Andrew Buhr

April 26, 2000

a few questions from my recent re-re-re-re-re-reading of 5 novels:

(1) in chapter 24 of alan mendelsohn, when Our Heroes go for supper at the bermuda triangle, there’s music playing that sounds “like something between banjos and bells” – did you have some particular sort of music in mind here? if so, i want to hear it.

(2) why do hoboken and rochester get called “hoboken” and “rochester” in your books, but chicago (or variants thereof) gets called “baconburg” or “hogboro”? admittedly, “chicago” isn’t as funny-souding a word as “hoboken”, but it’s still pretty funny.

(3) is mr. jerris in alan meldelsohn modelled on mr. jensen, my grade 7-9 gym teacher? if so, how did you arrange to travel forward in time the requisite 5 or so years to study his habits? and why?

(4) did uncle flipping skip snarking out on february 29th?

i’d like to say that your writings have turned me into the freakish weirdo i am today, but i expect they didn’t. however, i am firmly convinced that they’ve been and are a big help in my continued enjoyment in being the freakish weirdo i am today. thanks muchly.

andrew

(1) Maybe Javanese Gamelan? Just a guess.
(2) I am too tired to explain this now.
(3) I was fooling with the machine, and just happened along.
(4) Possibly