Dear Sir. Why are the pockets of my pants sewn shut? Best.
To discourage the slovenly habit of standing with your hands in them. A gentleman does not put his hands, or anything, in his trouser pockets. The pockets are there for some unknown reason shrouded in antiquity. You may carry your handkerchief, wallet, and other items in a pocket of your jacket or waistcoat. Or have your servant carry them.
I have a blog where kids review books. Today, Dharma, who’s 5, reviews BEAUTIFUL YETTA. If you’d like to see her review, it’s at: www.patzietlowmiller.com
Thanks!
Pat Zietlow Miller
Best review ever!
Have you ever seen a kid’s version of the I L Peretz short story “Bontsha Zwieg” or “Bontsha the Silent”?
No, nor the adult version. I am happy to answer literary questions like this.
Daniel–
A link, forwarded by my daughter, proving that The Big Orange Splot is a true story. My three kids grew up on Orange Splot and Lizard Music. All three turned out better than most. Far better. Each got a personal copy of Orange Splot this past Christmas.
www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/owner-likes-orange-house-553469.html
Jeff
It is a widely held understanding that readers of mine turn out better than most. Thanks for confirming this.
Dear Mister Pinkwater,
I read “Lizard Music” when I was a little seven year-old Weirdo (26 years ago) and I have adored your work ever since. Not only did you have odd characters and fun situations; you captured the vocabulary of my childhood inner self in a way no other author ever did. Your young characters were strange but not stupid, whimsical but not baseless. Their patterns of speech never seemed unreal or worse- condescending.
“Lizard Music” became my lifelong friend and it showed me that other Weirdos besides myself, my family and Dr Demento were out there and thriving. I will always be indebted to you for filling such a deep void in my life and for providing me with countless days and nights of joy and kinship through your books and radio appearances.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Hally
Well, that is about as handsome a compliment as a book can receive. Except for this one: The magnificent New York Review of Books children's collection, which only reprints books of genuine quality, has selected the very same Lizard Music for publication next year! So you can give copies to others. Meanwhile, maybe you'd like to read The Neddiad and/or Adventures of a Cat-Whiskered Girl and let me know if you think I am still on the same track 40 years later.
Daniel, my friend Matt and I stopped by to visit you and your wife at Oblong Books today. (We’re the ones who gave you the Benjamin Franklin stein.) I purchased a copy of “Beautiful Yetta, the Yiddish Chicken” and brought it home for my little girls. Ella, my 5 year-old, made me read it to her three times before bed. When I asked if she liked the story or the pictures better, she answered, “Both of them.” Score two points for Pinkwater & Pinkwater.
What readers we have! It was nice to meet you and see Matt again.
ICH BIN YETE
MEIN YIDISHE NOMEN IZ YENTE
FUN MEIN BOBE….
I was just sent a copy of your Beatiful Yetta and loved reading the Yiddish, Spanish and English to my husband. I covered up the transliteration to see of I could read the Yiddish without looking at the transliteration.
Did you know that there were Yiddish chicken farmers in Petaluma California? I bet their chickens spoken a zayer guten Yiddish.
I’ll be sharing this book with teachers and kids and family members far and wide. I may even have the opportunity to read it at the United Kingdom Literacy Conference in July and I’ll be sharing it with teachers at Hofstra University in June….
There are a few other books with Yetta in the title. I don’t know many Yetta’s any more. My grandmother’s name was Anglisized to Yetta from Yenta. My family called me Yenta Tilabenda for most of my growing up years.
Thanks for this opportunity. All the best. Keep writing for children and others. Un zei gezuntT
Yetta Goodman
A SHAYNEM DANK! There's something about that book! It appears to make people happy. It can't be the story--there hardly is one--but when Jill undertook to do the drawings she asked the editor, and she asked me, ""How do you think I should draw Yetta?"" We both said the same thing, ""Make her beautiful and lovable."" Or maybe it's the name. Do people smile when they see you?
I was very excited to see that Daniel and Jill are doing a signing in June, not very far (Rhinebeck) from where I live (Western Mass.). Unfortunately, it is a day that my partner (who loves loves loves the works of Pinkwater) has a commitment elsewhere. Will you be doing other signings in the near future?
No. We don't often do signings. I forget why.
Many years back DP did a radio essay on Golf and how it was started by Scottish “Village Idiots”.
Where might I find this audio?
No idea--especially since I did not write it. I have only played one game of golf in my life, and had no way of knowing if the idiots were Scottish or not.
Hi, its Riley i had a question well when i grow up i want to be an auther and i was wondering if it was fun and if it was easy.So thats about it thank you. – Riley
It is fun, and it is easy--for me. If it is fun and easy for you, then you might want to be a writer. There are writers for whom it is not fun and not easy, and they do it anyway--I don't understand why.
I don’t want to talk about DP’s writing skills or my lack of them. I have followed over the years Mr. P’s escapades involved in automobile purchases. Since I am 6’5″ and in the over 275 class (and 67) I want to know what he is presnetly buying for a car. I remeber his BMW with the food restrictions in the manual but what about today is there a reasonably priced vehicle for our size. Simply put what are you driving?
I am driving an 11-year-old Mercedes-Benz station wagon which I had to have because two large dogs who had to ride separately because otherwise wrestling and bouncing off the ceiling. But my all-time favorite large-_person_ car is the VW New Beetle. (See http://www.cartalk.com/content/features/Pinkwater-Car/)
I’ve just published a brief review of “Yobgorgle” at www.associatedcontent.com. Please feel free to read it at www.associatedcontent.com/article/3010528/book_review_yobgorgle.html?cat=38.
Comments are welcome, and goofiness is encouraged!
I read your review, didn't see where to post a comment, so I will comment here. I take exception to the repeated use of the term, ""nonsense."" When I wrote that book, I wasn't a good enough writer to do nonsense. Also the review makes repeated mention of the absence of sex and female characters, also the male characters' lack of emotional response to one another. An editor of adult books once pitched the idea that I should write one. She said, ""The difference between a children's novel and an adult novel is the adult novel is about human relations and sex."" I said, ""Shoot! The two things I don't understand anything about!""
theres this girl who keeps bothering me. what do i do?
Often effective is disguising oneself with leaves, as a bush or shrub.
I have been watching the Garfield Show (as in Garfield the Cat) and it sure sounded like you voicing Garfield. I was shocked to discover that it’s actually a guy named Frank Welker. Now I want to know, are you him, or he you, or did you know that if he can’t do the voice, you’d make a great stand-in?
I must catch the Garfield show. Your post suggests they employ fine actors.
Just thought you should know — the official anthem for the World Cup is called “Waka Waka”.
Thank you.
