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Rochelle Abrantes

Post #2816 – 20120422

April 22, 2012

About the pineapples that don’t have sleeves…

Maybe you should charge the powers that be more money because they obviously butchered your story — it has been adulterated enough that pineapples were sleeveless. Next time, don’t sell them anything and make them work at writing their own darn tests. One day, we hope that the people will figure out that these tests are oh-so-lame.

Daniel replies:


Thank you for yet another comment on this important, but I am bored with it, topic.



Christine

Post #2817 – 20120422

April 22, 2012

I saw your photo in the NYTimes story about standardized tests using an edited form of your text to confuse young children. You were standing with a lovely dog. It looks a lot like mine. I am wondering what sort of dog it is. Mine’s just a German shepherd mix from a shelter in Leipzig.
Thanks for answering.

Daniel replies:


Kee is a Norwegian elkhound plus something else, maybe collie, from a kill-shelter in Atlanta, saved from death by a wonderful organization, perfectpetsrescue.org , transported to NY state where she was brought back to health, and ultimately adopted by lucky us. 

Before:After:



sama ayad alnassiry

Post #2819 – 20120422

April 22, 2012

Hey Mr.Pinkwater……why did you sell out your story to New York State??!
At 8:30 on Monday hell broke loose, i mean they gave us children stories ( no offence) with college questions!!!

Daniel replies:


I don't know. Something came over me. I did a bad thing.


Crazy Fan

Post #2818 – 20120422

April 22, 2012

I’m a huge fan, and I’ve gotta say (sorry, I know you’re bored with the topic but I have more than just this) that I’m impressed that you’re not entirely outraged at Pearson. Now, I may be in 8th grade, but I have some business advice! Work to get some publicity from this. Most of my friends who haven’t read your books, unlike me, don’t want to read them because they don’t know that you didn’t actually write “The Hare and the Pineapple.” I suggest that you reach out to my age group, maybe visit a couple of schools, and make yourself known as the creative author who DIDN’T write a stupid story for the test. If you respond and think it’s a good or at least semi-good idea, I’ll give you the name of a school to visit (Hint: it’s my school ).

By the way, my book club in fifth grade make a book all about The Neddiad.

THANK YOU FOR RESPONDING!!! I THINK IT’S WONDERFUL THAT AN FANTABULOUS AUTHOR IS TAKING THE TIME TO TALK TO HIS READERS!!!

Daniel replies:


Face facts. Most of your friends will never read my books. By the time you graduate from college, and get your first job, probably working for Pearson Publishing in Akron, Ohio, and I'm living in a third-hand trailer somewhere in New Jersey, the only thing anyone will remember about me is that I _did_ write the story about the hare and the pineapple. It's too late to do anything about it. I might visit a few schools, trying to get a job as a night watchman, but I don't hold out much hope--they'll know about the pineapple too. Thanks for trying to cheer me up.


Ron Lake

Post #2811 – 20120421

April 21, 2012

As a regular reader of the Wall Street Journal, I must thank you for allowing them to interview you recently about the Hare/Pineapple Test Question. It is the first time I have ever laughed out loud reading the WSJ. In fact, I laughed out loud – heartily, and at length, too – not once but twice. So thank you, and thank you again.

Daniel replies:


You laughed? You laughed at a story about public monies wasted on poorly-made tests which are being used as a means of determining the futures of students, teachers, even whole schools, not to mention the desecration of a work of literature, and the corruption with money of a previously virtuous author? This is funny to you? Clearly, you are one of those cold-hearted capitalists who read the WSJ. It's a good thing you are unlikely to read the New York Daily News, or you would see the op-ed I wrote for them and bust a gut.


Peter Lake

Post #2814 – 20120421

April 21, 2012

When I saw the picture of you and your dog in the NY Times I was reminded of a time on NPR several years ago when yo usaid you taught your dog to read.

I figured that if you could do it, so could I, so I taught my Norwich terrier, Spike, how to read. Not War and Peace or Shakespeare, but the usual dog words, “Sit, speak, roll over, solve this differential equation….” That kind of stuff.

He was about nine then and what I found most interesting was that he resented his reading lessons. Whenever I’d hold up the file card with his command on it, he’d growl and grumble before he complied.

When I read that some sheepdog could understand a thousand words then my achievement seemed slightly diminished, but nonetheless I wanted to thank you for that bit of inspiration.

Spike’s gone now, buried at sea beside a bell buoy at the mouth of Marblehead Harbor, and you can see his funeral on YouTube at spikethemoviedog.

Here he is on the beach, doing what he enjoyed, which wasn’t reading.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCPFyTBFtoY

Regards,
Peter Lake

Daniel replies:


You know, I never liked being told what to read either. I hope you have gotten, or will get, another dog. Maybe you can get that one a library card, and let him pick what he likes.


Justine Henning

Post #2815 – 20120421

April 21, 2012

Many friends seem to be up in arms over the NY test questions that made a pineapple of your eggplant (if only that were the basis of their objections). I see from your blog that many kids … have a sense of humor and found the Rabbit and the Eggplant (or what would have been those, were they not a hare and a pineapple) diverting, in a welcome sort of way.

Go, kids!

Go, wonderful DP!

Bravo.

Hoping to find the Snarkout boys on the ballot, or perhaps my next census form, or … ?

Justine
(of readingpenpals.com, to which you were kind enough to submit a brief statement long ago)

Daniel replies:


I'm getting bored with this topic. A test, in a learning situation, should be a means of finding out if the students have learned the material in order for the teachers to make up deficiencies...by teaching. It's not outside the realm of possiblity that a test might be devised which could be used to evaluate how a teacher, or school, or school system is functioning--but really that would be a pretty tall order. The idea of buying such tests ready-made for a whole lot of public money from specialist companies which are known to have produced all kinds of ""educational materials"" that many good teachers consider useless or next to useless ought to raise some pretty big red flags. I, and a lot of other writers, have routinely agreed to let excerpts from their work be used in anthologies, readers, ""programmed reading materials,"" and tests. This has been going on for 40 years that I'm aware of. It's routine. Very often whoever is asking for permission to use the excerpts first tries to get them for nothing, and once an author gets wise and demands payment, they pay. Personally, I never gave any thought to a change in the implications which makes some tests, in the opinion of many informed people, pernicious. I'd venture a guess that many of my fellow authors never considered it either. It looks to me like one publisher of tests made a mistake that was bound to happen, and included a passage and questions so completely inappropriate and ridiculous that it couldn't be ignored, and happened to speak to the suspicions of many that the whole business is a shabby scam. And it was funny--so it went all around the internet and the media, as funny things do, so a lot of people are thinking about it, and maybe rethinking. I have to say, I'm not unhappy that the passage, (of which, as edited, not a single word was written by me, by the way), was printed under my name. I didn't actually do anything, other than, asking no questions, accept money from a corporation to do something or other with a few paragraphs from a book of mine, but I'm glad to have been included in the conversation. Now, I think I am done responding to posts about this. Anybody wishing to copy this and pass it around, please feel free.


Scot Phelps

Post #2812 – 20120421

April 21, 2012

Dear Sir,
I just wanted to commend you for your brilliant interview in the Wall Street Journal. While the Journal may be a tool of the corporatocracy, at least they have a sense of absurdist humor to run your interview above-the-fold on the front page of the Greater New York section, with picture.

Once again, thanks!

Scot Phelps

Daniel replies:


Does it not occur to you that it might be a kind of Potemkin village interview? It's already revealed in the text of the interview that I am without conscience or ethics and will say anything for a few bucks. Could this not be WSJ's way of pretending to have a human face?


Luke

Post #2813 – 20120421

April 21, 2012

After hearing about the kerfuffle around the New York state standardized test, I decided to go and reread Borgel. It’s been at least 15 years, and the book is even better than I remembered. Cheers!

Daniel replies:


After seeing you mention kerfuffle I remembered I haven't eaten kerfuffle for at least 15 years, and I may go to the kitchen to make some. I wonder if we have the ingredients.


Various students

Post #2809 – 20120417

April 17, 2012

Lila Lee:

    Hi Mr. Pinkwater:
    Here in NYC, eighth graders just took the first of three days of high-stakes state testing. Today we read passages and answered multiple choice questions. You are listed as the author of one of the passages, called “The Pineapple and the Hare.” It’s generated a lot of discussion, because it was such a bizarre and amusing test passage. Thanks for making my testing experience so entertaining. I saw online that it has been used in tests by many different states already. Eighth graders are talking, texting, tweeting and facebooking about your story. One of the questions on the test was, “Why did the animals eat the pineapple,” and another was, “Which of the animals was the wisest.” Both questions were a little ambiguous, I think!
    *** I wanted to ask you what your preferred responses to those questions would be!
    Can you let me know, and also tell me what you think about your stories being used in state tests?***
    Here’s a link I found to a facebook page dedicated to the pineapple and its sleeves, I thought you’d be amused to read the 8th graders responses!
    THANKS! – LILA

    www.facebook.com/pages/The-moral-of-the-story-is-Pineapples-dont-have-sleeves/319791939211

Ben:

    The story “The Pineapple and the Hare” was on our New York State English Language Arts Exam today. I was researching online, and I noticed it’s been used in multiple other states in years in the past. Do you have any idea why such a funny story is so often included, along with boring poems and non-fiction excerpts, in standardized testing?

Benny:

William Long:

    Ok, so Mr. Pinkwater, a story that you have written has caused a lot of controversy among my school to the point where students are having full blown arguments over facebook. The reason? “Pineapples Don’t Have Sleeves” a story that YOU wrote appeared in our ELA’s, or english language arts test and we were asked this. Which animal spoke the wisest words out of all of them? And Mr. Pinkwater, I want to know which animal YOU think was the wisest, and provide the correct answer if possible.

Bridget Craig:

    You may know this by now, but one of your stories was on the NYS test for eight grade! Just like it was in Illinois a few years ago! Actually, it was more of an adaption of The Rabbit and the Eggplant. It wasn’t that much different though. The rabbit was a hare, the eggplant was a pineapple, yada yada yada. I didn’t know who you are before taking the test, but I had to find out which crazy person wrote it so I could enjoy their randomness!

Anonymous 8th grader:

    Listen, I love your work, but seriously? Selling out to the state test?

    Also, before my class goes crazy, which was the wisest animal in the hare and the pineapple?

Daniel replies:


OK, here is the deal. There are these companies that make up tests and various reading materials, and sell them to state departments of education for vast sums of money. One of the things they do is purchase rights from authors to use excerpts from books. For these they pay the authors non-vast sums of money. Then they edit the passages according to....I have no idea what perceived requirements. Here is the story as it appears in BORGEL, a novel I wrote. Borgel, who is 111 years old is telling this story and similar ones to his great-great nephew while riding on a bus: 
 
The Story of the Rabbit and the Eggplant 
 
Once there was a race between a rabbit and an eggplant. Now, the eggplant, as you know, is a member of the vegetable kingdom, and the rabbit is a very fast animal. 
 
Everybody bet lots of money on the eggplant, thinking that if a vegetable challenges a live animal with four legs to a race, then it must be that the vegetable knows something. 
 
People expected the eggplant to win the race by some clever trick of philosophy. The race was started, and there was a lot of cheering. The rabbit streaked out of sight. 
 
The eggplant just sat there at the starting line. Everybody knew that in some surprising way the eggplant would wind up winning the race. 
 
Nothing of the sort happened. Eventually, the rabbit crossed the finish line and the eggplant hadn't moved an inch. 
 
The spectators ate the eggplant. 
 
Moral: Never bet on an eggplant. 
 
I don't know how the test publishing company changed the story. I gather they decided to call the rabbit a hare, and made the eggplant into a pineapple. Also there appears to be something about sleeves. And they made up questions for the students to answer. I would not have done any of these things. But it has nothing to do with me. I cashed the check they sent me after about 8 months, and took my wife out to lunch at a cheap restaurant. I believe, she ordered eggplant.


Sara Kansky

Post #2810 – 20120417

April 17, 2012

Dear Mr. Pinkwater,
I would like to say Thank you for taking the time yesterday (4/17/12) to speak to my son Brandon, who called you on the telephone after taking the 8th grade NYS ELA in the morning.
Brandon read a passage written by you, and had concerns about the questions that were asked to be identified by NYS ed. dept. I credit my son for his resourcefulness is finding you and calling “the source.” I am filled with gratitude that you took the time to respond to him despite the fact that he probably should not have contacted you at home. Thank you, Thank you, for taking the time to speak with Brandon.
Warmest Regards,
Sara Kansky
(Brandon’s mom)

Daniel replies:


I explained to Brandon my minimal involvement with the goofy test. (See my responses to other puzzled and outraged test-takers, posted in this forum). He was a pleasure to speak with.


Dionna

Post #2808 – 20120416

April 16, 2012

I’m so excited to write to you, I can barely stand it. My son and i are so inspired by your book The Big Orange Splot that we read it several times a month, and I just recently read it to his first grade class, and they loved it, too.
As an artist, I love that it is about never being afraid to be yourself, and when you do, you will most likely inspire everyone around you.
I tear up every single time I read it because for me it is about absolute creative freedom, and that feels exhilarating! It’s what I want my son to know more than anything, to be himself, to be kind to others, and to accept each friend for the unique qualities they bring to this ‘neat street’ we often live on.
Thank you, thank you- for writing this rockin’ book!

Daniel replies:


I guess it is a pretty good book, but that would not matter at all without cool readers. That is where you and your son enter the picture. Thank you.


Robert Chatham

Post #2807 – 20120413

April 13, 2012

Dear Mr. Pinkwater,

The first time I read Lizard Music was over twenty years ago, when I was in fifth grade. It felt like it had been written for me. I don’t think I knew what nostalgia was at the time, but I fell in love with the idea that out there was a rich, undiscovered past waiting for me to find it. I wanted a summer like Victor’s; I wanted my parents to go on vacation for a week so that I could stay up late watching old movies and wake up early to explore the city.

I spent a lot of time at the library. Back then, before everything was online (and with the Memphis library card catalog being woefully incomplete), there wasn’t an easy way to find out about new books by my favorite authors. We had three nearby libraries; every week, we’d go to a different library and look for new Pinkwater books. My favorite (both then and now) was the Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death. I remember a description of a baked potato, a hunk of butter, and a thumb that’s stuck with me over half my life.

Every once in a while, I’d find something new. I remember picking up Alan Mendelson for the first time in an ancient library edition – just a hardcover book without a dust jacket. It was one of the few books I read completely tabula rasa, without any idea of what was to come, and it was absolutely wonderful. Every time I found a new Pinkwater book, it was like meeting a friend again; every character was part of a bizarre family that fit together because they didn’t fit anywhere else. I saw myself in Walter and Victor and Leonard Neeble. When I first started to make up my stories, like every other aspiring writer, I aped my favorite author – so I ended up with a bunch of Pinkwater clone stories.

Thanks for writing. My wife and I had our first child last year, and when she’s old enough, I’ll read Lizard Music to her. And I still think of Walter Galt’s dad every time I eat an avocado.

Daniel replies:


What can I say to rich praise like that, except thanks and God bless you? (I started life in Memphis too).


Lisa Billings

Post #2806 – 20120412

April 12, 2012

I just read Author’s Day to my 2nd grade class. It left us wondering if the book was a personal narrative of an experience that you have had on a visit of your own to a school? We are working on personal narratives right now for writing as well as questioning, compare and contrast as comprehension strategies. We had an author visit yesterday so we compared and contrasted the book to our personal experience

Daniel replies:


This is a very good question. My answer will tell you something about what fiction is, as distinct from non-fiction. It is a combination of a number of experiences, some experiences of my own, and some experiences others may have told me about. Added to that were made-up parts. And what-ifs. I will explain what a what-if is: Just before starting to write Author's Day I myself had made a visit to a school. It was a nice visit, and fairly ordinary, but while I was driving home I thought ""what if certain things had been different? What if they were expecting some other author instead of me? What if they had a chicken, like the kids really did at that other school I visited...no, instead of a chicken what if it was a rabbit?"" See? Fiction is made up of real experiences, sometimes changed or pasted together, made-up things, and what-ifs.


Cathleen C. Hogan

Post #2805 – 20120403

April 3, 2012

Hello Mr. Pinkwater,
It was interesting reading the other submissions from your fans. Why didn’t anyone write between 1999 and 2012? Were you on vacation?
Anyway, like an earlier group, my Jr. Great Books class just finished reading Blue Moose and loved it. They especially loved your last name and wondered if it was real. My first grade students wrote postcards to Mr. Breton, as the moose and I would love to send you their unedited work. I think you might be tickled.
thank you.
Ms. Hogan’s cloud classroom. (it’s on the 4th floor)

Daniel replies:


A certain amount of time-travel goes on here. We are all back to the present now.


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