Tag Archive for James Preller Fan Mail

FAN MAIL WEDNESDAY #294: In Which Ryan and Harper Turn Me Into a Turkey Man!

December 13, 2019 / / 2 comments

 

A couple of letters arrived recently along with art work, always a bonus. Please take a gander at these portraits of yours truly. 

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So, yeah, gobble-gobble. That’s me . . . as a turkey. The art projects tied into Thanksgiving, I presume. Look at my ankle in the bottom one. Must be sprained. And look at my nose-beak on the top one! 

Oh dear. Oh me, oh my. I can’t stop staring at these!

Here are the letters and, below that, my reply. 

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Dear Ryan and Harper,

I’m combining my response in one letter because I received your artwork in the same envelope. I’ve included a copy for each of you, via snail mail, to bring home, where you can treasure it always or shove it in the back of your closet or, hey, both!

Just don’t let the hamster poop on it! That’s all I ask. 

So I’m looking at your artwork . . . and I’ll be honest.

I’m a little freaked out.

You’ve turned me into a Turkey Man.

I repeat: A TURKEY MAN!

Complete with beak and feathers and goatee and, in Harper’s case, a wattle!

If I’d ever wondered before what I’d look like with a wattle, well, now I know. At least that question has been answered once and for all.

And Ryan, thanks for those feathers. “Caring” is my favorite.

I was so delighted by your artwork, in fact, that I shared it on Facebook with my very close, intimate group of 1,000-plus “friends.” It was “liked” by more than 100 people and generated quite a few comments:

Padi said, “The likeness is uncanny.”

Larry said, “Spitting image.”

Liza asked, “Did you get a nose job?”

Sigh. These are, supposedly, my friends!

Anyway, and in all seriousness, awesome job, Ryan and Harper. Now, let’s see, you also wrote letters. Thank you for those, too.

Ryan, I appreciate your encouragement. I will keep writing! Honestly, it’s readers like you who make it all feel worthwhile.

Harper, thanks for reading the latest Jigsaw Jones book, The Case of the Hat Burglar. I’m so glad that the ending surprised you. Did you fall off your chair? That’s my goal. Someday I want to write a book with a surprise that’s so unexpected readers all over America fall off their chairs. Whoops, tumble, thunk!

Thank you both for your kind notes and artwork. I love them!

Your friend,

THE TURKEY MAN!

(James Preller)

P.S. My regards to your fabulous teacher, Ms. Lukingbeal. I visited Hudson, Ohio, not too long ago. It was a wonderful week of school visits. I even got to eat dinner with her! If you ask her, she might tell you that I pecked at my food.

Category: Fan Mail, Jigsaw Jones / Tags: , , , ,

FAN MAIL WEDNESDAY #293: from Genesis to Revelation!

November 20, 2019 / / No comments

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This letter was mysteriously left on a table, near my things, on the day of a school visit to Somewhere, CT. 

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I replied . . . 

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Dear Genesis,

My apologies for not responding sooner. In my haste, I stuffed your letter into my bag and, well, basically spaced it out. Hopefully my reply will arrive as a nice surprise, sometime after you’ve given up hope.

I must say that you wrote kind of a brilliant letter, Genesis. You are obviously a reader, but more than that, you are a deep reader, someone who seems to have natural insight into the fact that there’s an actual person who wrote the book. Doing research, getting inspired, making choices. You recognize the creative process that informs the book.

When asked to give advice to young writers, that’s often what I tell them: read like a writer, try to think like a writer as you read. So you are correct. Most people just want to happily enjoy the entertainment. Like you said, “they just like the book, but they miss the effort it takes to write a book, the long hours, days, or months to just write a chapter.”

You asked about my thinking process and inspiration. I don’t have an easy answer. When I’m at my best, I think of my brain as particularly “spongy.” I absorb things, receive the signals (like an antenna), maybe with a heightened sense of insight into others: how they feel, how they think. There’s no shortage of inspiration out in the world. The key is to be open. Eyes, ears, heart, brain. Seeing, hearing, feeling, thinking. Then giving yourself time –- and a blank page — to sort it out.

Today I had an idea about the character that I’m writing about, Mary from Bystander. I decided she could have a tarot card reading. I’m not sure why that popped into my brain today. I met a woman over the summer, at the dog park, who gives tarot readings. We’ve talked about it a little. I’m not sure I believe in any of that, but I do find it interesting. For me to write the scene, I’d need to talk again to her, maybe go out for coffee, ask questions, take notes. Or perhaps I should go for my own tarot card reading? Experience it for myself.

The important thing is that the idea appeals to me. It sounds like fun, learning that stuff, writing it. What does Mary discover in the reading? Does she believe it? Does she become upset? Who gives the reading? So many questions to answer. I think, maybe, it could be a friend’s older sister. Somebody just learning about the cards, fooling around with them a little bit. Maybe during a sleepover.

I don’t know, Genesis! The thing is, I’ll work it around in my brain, chew it over, talk to my expert, see if I can fit it into my story. I may ditch it -– or it might become a crucial scene, a pivot point in the story.

As for my desire to write, ha, it comes and goes. This is a tough business, filled with disappointments and great satisfactions. Up and down and up and down and up and down. Endlessly. Like most writers, I’m a reader. And I am perfectly okay with being alone. That’s important. I have the right disposition for the job. I know writers who are very disciplined. They sit in a chair and refuse to rise until they churn out 500 words. That kind of thing. For me, I need to have a certain feeling of fullness. Like, I don’t know, I’m ready. I can’t force it or fake it. Some days, I wish I could.

Thanks for your terrific letter. And thank you for expressing interest in my new book, Blood Mountain. If you do read it, please write back. I’d love to hear what a smart, thoughtful reader like you makes of it.

My best,

James Preller

 

 

Category: Fan Mail, School Visits / Tags: , ,

Fan Mail Wednesday #292: On Jigsaw Jones, Ghosts, and Treehouses

October 29, 2019 / / No comments

 

Here’s one from a mystery lover in Indiana . . . 

 

Dear James Preller,

I really like your book, The Case of the Spooky Sleepover, because it makes me laugh. I like it because it talks about the treehouse. I think treehouses are cool. Who built the treehouse in the story? My favorite part of your book is the treehouse, I want a treehouse, I like the joke Justin played on his brother too. When he tried to scare him and his brother friends, it made me laugh. Do you believe in ghosts? Thank you for writing this book. I really enjoy reading your book.

Sincerely,

Alexander

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I replied . . .

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Alexander,

Oh, what a nice email! It always makes me glad to hear from a real, live reader.
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I’m especially fond of The Case of the Spooky Sleepover, there’s a lot of nice moments in that book. Peeled grapes do feel a lot like eyeballs, don’t you think? Of course, I haven’t felt very many eyeballs, I’m happy to report. 
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Illustration by R.W. Alley from THE CASE FROM OUTER SPACE.

As a little boy, I always wanted a treehouse. It just seemed so cool. A house — in a tree! What could be better than that? Unfortunately, my father was not one of those “handy” guys with a hammer and a saw. I never got that treehouse. When I started writing Jigsaw Jones, I remembered that childhood feeling. I wanted Jigsaw to have an office of some kind. You know, a classic detective, meeting clients, looking at clues. So I decided to give Jigsaw the treehouse that I never got. Who built it? I guess I did! However, you might notice that his treehouse isn’t anything fancy. It’s pretty basic. But that’s Jigsaw — he’s just a regular guy.

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Do I believe in ghosts? Not in the daytime, no. But when it gets dark, very late at night, I’m less sure.
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Keep reading, Alexander, and have a happy halloween. Boo!
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Your friend, 
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James Preller
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NOTE: The newest Jigsaw Jones book, The Case of the Hat Burglar, just came out this August! Somebody has been stealing items from the school’s “Lost and Found.” Who’s the burglar? And what in the world is he doing with all those hats?!
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Category: Fan Mail, Jigsaw Jones / Tags: , , , ,

Fan Mail Wednesday #290: An 8th Grader Responds to THE FALL

June 19, 2019 / / No comments

Here’s a long, insightful one that an 8th-grader read for Health Class after reading The Fall.

 

Dear Mr. Preller,

Hey Mr.Preller! This is an 8th grader from O’Rourke Middle School in Burnt Hills New York. My name is _______, writing to you about the book you wrote called The Fall. Outstanding book by the way! I really enjoyed reading it. This book, as you obviously are aware of addresses a lot of health topics, such as suicide, online bullying and many more. These factors made it perfect for choosing as far as the book I had to read for health.

The topic that I would like to talk address first in this book is the suicide. This is a very sad and realistic tragedy, but I must ask, why do you think in your professional opinion that Athena would make that hateful gesture by making that game? That question was just out of curiosity, and I know that it sadly does happen in real life, but was there any specific reason that you were inspired to write that? I really hope that didn’t come off as rude, I meant it in the kindest way possible.

This book, I feel is important for young people to read because of a few reasons: First, a lot if kids who are in their teenage and adolescent years struggle with depression and being bullied and, unfortunately, contemplate suicide. Second, I think the pressures that today’s society put on kids makes them think of suicide because they think there may be an easier way out. Did you know that there is 1 in 65,000 kids ages 10-14 that die from suicide every year? And that Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death for 15-24 year olds and 2nd for 24-35 year olds?

My mom works in a school with young children and there are a lot more kids each year that need support for mental health reasons. She talks to me about the pressures that school, even at a young age, and the rate of learning and expectations, puts a lot more pressure on kids today. Each year more and more kids need mental health support and we have to ask ourselves, why?? Is it the growing pressures of school and the expectations that school and home puts on us? Is it the online social media that is so relevant in kids lives today? Is it a combination of both? Everything is thrown into kids faces. Be better, work harder, have the most friends, or you will amount to nothing. These are important questions we need to ask ourselves and find some answers to.

Kids lives are much harder now than they were when my mom was in school. When she played a sport, you didn’t have to try out to play. You just played. Now if you don’t play a sport all year round, and travel on a team, you don’t get picked to be on a team. You also get told by coaches that you need to play all year to get good enough to amount to anything. What happened to playing sports for fun? And just to get outside, make some new friends and play a casual game? Is this added pressure adding to the stress and kids feeling like they just aren’t good enough?

There are so many ways kids can reach out for help. First, I think parents should limit the amount of social media that kids are exposed to. The more accounts they have, the more likely that they are to have someone bully them and do hurtful things. Online bullying, in my opinion is worse than face to face bullying. People that don’t even know you can bully you and there is no way to stop it, other than get off social media. At least with a face to face bully you can try to stand up to them. Second, I think schools need to be more involved with their students and get to know them more. Make connections. The more adult connections a student has, I feel, the less likely they will be bullied or be tempted to bully. Last, I think kids have to remember that school is such a small part of their lives. Once they walk through the high school doors at graduation, they get to start over. Who they were in high school does not matter at all. If they were a nerd, they were smart, and will get a good job and start a new life!!

Once again, I really like this book and I also enjoy the fact that the book is not too long, just around two-hundred pages is perfect for me! If I may ask, what do you think your favorite part of this book that you wrote was? I think my most favorite part of this book was definitely when Sam started to feel remorse for Morgan and started feeling bad that he missed an opportunity. I also feel that it was good in the sense that he felt that it was partially his fault, and in a way I think it kind of is. The reason I make this claim, is because not only did he take part in the bullying game started by Athena, but he also kind of dipped out whenever anyone was near him when he was with her, it was almost like he felt ashamed to be near her, or embarrassed to be near her. I feel that just because he didn’t want to be next on the bullying list he excluded her, which I feel partially lead to her death.

I am so glad that I get to express my feelings with the author of this amazing book himself! I would also like to express how I feel about the main character himself, I feel that he was a good kid, but I also feel that he was too little too late in the act of caring for this poor girl. Then after her death, he decided to visit the place of the her death and stand right where she stood, people who have the guts to do that typically care very much about the person, which is why I don’t understand. If he cared about her, then why did he wait until she was dead to show it? In my honest opinion about this book, I would rate it a ten out of 10. I think this book deserves an award, just because it displays real world problems, and serious health topics that need to be addressed nowadays. I think that Sam’s biggest character strength, was his sympathy, although he was too late with his sympathy, he stilled showed it even though Morgan was deceased.

I also want to help people I know by telling them if they ever need someone to talk to, the suicide prevention line is always open for someone to listen. They can be reached at 1-800-273-8255. I hope my letter prompts some good discussions about the topic of suicide in your book.

Yours truly, Gabriel

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I replied: 

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Dear G,

I’m so glad you read The Fall.

I was inspired to write that book for a couple of reasons. I had already written Bystander, which took a look at bully-related issues. While not a sequel, I do see The Fall as something of a companion book, a further exploration into that specific darkness.

I’ve never felt comfortable with putting the label “bully” on any young person. Bullying is a behavior, a verb, not a person, not a noun. We are all complicated people, with countless characteristics and attributes. No person can be accurately labeled and put in a box: THE BULLY. We are many things. Walt Whitman: “I am large, I contain multitudes.” Friend, teammate, pet owner, son, poet, etc. Usually a so-called “bully” is a good person who is making some poor decisions. I believe we are more than our worst act.

So, there was that, the nagging idea that I wanted to give a sympathetic look at someone who bullied another person. Sort of rescue him from that narrow stereotype. Try to show the complexity of the issue, how a “good kid” can do a bad thing.

Then, one unforgettable day, I read about a 12-year-old girl who had committed suicide by jumping off a tower. The report stated that she was “absolutely terrorized” on social media. I immediately ached for that poor girl, her friends, her family. But I also thought of all those kids who wrote mean things to her on the internet, life’s little cruelties. Now they had to live with the consequences of those words. The things they did and didn’t do.

In my entirely fictionalized book, I didn’t try to explain the full reasons for Morgan’s suicide. I don’t think we ever really know why someone takes that final step. A chemical imbalance? Deeper issues at home? Bullying at school? It’s so hard to say. And, ultimately, I decided that wouldn’t be the focus of this book. I mostly wanted to tell Sam’s story, how he comes to “own” his actions, take responsibility. The book surprised me because, at the end, it becomes a meditation on the nature of forgiveness.

You are right that Sam fell short. Too little, too late. I think he tried his best to do the right thing. Life is hard, difficult, full of pressures, and we all make mistakes. I respect the process Sam went through on his own, with his journal, to honor, and remember, and account for Morgan.

Your mother makes a great point about anxiety and the pressures that so many young people seem to be experiencing. It’s hard to understand where, exactly, that comes from and what we can do to help.

G, your letter clearly demonstrates the work of a bright, active, perceptive mind. I was very impressed with it, and I’m grateful to have found a reader such as you. I fear that I failed to address all of the many ideas included in your letter, but hopefully you’ll be satisfied with this response.

Have a great summer! And look for my new book, Blood Mountain, coming this October. My wife says it’s my best book yet. I think she’s right!

James Preller

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Category: Fan Mail, The Fall / Tags: , , , ,

Fan Mail Wednesday #288: Robbie Follows Up

May 24, 2019 / / 2 comments

 

This is from a particularly enthusiastic boy I met on a school visit in Vermont . . .

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I replied . . .

 

Dear Robbie:

Dude, I totally remember your bright energy and enthusiasm. You had a “lean in” quality, engaged and alert. Why do you think I made sure to give you one of my books? I can’t do that for everyone, but something about you stood out and it felt right. Besides, those books are heavy. You lightened my load.

I hope we do get to meet again. I loved visiting VT and don’t often get invited to speak at Vermont schools. Nobody knows why! Fingers crossed, maybe that changes in the future.

Listen: I don’t often receive thank you notes after the fact. Sad, but true. It’s a good thing to do, to sit down and let someone know that you SEE them, that you appreciate what they do. In life, I’m convinced it’s all most of us ever want. To be seen, to be recognized, to be valued. This is true for everybody. Friends, relatives, teachers, janitors -– the list goes on forever.

You did good, Robbie.

Thank you. Keep reading, keep writing, keep on being the good young man you already are. I predict great things for you!

My best, your friend,

James Preller

P.S. Say “Hi” to Mrs. Moulton for me.

P.P.S. Love the SASE (Self-Addressed, Stamped Envelope). I appreciate that!

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Category: Fan Mail, School Visits / Tags: , , , ,
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