IS MY HANDWRITING TOO SLOPPY FOR YOUR EYEBALLS? HERE'S THE TEXT OF THE ABOVE CARD ... PETER OLSON / CHAIRMAN & CEO / RANDOM HOUSE / 1745 BROADWAY / NEW YORK, NY 10019
MR. OLSON -- SORRY ABOUT THE DELAY, I FOUND YOUR OFFER IN THE SLUSH PILE. AS YOU NOTED, YES, STEVEN SPIELBERG IS WORKING ON A MOVIE OF MY LIFE, & YOU WANT ME TO WRITE THE BOOK VERSION, AS IF I HAVE NOTHING BETTER TO DO WITH MY TIME. BUT WHEN YOU CALLED IT "THE MOST COMPELLING STORY OF OUR GENERATION," I WAS BLUSHING ALL OVER! LIKE YOU SAY, DESPITE MY STAGGERING HUMILITY, IT REALLY DOES HAVE EVERYTHING: PROTAGONISTS (ME, DUH!), ANTAGONISTS (GERALDO), ROMANCE (WHEN GRETCHEN CLIPS MY TOENAILS), THRILLS (THE SOMBRERO DECORATING CONTEST), CLEVER DIALOGUE (EXCEPT WHEN PENELOPE'S TALKING), MYSTERY (THAT STUFF ON THE UNDERSIDE OF MY KITCHEN TABLE), AND OTHER SUCH THINGS YOU BOOK PEOPLE LOVE. BTW, WHY CALL YOURSELVES "RANDOM HOUSE"? SOUNDS SO CHAOTIC. WHY NOT "PROVIDENTIAL HOUSE" INSTEAD? P.S. THANKS FOR THE COMPLIMENTARY BOOKMARK!