Livia Langley

May 13, 2011

Dear Daniel Pinkwater,

I am writing you to let you know how much my family and I enjoy your books. Or, to be more specific, we enjoy ‘Lizard Music’, ‘The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death’, and ‘Fat Men From Space’. I have considered snarking out myself, but as there is no movie theater close enough, I don’t think it would be a proper snark.

Anyways, I just wanted to say that I enjoy your books, and hope you live the rest of your life without avocado’s and with plenty of chickens.

Sincerely,

Livia R. Langley

Kevin

May 11, 2011

I have to admit I’m an addict. When can I get my next fix of new Pinkwater online? When can we start reading about Molly and Audrey’s Escape from Dwerg Mountain?

Thanking you kindly,

Kevin

in Albuquerque

Bert VanDercar

May 9, 2011

Dear Mr.Pinkwater,

It has been my pleasure to read twenty of your books to my older children over the years–girls now having attained the ages of 17 and 13 and who now do all their reading on their own–and it is now my privilege to begin re-reading them to my son who is now nine. We just finished Borgel and Mason wants to thank you for your fine writing and to tell you he really enjoyed the story about Borgel’s first pet, Lance the peach pit. I too am more than delighted to take these wonderful journeys again. I remain honestly verklempt and awed each time I read the character Melvin’s description of what it is like to see the Great Popsicle. If you don’t know something pretty profound about life you do a good job of faking it. Take care, and all the best from Idaho!

Tywanda

April 30, 2011

Hey Daniel

CAn you put more pictures up?

Glauber Ribeiro

April 25, 2011

I’m happy to see Wallpaper from Space in the podcast. Can’t wait to listen to it with my daughters.

“He doesn’t know… chunk! chunk! How he got to be a mouse!”

Can’t wait to see what melody you use and if it’s similar to the one we use.

Meanwhile, loving the shaggy dog stories, Thanks!

Mark A. Richman

April 21, 2011

All Pinkwater readers, fans and salami

salesmen know how Daniel spent his

formative years attending grammar school

in Chicago and visiting the nearby

penny-candy store known as ‘the gyp joint’.

The only child of the proprietors

of Richman School Supply on Broadway

near Nettlehorst Grammar school (1939-1969)

Fred Richman has passed away.

99 days short of his 96th birthday.

I know that hundreds of indiviuals

living across the world today still

fondly remember their moments spent on

Broadway, to and from school, and their

visits to ‘the gyp joint’.

I have talked with people who try to

describe the actual feel inside that

penny-candy store to their own young children;

as a time long past in Americana culture.

So, as we bid a farewell to Fred Richman

let us maintain a strong sentimental and

emotional tie to the childhood that formed

us as good adults.

As I have said before, if anyone has

mementos of memory, photographs and/or other?

of ‘the gyp joint’ please respond,

and Daniel can reach me through my e mail.

Thank you.

David

April 17, 2011

Dear Mr. Pinkwater,

I’ve been reading Lizard Music with my daughter (8) and it brought back an incident from my elementary school days. Wondering if I could possibly be remembering this correctly. One day at my Columbus, Ohio school, my teacher received a very big package and found inside a life-sized cardboard cutout of a large smiling man. Nobody could figure out who it was or where it came from and it was an object of much speculation. Eventually someone figured out that another class had voted Daniel Pinkwater their favorite author and had written him requesting a photo. Instead of just a photo, they were sent the 6 foot cut-out. But it was sent to the wrong classroom. Anyway, if I am remembering this right, and you did do this, thanks for doing something that a whole schoolful of kids found hilarious and weird, and that sent a lot of us to Lizard Music – which 30 years on continues to astound.

Sara

April 13, 2011

In your years in Chicago, did you ever make it to a place called Fantasy Costumes, on Milwaukee just north of Irving Park? I only ask because I just discovered it, and it seemed like the kind of place your characters would visit and enjoy. Honestly it seemed like a place that you could have invented.

Also, your books (esp. The Neddiad) make excellent and unusual tourist guides to weird and wonderful things.

Nick Mathewson

April 13, 2011

Dear Mr. Pinkwater,

Years ago, I devoured your older childrens’ books with gusto. So far, my own son has only had us read “Beautiful Yetta” to him, but I hope that when he reads, he’ll soon come of an age to enjoy the ones I liked so well. I’ve been re-reading them myself in anticipation, and … well, I’ve gotten hungry.

Is there a place where I can take him get a potato like the Snarkout Boys have on Lower North Aufzoo St? The potatoes that I bake never taste as good as those potatoes are in my imagination.

I accept your word that the world is no more ready for the recipe for Green Death Chili than it is for the secrets of State 26… but do you have a chili recipe that you *are* able to share at this time in human history?

Alternatively (or additionally, if you feel generous!) do you have any recipes that two-year-old’s like?

Many thanks,

-Nick

p.s. My father bought us all fishwhistles because of you. I hope you’re happy!

Jean Lutwak

April 10, 2011

Dear Daniel,

My daughter, Sylvie, 7 years old, just finished reading Adventures of a Cat Whiskered Girl and cannot stop asking me why you did not write a sequel to The Neddiad and The Yggyssey featuring Seamus. Big Audrey is interesting, but she’s really wondering about Seamus.

Your reply would be most sincerely appreciated.

Thank you,

Jean Lutwak

Tracy H

April 8, 2011

Dear Daniel,

In the late ’80s, I heard a radio essay of yours on NPR in the Bay Area. It was two decades ago, and I still remember how hard I laughed.

It was about your adventures as a high school art class, I think – I remember your saying that your sculpture was so utterly terrible there was nothing left for the teacher to do but destroy the artwork and then kill you. Okay, see, I’m squirting laugh-tears all over the insides of my glasses already.

Can you help me identify this great story? Thanks!

Tracy

Gene Coan

April 3, 2011

Hope you are working on “An Egyptian Cobra Visits New York”. It’s a natural. And, after all the adventures are over, he’s (she’s?) just been dozing the corner of the snakehouse.

Mark Richman

March 29, 2011

You ask

‘what do you have to say for yourself?’

For myself,nothing.

But, for others,

many

probably living and breathing

and drink the Pink Water…

I want to say that

the only child of the

proprietors of The Gyp Joint,

just north

of Nettlehurst Grammar school

on Broadway in Chicago

is still living and yelling and

nearing 96 years old.

Perhaps the door-to-door

salami salesman could answer

any of his personal rememberances

of the early 1960’s

of any and all visual and/or oral

anedotes from the block that began

with the Penny Candy store

sharing the entry with Joes’ Hot Dogs

and ending ,

past the Screwdriver Club,

at the corner Deli…ah, ya know…

I do not recall the name?

Does anyone else have

any memories of the time

they would like to shed?

Just remember,

whatever you write Daniel owns!

Melissa Jarvis

March 27, 2011

Hello, Mr. Pinkwater,

I am writing a critical essay on a selection of your novels — Blue Moose, Yobgorgle, The Hoboken Chicken Emergency — and I wondered … does food make a such a prevalent appearance in all of your novels? I could read them all and find out, but my paper is due in just a few days. Does food appear so frequently because, like me, you love food and want to celebrate it or are you making a comment on the eating habits of Earth (especially those in the US)? I would like to think it is the former.

I do want to mention that my favorite characters so far are the Blue Moose and Uncle Mel. Gingerbread and eggs with olives are two of my favorite things.

Thanks for your consideration to my questions. Take care, Melissa

Victor Camillo

March 17, 2011

Dear Daniel,

My family has traveled with the Carson and Barnes Circus for 30 years. Our wonderful now deceased 370 pound friend Bobby Gibbs said he knew you when you traveled with that or some other show. Bobby was a story teller so feel free to ignore this if memory fails you.

Sincerely,

Victor Camillo

Professor of Mathematics

University of Iowa