Len Schiff

March 30, 2000

Dear Sir:

COMMENT ONE

If I were to talk all about how your books changed my life, made adolescent life tolerable, made me wealthy, sexy and secure and probably turned me into an English teacher (which I am), I’d only be repeating themes written to you a thousand times. But it’s all true, and so for giving me the gift of high weirdness, I offer you my greatest thanks.

COMMENT TWO

A few years back, walking through Rego Park NY and reading a Sandman comic, I stopped dead in my tracks (I was, fortunately, on a sidewalk,) because a character addressing a detective named Pinkerton called him Detective Pinkwater. Feeling all warm and pleased, I filed away the knowledge.

Years later, at a book signing, I met the author of the comic, Neil Gaiman. I told him how much I appreciated the Pinkwater line. “I know,” he said, “he’s really cool, isn’t he?”

And Neil Gaiman is pretty cool, so all I can say is that it takes one to know one. (have you read his kids’ book, The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish? I think you’d approve.)

QUESTION ONE

Where can one get a recording of the stage production of Snarkout Boys with Brent Spiner?

QUESTION TWO

I once ran across a demo tape of a musical version of Young Adult Novel, and I thought it was really fantastic. As the theatre guy at the school where I teach, I’d love to do it next year. Do you know how I can get a copy of the script to read?

Yours in dada,

Len Schiff

Neil Gaiman is cool. I had a copy of THE DAY I SWAPPED MY DAD FOR TWO GOLDFISH. I wish I had it now. I'd review it somewhere. Gaiman sent it to me with a nice note--and I lost his address too. Quite a bit of karma at work there, it seems. 
The recording of the Snarkout Boys with Brent Spiner: You can't get it. The license is expired. The lady who made the thing managed to enshrine herself in my heart forever as a schtunk, who treats an artist like dung, and loooves to get away with things.
Same with the musical Young Adult Novel. That you _shouldn't_ have had. It was a grad school project, and the guys who did it then wanted to shop it around. I wasn't interested so they tried every which way to get rights from publishers without my say-so, hired lawyer after lawyer--(I say hired, which suggests they paid them...engaged lawyer after lawyer)--and that tape should never have fallen into your hands.
I have had no luck with recorded versions of adaptations. Now I just say no. Later this year, Chinwag Theater may issue a CD. Stay tuned.