboken Fish, Chicago Whistle which I think you can get from Xlibris. Thanks for your interest.
Merlin Gil
Post #3639 – 20140228
February 28, 2014
Dear Mr. Pinkwater,
There is one matter in two of your books which befuddles me.
In The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death, and the accompanying novel, The Snarkout Boys and the Baconburg Horror, is Mr. Galt really Osgood Sigerson, and is Osgood Sigerson Mr. Galt? There is a lot of evidence to support this. Also, will Mister Wallace Nussbaum ever terrorize the pages of your books again? He was a frightfully good character.
Daniel replies:
I had planned to write a third book, ""I Snarked with a Zombie,"" in which your questions might have been answered. Alas, the publisher let me down, pointing out that while the first two books made a profit, it was not an obscene profit, which is the American way. Thus I had no incentive to write the Zombie book, unwealthy and relatively unknown as I am, and was obliged to turn my attention to books about cute bunnies and the like. I suppose I could discuss your concerns with you now, but it might depress me. Thank you for your interest in my work.
barnaby holmes
Post #3637 – 20140228
February 28, 2014
Dear Mr. Pinkwater,
You are a longtime favorite author of mine. Some years ago I determined to write a young adult novel, inspired by your own style, in which a major plot point involves the protagonist hearing voices in his head. Several years later but now also some years ago, I picked up your book "Adventures of a Cat-Whiskered Girl", and read up until the very point where the protagonist mentions the voices in her head. I put the book down, never to pick it up again and also dropped my own plans for writing. If I were to pick up only one of these things, which would you recommend?
PS ~ I am not through with you entirely. I did read Mrs. Noodlekugel, with relish.
Daniel replies:
I don't understand. Why would you put the book down? Why would you stop writing your book? Do you have the idea that only totally new and original things, uninfluenced by anything else, should be written, or if you see an idea in a book, you can't have the same idea in a book of your own? That's not the way things work. They work in the opposite way. If I read something I like, I am likely to write it--and plenty of stuff of mine appears in books by other writers...some of them happily admit it, and I am flattered.
David Smith
Post #3633 – 20140220
February 20, 2014
Between the convex mirrors you can see. Concave deer herd!
Daniel replies:
Deer me, I've never herd of such a thing.
Otto Frederick Rohwedder
Post #3629 – 20140212
February 12, 2014
A shooting star is omni-present, much like candy.
Daniel replies:
But the shooting star has no effect on the teeth.
E. Nuss
Post #3626 – 20140207
February 7, 2014
I wonder if you ever knew someone named Gluckstern and Mazzocchi? While at the University of Maryland there was a Chancellor and Professor of physics named Robert Gluckstern and a Professor of Chemistry named Paul Mazzocchi. Both names are used in the Hoboken Chicken Emergency.
Daniel replies:
I used to frequent cheap Italian restaurant in midtown Manhattan known as ""Professor Mazzocchi, Inventor of the Spaghetti System."" Probably not the professor you knew. Gluckstern is pure coincidence.
Lynne Faulkner
Post #3627 – 20140207
February 7, 2014
Dear Mr. Pinkwater:
I just found this forum and am DElighted! Wait, does that word mean that my light has been removed? Ah, the language. What I mean is: I am very happy to have found you here.
I've not heard you on NPR for quite some time.
I miss your conversations with Scott Simon.
You are music to my heart!
Lynne
Daniel replies:
I am having conversations with Bob Edwards on SiriusXM satellite radio these days. I doubt the NPR folks know I'm gone. If your heart misses me, you can also tune in to radiomozart.net.
Rhonda
Post #3625 – 20140205
February 5, 2014
Hello! First of all I love your books (I've checked them out of the library so much that they were eventually just given to me by some kind librarians). Needless to say I'm a huge fan. Anyways I have a favor to ask you.
I'm an 8th grader in my last year of middle school. This year we have a unit on our future and what sort of jobs we'd like to pursue. I chose to be an author. Part of this unit is interviewing someone in your chosen field.
So, can I interview you? I've looked online for an email address but this seems to be the quickest way to contact you. I have 20 questions prepared but I didn't know if the forum was the best place to ask them. Thank you for even reading this, it means a lot. Also please reply asap (I need to know so I can arrange another interview if you can't).
Daniel replies:
What were those kind librarians thinking? How were they to know some other student might not want to check the books out someday? It could happen.
Sure, you may interview me. Suprisingly, I know a lot about being an author. You can send the questions here, and Webmaster Ed will make sure I get them.
Rhonda, we've tried to email you directly but our messages keep getting bounced back. Can you give us another email address to try? -- Ed
Melissa and Ezra
Post #3621 – 20140131
January 31, 2014
Dear Mr. Pinkwater,
My son and I are great fans of your books. I am particularly fond of The Big Orange Splot but Ezra (almost 5 years old) says he "likes all of them best."
Just now we were re-reading Beautiful Yetta and Ezra asked if it was true. (Not the part where they talk, but a chicken that befriended parrots.) Looking online, we found out about the real wild parrots of Brooklyn, but nothing about a chicken. Is that something you saw or did you come up with the idea yourself?
Also, Ezra asks "why is his name Pink Water?"
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Melissa and Ezra
Daniel replies:
I knew about the wild parrots. And I have seen wild chickens. It seemed to me that they might meet up sometime. They are both nice types of bird.
My name is not Pink Water. It is Pinkwater. It is my name because it was my father's name, and we did the traditional thing.
MICHAEL
Post #3620 – 20140128
January 28, 2014
Mr Pinkwater,
I was listening to NPR this morning and heard your story about overweight animal trainers.
My family is in show business , my mother was a 5th generation preformer . I remeber Uncle Heavy's pigs when we travelled with the Ken Jensen circus in the early 60's and knew Bobby Gibbs fairly well. I would love to be able to share your story with a few friends but cant seem to find it anywhere. Is it possible to have a copy emailed to me ?
Thanks
Michael Lauber
Daniel replies:
It was on NPR? Really? Would you happen to remember what program it was on? I'd like to know.
The story is in Fish Whistle, which you can download as an e-book from Amazon, also Fishwhistle, which you can find used all over, and Hoboken Fish and Chicago Whistle, which you can order as a book on Amazon, or from Xlibris. And I know an audio version exists, but I don't remember where.
Bobby Gibbs used to tell people I had worked as a roustabout in his circus, and played trombone in the band--which is true, of course.
