07 February 2010

from a reader

Mr. Blechman,

My wife and I just returned from renting a home at The Villages for the month of January. A friend loaned me his copy of your book after he heard we had vacationed there. I must say your book is quite factual, and it accurately reflected many of the experiences my wife and I had while there (no….we are monogamousJ). We used the time to visit other areas of Florida and can adamantly say The Villages is not on our itinerary for next year’s vacation. I actually came inches away from a fist fight with an over-emotional golf cart driver who almost ran into my wife and me as we walked hand in hand along the cart super highway adjacent to Chatham. I actually had to restrain his forearm quite forcefully to keep him from slugging me. Once he realized I had more strength than him, he jumped back into his chariot and sped off, still spewing epithets about my family lineage. Gotta love it!

I enjoyed your writing style and even more, your thoroughness in researching a very difficult and sensitive topic. You represented both sides fairly. You should be a social scientist. If you’re ever in Maine, please get in touch and we’ll wet a fly line.

Best regards,

Bill S.

02 February 2010

A diversion to my last book, Pigeons: a reader email that makes this author swoon

Andrew, I would just like to say that your book about pigeons has totally changed my opinion of pigeons and has led me to become somewhat of an expert in the field in order to try and become their voice and give them a "fair shake." I try to use this newly acquired knowledge to educate a very uninformed public.

I must confess that I have become so fond of the species as a result of reading your book that I have taken to doing the UNTHINKABLE: feeding them in parks, which now has made me a PART OF THE PROBLEM.

I try to justify this by convincing myself that my campaign to have the City of Vancouver set up city run dovecoves based on the PiCAS models. I will be working with the head of the Humane Society of Vancouver to put some clout into my endeavours. You have turned me into a clone of David Roth (minus all the pijjie poop).

Why am I telling you all this? Because I am proof that your book did and will continue to change pigeon prejudice, one human at a time. Thank you for writing such a wonder book. It continues to be my pigeon"bible."