Julie Thompson

January 1, 1997

Dear Mr. Pinkwater,

I have been a fan of yours for ten years or so, ever since I read Lizard Music in elementary school. This book inspired in me a phase of “lizard obsession”, which lasted through junior high school. I still have some relics of that phase, including a wooden lizard, two lizard t-shirts, a lizard puppet, and a photo of myself wearing a lizard shirt and holding my wooden lizard. Of course, when I actally came into contact with real lizards, I did not like them at all. I was not in love with real lizards, but with the wonderful, giant lizards in your book. I must say, however, that my favorite books of yours are the Snarkout Boys books. They are true masterpieces. I am also a huge fan of the book Fishwhistle. Am I crazy? I think it is the book with “A Wing and A Prayer” in it, but that just doesn’t seem right! Well anyhow, I adore that story. I think of Helen every Thanksgiving, and I think the story is hilarious. You are one of my heros!

Signed,

Julie Thompson

P.S. I am glad I can get a copy of “The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death” in Five Novels, but when can I get “…the Baconburg Horror”? Must I steal it from the library?

No. Do not steal it from the library. You will get bad karma. Instead, write to Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 19 Union Square West, New York, NY 10003, and beg and entreat them to do another anthology similar to 5 NOVELS, which includes Baconburg Horror. Also get two other people to send similar entreaties, and also promise to get two different other people to send FSG such a letter, and to persuade two _other_ other people to send a letter, and get yet two more people to....etc. Done correctly, this should result in the prompt publication of the book you want, with bonuses. I invite others who read and post here to join Julie Thompson in this worthwhile project. I estimate that if everyone who visits this website follows these simple instructions, FSG should hear from the entire population of the planet in the next couple of weeks. This will have the effect of...well, let me be honest--they _are_ publishers--say a 50% chance they'll bring out the book.