I wrote to Ralph Nader, asked a legal point about one of his books, and got a personal reply that explained the point.
Did this a couple of years ago.
(If you try this year, now that he’s running for office again, I’m sure you’ll just get a staffer’s plea for money.)
Right around the time that Windows 95 was released, with the incredible hype and build-up, I wrote to Bill Gates a very long, well thought-out, and incredibly tongue-in-cheek letter.
The letter was an idea I had for Microsoft to make an overture to the software pirating community to allow them to return to the legitimate software-buying “family” with discounts on the new Windows 95 and Office 95 programs.
Needless to say, I never got a reply, but I hope I made someone in Redmond laugh.
Nothing earth-shaking here.
I wrote a “loved-your-book” letter to T.E.D. Klein, after reading “The Ceremonies.”
This was when I lived in Seattle. Klein wrote back, thanking me for saying nice things, and he asked me if I knew so-and-so in Seattle, and it turns out that I did. Small world.
So many writers are going on-line and interacting with readers, I think it’s great. Asking Dan Simmons or George R. R. Martin a question in an on-line chat isn’t quite the same thing as doing it in person, but in person, I’d be too scared to ask.
Harlan Ellison (well, it actually was a fax and he phoned back – about using an article of his), Mike Resnick, Barry Malzberg, and quite a few others. (More if you count e-mail.)
I sent Patty Duke a letter and a copy of her autobiography to sign and she sent a nice note and autographed the book.
Back in the late 70’s, I wrote to Charles Manson. Why? I dunno, curiousity.
He wrote back, a bunch of mumbo jumbo. I could’ve sold the letter for money, but kept it a while in case.
I e-mailed 2 letters to Terry Pratchett a few years ago with some stupid anorakish questions that he kindly replied to. I also got one of his books signed at a booksigning at which I said nothing to him other than a very lame thank you
Either way I was so pleased that he replied to me personally earlier.
He himself wrote to JRR Tolkien when he was a kid and got a reply and because of this he always tries to reply to his fan mail
I wrote to Isaac Asimov back when I was in high school, and asked a science question. He wrote back a short letter and included a business card, which I believe gave his occupation as “National Resource.” I still have them around here somewhere.
I wrote to children’s author Beverly Cleary when I was six or seven years old. She sent me a picture and wrote on it, “Thank you for your nice letter. I am so pleased to know you enjoy my books!” and signed it. I was awe-struck.
I wrote to Isaac Asimov when I was a kid in 1974. He had published a short story, “Nothing Like Murder”, in Fantasy and Science Fiction. He wrote it in honor of J. R. R. Tolkien upon the news of Tolkien’s death. I wrote to him to thank him for paying tribute to Tolkien and he typed his reply on a postcard: “Thank you for all those kind words. A lot of people are surprised that I like Tolkien. This surprises me. Why shouldn’t I be fond of good fantasy?”
I wrote an e-mail to Jan Harald Burnvand, the Urban Legends expert, informing him of a UL that I thought might be new to him. It was a variation of one he already knew of, and he said so (very politely). He provided me with other variations of the UL in his reply. Nice fellow.
An e-mail I sent to Richard Lederer, author of Anguished English was answered unhelpfully and rather brusquely by someone else.
The world-famous Reuven Tsur never answered my e-mail. What’s that? You say you never heard of him? You must not be a student of the history of dactylic rhyme in English, then.
I wrote to James Michener twice about his books and got personal replies both times. I wrote to the science-fiction author Spider Robinson with a whether or not Dan Rather was the unnamed character he had been refering to in a certain book. He wrote back and told me I was the only one who had figured it out, to that point anyway. And just a week ago I wrote to Vice Adm. James B. Stockdale(ret.) about a news magazine article in which he appeared. As a (peacetime) veteran myself I really hope to get a reply to that one.
Well someone famous wrote to me.
I had witten a review at Amazon for the book The Glory Of Their Times. A wonderful book with first hand accounts about the early years of baseball.
Well several motnhs after that review I got an email from the author Lawrence Ritter thanking me for the kind review and offering to send me an autographed first edition of the book (from about 1966 I think). Of course I said I would love it, and the book arrived in the mail a week or so later with a personal inscription, something like “Thank you for your kind review. Lawrence Ritter.” It was a bit beat up but I was thrilled nonetheless.
Ok so he ain’t famous like the Pope but it was still really cool.
I sent invitations to my wedding to then NYC mayor David Dinkins and then president George Bush. I got a personalized letter from Dinkins and a generic card from Bush. Neither one attended. (In retrospect, I’m glad Dinkins didn’t show up).
Zev Steinhardt
I once wrote a letter to fantasy author Piers Anthony, suggesting a few puns for a Xanth book. I got back a semi-personalized letter saying very politely that he was currently well-stocked on puns, and wouldn’t need to be using mine. My mom has also corresponded with Madeline L’Engle, author of A Wrinkle in Time and its sequels. I’ve written to her, myself, but if I ever win a Nobel prize, she’s getting an invitation to the ceremony.
Interesting trend here, that everyone seems to have written to authors, and largely fantasy/SF authors.
Back, back, eons ago when I was in college, a friend had a book of celebrity addresses. (She was a regular pen pal with Carol Burnett) I spent a good hour or so looking through it and when I found Monty Python, I couldn’t resist. I don’t remember the letter I wrote, other than it was fairly stupid.
So I wasn’t upset when I got no response. Maybe I’ll try again sometime…
My son was a huge fan of artist James Gurney and even wrote him a letter. It, unlike mine to MP, was very charming and not only received a reply–but a sketch of my son’s favorite dinosaur. Over the next few years we had the chance to receive many more treasured things from Mr. Gurney. Solidified in my mind what a kind man he is as well as an imaginative artist.
struuter
I correspond with a lot of famous people for my book and magazine work, but I guess that doesn’t count, as it’s work-related.
I wrote to Prince Charles about ten years ago when he gave a speech on architectural preservation, and got a nice letter back from his equerry.
Complained about something Tom Brokaw said on the news about atheists, and got an APOLOGY from him!
When I was in high school (in the 1970s, not the '20s!), I wrote to and got autographed photos from Joan Crawford, Bette Davis, Gloria Swanson, Mae West, Mary Astor and Lillian Gish—Miss Lillian and I later became great pals.
In 1979 or 1980 I wrote a letter to Bart Starr(then coach of the Pack) with a short story i had written for class about the Packers glory days. I got a typed response with his signature and a bunch of packer stickers. I still have the letter somewhere.
Go you Packers Go Go!!
I’ve been amused (in a good way) that so many posters are listing people who are famous in a relatively narrow realm (i.e. not just celebrities who are widely known due to their fame in the media, arts, or sports).
There are woodworkers whom my husband absolutely worships. He’s gotten some e-mail replies when he’s contacted them. He would be speechless if he could meet them–yet I am sure they are never recognized in airports. I’m the same way with some scholars in my field: I’m almost giddy when I see them in person, but you wouldn’t know them if they bit you on the ass.
Before Scott Adam’s Dilbert-related newsletter got so huge, I wrote him and got an actual reply.
When I got married I thought it was the biggest load of crap to send a wedding invitation to the White House. I used to gripe about how stupid it was that we spent taxpayer dollars to fund an office just to sent congrats letters out to fools who sent wedding invitations to the president. But when we had a baby, I got all sentimental and sent an announcement there. I tried to justify it by saying that it wasn’t as dorky to send that since it wasn’t inviting them to an EVENT, but who was I kidding? I still wasted good public funds on the congrats we got, which will of course go in the kid’s babybook assuming I ever finish it.
I did a book report on Susan Cooper’s works back in 7th grade. I wrote her, asking the usual banal middle-school questions, and got a handwritten reply and a picture of her. Definitely one of the best things that has ever come in the mail for me.
Regards,
MR