Hoboken Fish and Chicago Whistle

by Daniel Pinkwater

Book by Pinkwater, Daniel Manus

Genres: Humor, Nonfiction

398 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1999

About the author

Daniel Manus Pinkwater is an author of mostly children's books and is an occasional commentator on National Public Radio. He attended Bard College. Well-known books include Lizard Music, The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death, Fat Men from Space, Borgel, and the picture book The Big Orange Splot. Pinkwater has also illustrated many of his books in the past, although for more recent works that task has passed to his wife Jill Pinkwater.

Reviews

[Phrodrick slowed his growing backlog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daniel Pinkwater is much better known for his children’s books, all written from a slightly of fkilter but child-like point of view. Consider for a moment book titles like, Snarkout Boys & the Avocado of Death or Lizard Music and you get the idea. This is a writer following his own muse. In his books for the more adult reader, there is something that suggests short cozy fireside, relaxing reading. Such is how I feel about this large collection, Hoboken Fish and Chicago Whistle. These are all family friendly, short 2-to-5-page commentaries, remembrances or observations. He is writing as if you are a friend and rarely is he expecting more than an encouraging smile and if you care to, a laugh.

I originally came to like Daniel Pinkwater via his short spoken pieces that occasionally created a humorous break in the news as reported on National Public Radio. Many of those pieces, especially the shorter entries are included in this compendium. Technically this is an anthology as it contains at least two previously published editions of his musings.

Much of the book is about the various people, many of them unique characters he came to know either as a would be art student or as one given to walking around cities, especially Chicago where he rarely considered the type of neighborhoods where his feet took him. It is rare that these characters are threatening and always they suggest that there is more to learn from people not from your normal crowd. Another major inspiration are the many pets, particularly the large Huskey’s that he came to prefer. Indeed, he has also authored some books on dog training that at still considered authoritative.
There were also a few Maine Coon cats in his life, and they too inspired a few warm memories.

Given the emphasis on places as suggest by the title, he has much to say about the places where he lived, especially on his way to becoming a writer. Therefore, much of what is has to say about places is from the point of view of a ‘starving artist”. He had hoped to be a sculptor, even managing to get one wood cut into a museum. For all his years trying, he admits that this was never to be his métier.

Starving artist perhaps needs to be taken in his particular context. Daniel Pinkwater is a fat man. Too much of the early part of the book is about his weight. He never seemed to let his weight limit him, but he is never shy about the fact of his size.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Daniel Pinkwater. I have loved every one of his books, and I love his autobiographical sketches, like UNCLE BORIS IN THE YUKON and FISHWHISTLE. This book contains FISHWHISTLE, but adds more of his NPR commentaries, and then a series of autobiographical sketches that continue the strange story of his life. His father was a Polish mobster. He's traveled all over the world. In addition to writing children's books, he has been a terrible sculptor, an excellent dog trainer, a ferry enthusiast, and continues to be unabashedly a big fat guy who likes food.

The sketches in this book are short, funny when not poignant (stories about his Malamute Arnold make me tear up EVERY TIME), but also very wise. He gives some very interesting insights into publishing, especially in the final pages, and some generally good advice about being an artist or writer, as well as having a sense of humor about life, and responsible pet ownership. It was also fun to see how some of his stories were inspired. He knew a kid in grade school who caused a riot one day by pretending to be from Mars! (ALAN MENDELSSOHN, BOY FROM MARS is one of my favorites of his kids' books.)

All around great, and worth finding, like anything Pinkwater writes!

[Dan Blackley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection of short stories is intended to provide a unique perspective of the writer. I have enjoyed his writing for years.

[Tyler McGaughey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book of short pieces that Pinkwater originally wrote to be delivered on some NPR show, I forget which one. It serves as a self-deprecating autobiography, revealing the origins of some of the tropes and recurring settings of his children's books.

[Shaenon Garrity · Rating 5 out of 5]

Basically contains everything you need to know. Especially if you want to be a writer, but also in general.

[Abby · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the funniest people alive writes essays on everything. READ THIS!