Daniel replies:

You know, I think I'm fairly cool myself...I mean, obviously I write stuff I like, or why bother? I probably don't like it as much as you do, but then I have to spend a lot of time with it, and I've got a really good education...but I like it. A lot of people who like my stuff, including professionals who have to write about it, are in the habit of saying that I'm, ""weird,"" or, ""warped,"" or, ""avant-garde."" This isn't true. I'm really a quite conventional writer. What I am is funny. Many people are embarrassed or uncomfortable with the idea of things that are funny. They refer to them as weird, and seem embarrassed that they like them. Why is that?