Sept. 2001

Dear Pete and Deb,

Thank you for the best t-shirt in the world. ...

Best,
Kevin
The writer, Kevin Henkes, sent us this great picture, too.

01/26/01

Our poor unenlightened friend, Ian from Berkley, doesn't have a clue. I'll try to help. Ian, the reason that this store IS so truly wonderful is that they've built a loyal customer base as a result of the book clubs, free movies, individualized attention, and most importantaly exposure to "obscure" books. There is more than enough exposure to the mainstream authors, so why should the Bitterman be repetitive? Our children are so much better for having been exposed to the not-so-classic authors who are phenomenal writers. Children need to know that Harry Potter is not the ONLY great book written in the last decade.

Thanks Reptile AND Bitterman for everything you do.

Best,
Karen Townsend
Kansas City

11/13/00

Hi! I own The Enchanted Forest in Dallas and have always heard raves about your store ... I have truly enjoyed your site! I actually conned my husband into babysitting our three-year-old so I could come up to my office without anyone here to try to shovel out my desk. But I got bored with that and have had much more fun online! The "emails" between Bezos and Bitterman really should come with a warning! I laughed so hard I shot Dr. Pepper out my nose!(Nasal enemas are not as fun as they sound). Now I'm going to either have to get a new backlist catalogue from HarperCollins or give my rep this "stained" one and blame the boogerie goo on my daughter. I hope everyone who reads Bitterman actually understands it cuz' it is soooooo true!

Best,
Jennifer Anglin
The Enchanted Forest
Dallas, Texas

9/9/00

Dear Bitterman

After years of online searching for that special children's bookstore with an antiquated Marxist flair, today I happened upon your site.

Your Tommy Chong meets Antonio Gramsci attitude is exactly what I want my kids exposed to, and we have now sat at the computer for eleven hours as I try to explain the necessarily surly attitude of A. Bitterman and how it will eventually transform a soul-less dystopia into a dream world of obscure publishers through the weapon of nuclear sarcasm. Your spirit and fortitude (despite the inevitable failure of your ideological project) was much admired by my fledglings. However, they did cry and cry when I told them we will not physically step foot in your store until they are at least six for fear of exposure to the planning of covert South American resistance movements in the back room.

There are a number of books I've been searching for and I believe your store might end my quest. For years I've looked for Tom Clancy's first book - a maiden children's offering by a literary unknown called "The Little Horsie that Couldn't Poo." As you might expect, it teaches a hard lesson about constipation that no kid will ever forget. Additionally, do you know if there is an illustrated guide to Nietzsche's "Thus Spake Zarathustra" geared toward the five year old crowd? Against my best efforts, little Willy has become hooked on late 19th century existentialist philosophy but he just can't get his mind around "Thus Spake . . . " What's a dad to do?

Gotta run because I forgot to give the correct credit card number for my last Amazon purchase. Thanks for being a shining beacon amidst an ocean of anti-critical mediocrity.

-Aaron Ketchel (Lawrence, Kansas)

7/26/00

Dear Reptiles,

Why don't you have that guy Bitterman write reviews of the books that have really meant something to the children of this country. He always selects some obscure books you can only buy in little stores like yours or new stuff that no even knows about yet.

Tell him to write about the classics. Books like "Love You Forever" or "Guess How Much I Love You" or, of course, "Where's Waldo." (I, for one, never get tired of looking for Waldo in those pictures!) Perhaps if your reviewer were to discuss these more popular books, you'd be getting tons more customers, putting pressure on that Borders store, and you wouldn't have to resort to the free movies, book clubs, and labor-intensive children's activities in order to get customers.

Just trying to be helpful,
Ian Dough
Berkeley, CA