Nathaniel Rounds
Post #2666 – 20101209December 9, 2010
Zippy the Pinhead. Discuss.
Daniel replies:
It's a comic strip.
Talk to DP Forum
Cayley
Post #2667 – 20101209December 9, 2010
how old are you mr.pinkwater?
Daniel replies:
In Earth years?
Larry White
Post #2668 – 20101209December 9, 2010
Wow, thanks for your generous reply, Daniel. I consider myself very lucky to have heard Watson read Lizard Music at a time when I was no longer listening as much. I had moved to Westchester County in July 1959 and gotten hooked on Skip Weshner’s program on the old WBAI, so experienced some let-down at first when it became a Pacifica station within a year, but soon found plenty to keep me from terminal boredom (besides Jean Shepherd, Les Davis, Paul Krassner, and a few others whose names I forget). New York had a lot more stations to choose from than DC did, of course, including WNCN. Thanks also for the words of wisdom on pet departures. My old dog is on the borderline, I guess–she’s largely incontinent and has difficulty walking, but still enjoys eating and cuddling as much as I do. Hoping for a while longer. Meanwhile it’s looking like a Neddiad Christmas for some friends of mine.
Daniel replies:
I hope you'll consider taking in another dog when your present one finishes up her assignment. I was deeply sad when Lulu, my great friend for 13 years, died, but I went right out and found a rescued dog who had seen some rough times and needed a good home--that was a year ago. She's in fine condition now, and in her own way is as much of a pal as Lulu.
Anonymous
Post #2665 – 20101206December 6, 2010
OH GOD WIKILEAKS!!!!!!!!!!!11111!!!!1111ONE
HELP ME DANIEL I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO
WHAT DO YOU SAY ABOUT WIKILEAKS
I AM NOT JULIAN ASSANGE
Daniel replies:
It was inevitable that the practices of the 24-hour cable news industry would be adopted by private individuals and accelerated by the internet. Practically everybody is Julian Assange. But not you, and not me. I know plenty of stuff I do not propose to tell.
Larry White
Post #2664 – 20101204December 4, 2010
Greetings! I was introduced to your books in the 70s when a WBAI show host whose name I forget (a friend of Post, I think) read Lizard Music over the air. Thus began a period analogous to the inauguration of a pleasure dome for my son and I. My sad sack side dragged me away for a dry period during which I only occasionally caught your refreshing radio presence until I stopped listening to my radio almost ten years ago. Happily, though, I have relatively younger relatives who had yet to discover the Pinkwater magic—until the approach of my second childhood became undeniable. I have been rereading everything and reading or going to read all the newer books plus a couple of stunners I somehow missed, like Borgel and The Worms of Kukumlima! Question: how did you know when it was time for (to borrow from G. Corso) “the last warmth of Arnold”?
Daniel replies:
That was Bill Watson, the greatest classical music disc jockey in NY, who came as a refugee to WBAI (free-speech listener-supported radio) when William F. Buckley, no less, sold his classical music station to a company who wanted to covert it to top 40 rock'n'roll. Buckley, a classical music lover, and aware that the unique resource he had created would be turned into something perfectly ordinary, explained that this was the way to maximize profit--and was thus a prisoner of his principles, and a harbinger of things to come. Watson always talked and read a fair amount when he was at Buckley's station all-night, 7 nights a week. When he came to WBAI to do one shift a week, he did as much talking as he had done in a week at the old gig. Obviously there was a lot less music, and the format lovingly crafted over years was gone, and I think no one was completely happy. It was in this period that he read some of my books--brilliantly. The rule we observe about when a dog has completed its assignment is when discomfort dominates pleasure of living. And of course, when a dog is a threat to the life of others, and cannot be reformed--but that is rare. Welcome to reading my stuff again--when I enter my dotage in the near future, I plan to do the same thing.
Tony Troianello
Post #2663 – 20101202December 2, 2010
Hello Daniel,
I believe that Scott Simon and yourself would both be interested in how much further children’s stories can be carried across time and space to bring families and friends together. Imagine a soldier in Afghanistan reading a story to his or her children and those children seeing Dad or Mom actually on the page reading the story to them. And the children can dial it up and see it anytime, anywhere, over and over again! After school, on a laptop at bedtime, whenever one longs for mommy’s or daddy’s personal contact. Or aunts and uncles from across the country or across the world supporting a child in hospital for surgery.
The process is a bit complicated to describe here but I’m sure you will be moved if you tune into www.betherebedtimestories.com (that’s Be There Bedtime Stories, a startup company developed by videographer Alison Sansone because she missed her nieces who live far away.) Alison has over a hundred stories and five publishers in her library so far. I’m sure you will be moved by the concept and the examples shown there. And, if you are so inclined…I’m sure Alison would very much like your impressions that you can leave at the site. And a word of encouragement would help as well.
By the way, I do so much enjoy your sessions with Scott Simon. I have no young children, but even at 71 years old, I love to hear good entertaining children’s stories.
Best regards,
Tony
Daniel replies:
Sounds like a good idea. Why is it a company?
Doug Vernon
Post #2662 – 20101130November 30, 2010
Daniel,
Thanks for the reply. I will certainly check out Neddiad, as it is available in Nook format.. Hope your Publicist isn’t for a bottom round chewing. Also available on NookBook are Yggyssey, Bad Bears in the Big City, Irving and Muktuk, Adventures of a Cat-Whiskered Girl, Bad Bear detectives, Once Upon a Blue Moose and a couple by Robert Spiller that showed up in a ‘pinkwater’ search, for some reason. I will be purchasing Neddiad shortly.. how can I refuse a read recommended by the writer to two different fans of the Alan Mendelsohn experience? Incidentally, to answer your question, I own 5 great stories, and hadn’t heard of the 4 books collection yet, so I’ll go check that out as well. All in all, I have to say that I’m truly impressed with your site and your attention to your fans. My daughter is just about that age where these books will surely entertain and enlighten her hopefully for the rest of her life too.
Much success to you!
Daniel replies:
I consider success to be having the kind of readers I have. You know who you are.
Michelle Wojtaszek
Post #2661 – 20101129November 29, 2010
You’re still my hero. You really did help me immensely, even if it took me a little while to ‘get’ it. I’m in Wisconsin now messing around with astrophysics. Go figure.
Hope you are well.
Best,
Wojtaszek
Daniel replies:
You would have ""gotten"" it without any help. Being a genius can be cumbersome, but there are times it comes in handy.
Doug Vernon
Post #2660 – 20101126November 26, 2010
Hi, Daniel
I wanted first to say that I loved reading Alan Mendelsohn, back in the 80’s. It was recommended to me by one of the librarians at my Junior High. (Not Bat Masterson, sadly) Recently, I bought a used copy off of Amazon because it was a hard-cover and had the cool watercolor art on the cover. Anyway, I digress.. I felt that the story was kind of a cliffhanger.. in a way. Maybe it’s just because the last few chapters went so fast.. like a good movie. Have you had any offers to turn it into a screenplay? With today’s technology, it would be pretty awesome to see the book come to life on screen.
Incidentally, I must also put up my request to see some kind of ‘sequel’ to the Adventures of Alan and Leonard.
I bought one of those nifty NOOK readers from B&N today and noticed a few of your works are available for purchase/download to the device. Sadly, I did not see ‘Alan’ or ‘Fat Men from Space’ (another of my personal favorites). Any chance you’d be offended if I transcribed them, word for word, in a PDF document to put in my Nook?
I always wanted to write a sequel to ‘Alan’.. maybe even a prequel more about Alan himself. We have a pretty good idea of Leonard’s personality, but not so much of Alan’s. I had entertained many times over the years from then until now actually writing one or the other myself, but.. I guess I kind of suck at writing.
Anyway, I wanted to get a copy for my nook so I could carry Alan and Leonard wherever I go and check in on them from time to time… make sure Manny, Moe and Jack are kept in check. You know.. they always came to my mind while reading as the three guys from Pep-Boys.. weird, huh?
Daniel replies:
Have you, by any chance, read any of my more recent novels? I'm thinking you might like The Neddiad. And there are the collections, 5 Novels, and 4 Fantastic novels. The father of one of my high school teachers used to read the same Zane Grey western novel over and over. He said, ""When you find a book you like, stick with it."" I don't agree. I didn't know any of my titles had been Nooked--I will ask my agent if we gave permission.
Sean
Post #2659 – 20101120November 20, 2010
Daniel, you have forever altered our family dining experience. Tonight was our first ever ‘Spaceburger’ night, complete with replica Spaceburger rocket on the table, homemade green space slime condiment, shiny-wrapping, and renditions of “that ravioli song”. So, thanks. That was completely satisfactory!
Daniel replies:
Amazing! That's what I had for dinner too!
Robert L Summers
Post #2658 – 20101116November 16, 2010
I just read your stories about Charlemagne, Bertha, Lugo, DePalma, Zoe, and Charlie to my fourth graders. There may be a run on pet stores for Maine Coon Cats in Ohio.
Daniel replies:
Not pet stores I hope! Shelters and animal adoption organizations always!
L. Christopher Bird
Post #2657 – 20101115November 15, 2010
Dear Mr. Pinkwater,
I have been a fan since I read Alan Mendhelson, The Boy From Mars when I was 13 years old in 1985 from my School Library. Over the years following I read everything I could find of yours and eventually the librarian at the public library had to teach me how to use the inter-library loan system to find an elusive copy of “Young Adult Novel”.
The other week I was thinking about the Dada Ducks and the ongoing story of Kevin Shapiro, Boy Orphan. So I did the sensible thing one does in the 21st Century and opened up Google and typed in “Kevin Shapiro”.
Much to my dismay I saw no mention of the epic about our favorite boy orphan, but instead page after page of Phish Archivist, Kevin Shapiro. Not to be daunted, I tried again, I typed in “Kevin Shapiro ” <- see the space? and google suggested a series of searches the first of which was "kevin shapiro phish" and the second was "kevin shapiro boy orphan"
Eureaka! So I did the relevant search hoping to find an archive of fan written Kevin Shapiro stories.
The first hit is a link to a now defunct Livejournal archive, and surprisingly the second link is to a post by me in 2004 of my Kevin Shapiro story “Kevin Shapiro, Boy Orphan Turns Over a New Leaf” which is also archived here on the P-Zone!
I just find it interesting on how google relates search results, and the surprises you can find while searching. Have you ever done a “vanity search” on yourself and found something surprising?
I am cordially yours,
— Christopher
Daniel replies:
Yes, I did a ""vanity"" search on my name, on Google, and was surprised to find I was a writer of some kind of oddball fiction. This was surprising as, at the time, I was a minor employee in a factory that manufactured kosher orthopedic shoes in Binghampton, NY. I googled further, and one thing led to another...I began a correspondence with this kid who was studying to be a Naturopath or chiropractor or something in Canada, and....well, you see the result.
Jonas
Post #2656 – 20101113November 13, 2010
Dear Mr. Pinkwater,
I like your weird stories like the Blue Moose. You’re my favorite author.
Your books are amazing.
Jonas
Daniel replies:
Thank you. You are amazing to think so. This will be the last letter from Hoboken I answer for a while, ok?
Django
Post #2655 – 20101113November 13, 2010
Dear Mr.Pinkwater,
This is Django again. In school we are reading books of yours. I like the Toothgnasher Superflash. I like that you use funny names like Popsnorkle.
Your friend,
Django
Daniel replies:
Cool! I think I have written around 100 books. You can read them all!
Scott Sperry
Post #2654 – 20101110November 10, 2010
I’ve been a fan for years. I worked in a Media Center in Silverthorne Elementary school for 25 years here in Colorado. I’m proud to say that we have a huge Pinkwater section in both fiction sections and your books just fly off the shelves. I’m currently retired and occasionally visit my former school and read your books to the 2nd grade. The students were asking if there are any more “Larry”, “Irving & Muktuk”, or “Mush” books in the works.
Daniel replies:
At present, no Larry or Irving and Muktuk books, or Mush sequels underway. But...there are some other things in the works, which I am not at liberty to divulge as yet. Stand by.