Daniel replies:
Oh, you think it wasn't me who arranged for you to win that Emmy, and who told that nice woman to marry you? Ingrate.
Dear Mr Pinkwater,
Congratulations! The Neddiad is another classic, surely amongst your best. The last time I wrote you was about 17 years ago, at a real low-point in my life: depressed, directionless, practically homeless. I wanted more than anything to be a writer but lacked the courage. And you sent me back the nicest, most encouraging postcard that really made all the difference. I followed my dream and it’s really worked out well so far. I even won an Emmy! Better still, I got married and now have a sweet sonny boy who also enjoys your books. Would nice things have happened for me even if you hadn’t written me back in 1990? Probably. But you did. So thanks. You, sir, are a hero. I hope we cross paths some time. If you’re ever in LA, I’ll take you to a Korean restaurant where the Brown Derby currently sits, fully preserved yet starved of dignity, atop a strip mall.
Sincerely,
Gary Lucy
Oh, you think it wasn't me who arranged for you to win that Emmy, and who told that nice woman to marry you? Ingrate.