One of these letters asked the question: "Are you working on any new books?"
Answer: Well, yes, Virginia. But I'm always working on new books. I have many new books in process. Some of these books are comprised of the first sentence only; others are represented by whole paragraphs about gophers, or pirates, or Wilda Beasts. But the concepts for these books are there--some of them whole, others partial. I just have to actually write them.
One young lady from Brazil wrote to me in a combination of English and Portuguese to ask if I might encourage her in her own writing. Naturally, I was glad to oblige. Just pick a language, I told her.
My fan mail, of course, is just a smattering. I don't have to hire a personal secretary to handle the load. I can even write this blog without dictation. And some of my thoughts are actually original. But I'm not sure anyone would want to plagiarize my work. Why bother with insanity?
I do enjoy getting fan letters, of course. These actually inflate my ego for a few hours and cause my wife to ask, "Why are you so giddy today? Wipe that silly grin off your face . . . people will think we've been making out."
I never tell her I've received letters of adulation, however. That would be too much and it might cause her to believe (wrongly) that she is married to a man who can strike a match on his butt. I would rather she accept me as I am and continue to harbor the helpful attitude needed to care for someone who is totally inept and who, any day now, might die in a freak cicada-swarm accident.
But until I receive my next piece of fan mail from an adoring readership, I'll just hole up in the office every morning and each night and continue writing my current essay on Blackjack Chewing Gum.
Somebody's gotta write it.
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