(An E-mail)

Hello Ken,

Joyce Harison, here. First, let me apologize for taking so long to respond to your kind e-mail. Lately, holidays and work leave me little free time. But I truly appreciate your linking to my influence essay!

I was absolutely amazed that you were able to locate the Matthew Looney reference on my MFM site, at all!! And flattered that you chose to link to it.

Yes, I'm a Looney Lover from its original generation! I discovered Matthew Looney's Voyage to Earth in my public library in 1962 (6th grade for me) and I was blown away by its fast-paced satire, a style reminscent of classic Rocky & Bullwinkle (think Cloyd & Gidney). Also, an enormous factor which cannot be overstated enough are the priceless illustrations by Gahan Wilson. I was a solar system enthusiast in elementary school, and I absolutely soaked up the spirit of the book, grateful, that finally here was a sharp and funny sci-fi book that understood how to use satire. Let me interject at this point that I personally believe the books are best suited for the top readers of age 11 and above. Younger children do not quite get the satire, although certainly they are delightful to read as stories.

In the mid-60s I eagerly devoured the sequels ML's Invasion of Earth and ML in the Outback, the latter being my favorite. The writing holds up today. When the books came out in paperback, I purchased them, including Space Pirates and Maria Looney on the Red Planet. In fact, I am attaching a scan of a promotion button given out at a book fair in the late 70s. (BELOW)

On a certain level, it might be said that in terms of humor and children's satire, Jerome Beatty's Looney books are the 60s answer to the Harry Potter series (and no surprise, I personally much prefer Matthew to Harry).

How awful that the series is currently out of print!

Ken, your site is invaluable to elementary schools, as teachers routinely do Author Studies with their classes and your site is perfect. I am looking forward to seeing your Interview with Mr. Beatty!! I wonder if you will include a short summary of the books or a characterization page. In any event, I will certainly recommend your site to my contacts in education!

Thank you so very much for forwarding Mr.Beatty's e-mail address.

Again, I am appreciative of your writing to me and it is great to meet another devoted fan of Matt!

Many good wishes for success!!

Most sincerely yours,

Joyce