Letters to MATAHARIETTE.com
From: JodyTibbs I read your article on the female queenpins in the cali cartel and it was amazing. I especially liked the lead. For me the lead is always the key, if I can come up a good lead I usually have no problem with the rest of the article. Anyway I'm at work but I will send you another email later. From:
"Traci Fischer Hi Hariette: Great reading..... I'm mildly jealous of you and your skills (sorry, at 36 mild is all I can muster for anything). However, I am thoroughly impressed. Traci
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Sun, 22 Oct 2000 YOU MADE MY DAY!!! I did the same.. reading Marilyn..everything about the gal! Ah you must send this to bev@scribequill.com. These gals are doing a book on how writers get out of the big D. And also my friend Susan Kolodny wrote The Captured Mind...awesome. But truly thank-you for this essay...I was in a blue funk and it made me smile! Sincerely, Leonore Wilson Subject: Your Rants! Well my dear H. YOUR RANTS HAVE MADE MY WINDY CALIF. DAY!!! WOW GIRL ARE YOU SOMETHING. WHERE IN THE UNIVERSE DO YOU DWELL??? I HEARD THAT SATURN HAS A MOON WHICH HAS RAIN AND CLOUDS... Ah, and another movie for thou... ROAD SCHOLAR... those who want to know the US should see. More eh? Can't wait to read all your work!!! YIPEE!!! WINE ON ... L Subject: Re: Hey H To: rp@panix.com Well what a sexy pose! You put this one in a mag and you'll get those Yanks and Mets both climbing over your walls!! By the way, I'm for the Yanks. Long story. Baseball in thee blood. You are wise wise beyond your years. Is this recent you 22 yr old babe? I never know what to send someone... I have the range of clothes in the closet from 3 to 16plus depending on desire. Another long story. So here's a recent shot with my youngest. I had them young. I'm 42. And here's the husband I married...at 20. Oh what a novel there! Oh I found a wonderful newsletter from John. He makes these wonderful sandwiches in his series and newsletters. Catherine eh...something like Liza. She was the super B at the Tahoe hotels. My cousin was the phone operator. Elvis and Sammy D. the kindest. Go figure. My son works at La Toque... one of the most ritzy restaurantos in the US. Such puffy people. Anyway, a group from Milan came in and only took a sip from fifteen wines! If I see one more BUSH sign I will personally put mr George in the electric chair. Stay tuned you ravishing thing! Purple is My color! Me Subject: Re: Hey H Oh pleaaaseee! And look at you... aren't you smashin! You ooze sensuality and wisdom and honest to goodness beauty. Thank-god! If you sent me one of those makeover mall shots I would have sent you some moldy san fran. french bread or Napa vly vinegar labeled vintage wine '69! Who is that ADONIS next to you? OK..give away. Or don't. I understand. Just that I see your faces and I want to say... let's do dinner!! I live in the wine haven of the US but I tell you H. most of the writers here want to do lunch to show me work and have me comment. I go to the Bay Area for nuturing. Even if it means hanging out in the old neighborhoods. I am going to read all you wrote..chants, rants, etc. Husband was supposed to fly to NY in Nov. I told some people who live "back there" then it got cancelled. Damn. We might fly out to N.H. in Feb. I have this dire need to travel. Gemini I am. Why did you live in the Bay Area? And how did you come by such wit and talent that I swear you lifted me out of a fuckin' blue funk! Thank you eastern goddess. L.W.
From:
"Quinnz" quinnz@peoplepc.com Harriette, Your article in Ex. Corpse about depression was refreshing and lifted my spirits. Been in a funk with the flu for over a month now. Take care and thanks, Harriette Quinn P.S. I like your name!
From:
VictoriaRoy I want to tell you how much I enjoyed your 3 short stories. Each character was so beautifully described and became known to me. Thank you.
From:
VictoriaRoy Dear Hariette, Whether fictional or not they were all very real and beautiful written. Where can I find more of your work? I'd love to buy - but - I'm a stone carver - sculptor - no money - and love the library. Victoria Roy Stillman
From:
VictoriaRoy Dear Hariette, I just read that remarkable article on those rather incredible drug- dealing women. I must say that with the exception of Mery I rather had some respect for the others - good strong businesswomen. If they hadn't lived in such damn macho cultures they could have directed any business. Being a third generation feminist I have always felt that if women were the presidents or prime ministers of most countries we would live in a far better world. I can't say I was particularly fond of many of Mrs. Thatcher's programs that, as usual, effected the poor and mostly women and children. Her momentary sabre rattling in the Falklands - well, I could see her wanting to "give it to" those Argentinian generals although the whole melee was quite inane. Victoria Roy Stillman
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Sat, 10 Feb 2001 Hello again. I believe you now have another true admirer and fan. I just read your review of "Wiseguy." I didn't watch it originally. As a total insomniac I happen to have turned in on one Saturday night about 6 months ago. In NYC it is on from 2-4am. It is really fantastic and the acting superb. Yes, even that golden boy, Ken Wahl. I also watch repeats but am still fascinated. I wrote to Court TV to ask them to show more of the repeats than just the same few that I see. Of course I could watch the "Profitt" arc over and over as well as the "Steelgrave" and the remarkable acting of Jerry Lewis and Ron Silver.
From:
"Tonge, Frank Great stuff, Hariette. Very funny. You may have made me a convert. You think Monty Clift would be a good place to start? I already read a Capote bio. I think he was a great writer but I do truly agree that Answered Prayers was nothing more than time Truman wasted while being drunk, stoned or hungover. Question: to be a writer, do you actually have to write anything? Or can you just sit in front of a typewriter (tube these days) for a certain amount of time on a regular basis?
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Wed, 14 Feb 2001 18:07:54 -0500 Hi Hariette, My name is Inge - Im 38 and live in Denmark. For the last 10 days I have been searching the net for pictures and information on Ken Wahl - but there really isn't much to find - and that leaves me in wonder. I finally found a site where you're paying tribute to the man and the character of Vinnie Terranova and I enjoyed reading that of course :) I am crazy about Ken Wahl - and especially the part he played in Wiseguy. To me he is - along with Elvis Presley - the most handsome and mos sexy man to ever have lived on planet Earth. But opposite Elvis there isnt many places to go on the net to get information on him. How come? Well - anyway - I just wanted to say Hi and hoped that I might have found a fellow-Wahl-fan? Please feel free to write me back if you like. That would be very nice :) Love Inge
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Wed, 03 Jan 2001 Hello Hariette, Interesting piece in The CyberEC. Would you send your list of 50 ways to beat your blues? Thanks. Don Traun, NYC
From:
"BOYD NELSON Hello Hariette - I just read your article (in Exquisite Corpse) about beating depression by reading celebrity bios. Hit a resonant cord in me, it did! Please send your "list of favorite degrading celeb bio highlights". Thanks - Brenda Nelson Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2001 To: rp@panix.com Dear Ms. Surovell, As a graduate student who's been assigned to evaluate a website, I chose Salon.com, and came across your article "Ugly Editors Use Ugly Tactics." I read it with rapt attention was wondering--if it's not too much trouble--whether you could put me in touch with other people/articles/sites critiquing Salon.com, or anything else you've written regarding this site (I've read your article about Anne Lamott in Exquisite Corpse, but want to know if you or anyone else had more). If you do repsond, would you mind doing it before next Tuesday? (That's when my paper is due.) Many thanks. Sincerely, Meg Meiman
From:
"Tonge, Frank J" You are still kicking butt literarily. Current three in the Corpse are great. Mini-novels is what they are. Distilled reality. I think they're the best of yours I've read so far. To: "'Hariette'" Subject: RE: Double Plus Good Writings Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2001 I don't care if they're old. They're lovely. (Third one too.) Hope your current work is going well.
-----Original Message----- Hey, thanks. I was thinking re. you the other day. I wrote those first 2 stories in 1974, the third this year.
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Wed, 14 Mar 2001 Dear Ms. Surovell: Thank you for the fascinating story on Howard Blumgarten and the Friedman brothers. Can you explain why this case got so little press? It is a very dramatic case (far more intriguing than the "Puffy" case), but very little was written about it. As an attorney and someone who knew Gary Friedman many years ago, I have wondered what had happened to him. I put "Gary Friedman" into Yahoo and got your article. Do you know where Gary is incarcerated? Robert Lerner
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hello Hi Hariettte: I am a fan of your work. I bought the Love Strokes book recently online. I got a pretty beat up copy, but still it was an entertaining read. I laughed my ass off with adventures in taxidermy. I wouldn't want to fuck with you. It seems you have the power to disembowel people who do wrong by you.Best of luck in future works. Sincerely, Casey From: vcr@skinema.com Congratulations! Your star is permanently installed on Skinema Blvd. http://itssrv1.ucsf.edu/~vcr/Blvd.html Thanks and keep up the terrific work... --Vail
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rp@panix.com Hey there, I would freak out too if I was studying to be a therapist only to discover my professor was a co-dependent, enabling mother to a drug dealer, rapist, homicidal son. Definitely surreal. I'm sure that student could have used a sedative after reading Poor little Rich Thugs.critique. I think you should definitely write a sequel to Lovestrokes. Anonymous Subject:
Celebrity Bios Dear Hariette: I love your work! I was mining for info on Victor Hugo's daughter Adele and found your site. Your article on depression was dead-on-balls accurate. I moved back to the USA in the dead of winter after living as a musician in Mexico for several months. The cold climate, gray skies, and an abundance of small-town Philistines had me feeling like a cave dweller! The celebrity bio I would recommend is actually a nonfiction anthology of many celebrities. It is called "The Sex Lives of Famous People" brought to you by the same researchers who did "The Book of Lists" and "The People's Almanac" among other titles. Although it provides plenty of unknown fodder to titilate, it focuses primarily on llittle-know facts and unknown facts of movies stars, popes, wiriters, artists, musicians, philosophers, and and historical figures. At lot of the facts were gleaned from letters from the famous and their associates. If it is not still in print (It came out about 18 years ago), check your local used book store. It is definitely worth a look! Best wishes J.L.--a fan of matahariette.com kasmith Hi I am a graduate student currently working with Joan Bloomgarden. I read your story and I felt like getting violently ill. Where did you get your information from? What is valid? What is slanger? Please I would appreciate it if you could answer my questions. Sincerely, K. Smith
Subject: Kaufman
Etc. Hello. I am Frank Tonge, a Corpse fan and sometimes contributor. I really like your stuff in general and particularly the piece on Andy Kaufman. Or was that Jim Carrey? I agree that Carrey's performance is astonishing. And Kaufman himself was.... Well. I don't really know what to say about him. I must have been his perfect audience because he was always one step ahead of me. I just never caught up. From Mighty Mouse to getting chased off the David Letterman show, everything he ever did made me run through the same drill: uncertainty, mild or not so mild discomfort, realization that I've been had, rueful admiration of his brilliance. Whatever he was, there was only one of him. Thanks for the good writing. Subject: RE: Kaufman
Etc. Saw the tail end of another Kaufman special on TV. It
had the clip of Andy singing the Slim Whitman version of that old Nelson Eddy
favorite,"Oh Rosemarie, I Love You." While wearing a turban and a swami diaper,
black shoes and socks. Accompanying himself on guitar while the Letterman
band backs him up. And a very good version of the song it is too, with all
the correct slides into falsetto in place. I'm saying to myself, why is that
funny? It is. It's hilarious. It must just be the complete absurdity. Andy
Kaufman becoming the live version of a fur lined teacup. Dada with a capital
da. However, seeing the movie twelve times is a little over the top, don't
you think? I've only seen "Silence of the Lambs" four or five times, although
I am a great fan of Jodie Foster and mass murderers. I looked at your web
site but not extensively, since I just returned from vacation and have had
a trying day at my corporate job. What's your life like? Do you just write?
Or do you scrabble for a living? I see you've published in some cool places
- Salon and all. Read any good books lately?
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Thank you! Ms. Surovell: I found your site through a link on the Drudge Report. I have read several of your true crime stories. You have a wonderful style that completely immerses your reader into the scene you are describing. I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy your work and look forward to reading more in the future. Thank you, again. John Watson Brownsville, TX.
X-Sender:
"UC Berkeley Library Public PC User" (Unverified) Very interesting story, great read.
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Freelance? Enjoyed your Cali Cartel piece. I'm an editor for Reader's Digest. Cheers.
From: DICK DROST
‹dd@ncla.com› Hariette: Love your webb site & especially that link to the Cali women story. USA Media Communications is a one-man media monitoring & consultation service (cheaper than Lexus/Nexus) that "tracks" stories & writers of political and public policy interest. THIMMESCH
From_: dd@ncla.com
Mon May 15 00:34:18 2000 A NEW, EXCITING AND INNOVATIVE INTERNET "PLAYBOY-TYPE" MONTHLY MAGAZINE ENTITLED www.E-M-A-G.com WILL MAKE IT'S DEBUT ON AUGUST 1ST, 2OOO. WE WOULD LIKE TO INCLUDE YOUR SUPERB INFORMATIVE REPORT ON QUEENPINS OF THE CALI CARTEL IN IT'S ENTIRITY, WITH YOUR PERMISSION, OF COURSE... MAY WE DO SO? ATTACHED HEREIN IS OUR "COVER" PROTOTYPE. D!CK DROST - EDITOR AND PUBLISHER E-M-A-G dd@ncla.com
Subject: bbc
interview Hello Hariette. I edit a weekly international news/magazine programme (called "Global") on the main UK news and sports radio network - BBC Radio 5 Live. It goes out from London on Saturday evenings (London-time). I've just seen your article Queenpins of the Cali Cartel on Exquisite Corpse. How can I contact you, if we want to arrange an interview?
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Sun, 23 Apr 2000 17:32:48 EDT Dear Hariette, I've just read some of your work on the Internet and find it wonderful, witty, wise and crazy (as in "good crazy"). -Bob Hariette Surovell and Her Readers (from cyber corpse 4 letters April - May 2000) From:
Doug Saunders dsaunders@globeandmail.ca Your piece in Exquisite Corpse was especially on the mark, and also caused great micturations of mirth among all the freelancers around here. I did come away from Salon with the distinct sense that I'd much rather be writing about them than for them. The scene reminded me of my small-newsmagazine days, when I never phoned anyone back and tried to avoid paying kill fees. Except that I was at a dinky monthly with a $500,000 budget, not a NASDAQ-traded dotcom. Doug Saunders
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Harab@aol.com Hariette, Your writing is hilarious! Not being a New Yorker at all times, nor even a citizen of the great United States, I often do not know the people you are talking about. Still, I love the energy, the dissident tone. Somehow in reading what you write, I enjoy a kind of vicarious pleasure. The joy of saying, "I'm not going to listen to your drivel for another moment without telling you what I think!" After I read your most recent rant, I found myself writing asides in dotcoms... What fun to read your no-way-you-are-going-to inflict-this-on-the-public-without- a-carefully-worded-nasty-retort-from-me.com! I'll be back to read more. Best, Barbara
To: sjbarclay@aol.com Your story on Lamott is AMAZING. Everyone here in San Francisco just LOVES her and I hit my forehead and wonder how or why she's always doing these radio gigs and telling people how to do things. You, girl, you're slinging artichokes at the giants and I'm right there... right there waaaay behind you, because when it comes to writer folks, I'm never quite sure what I'm talking about. See, I think Stephen King is genious (even though I haven't read him since PET SEMETARY came out when I was in high school). Formula? Sure, why not. Plays come in three parts; screenplays are 120 pages. I don't care. I just hope to GOD my books never, ever get big enough for YOU to review.
From: "M. Borowsky" Auntie Har: How are things in the wonderful world of words? I checked out the new&improved
www.matahariette.com, really cool. Dug the When
Harry Met Sally piece on the
Corpse. Love the layout. Whoopass! Mark
From: Tony Baize ‹baize@megsinet.net› Hi Hariette, I just discovered one of your rants on the Exquisite Corpse site, (Meredith Berkman)and I am totally enthralled. Although getting through all of it was time-consuming, I am glad I did it. I am a ranter, too, although I have only achieved local (and somewhat regional) notoriety in the armpit of America (Southeast - Midwest). I was posting a rant a day at http://tonybaize.webjump.com, but I burned out quickly. I still do a monthly column in an underground (paper) publication, but my web presence has been limited to the paying gigs I can scrounge up. Anyway, enough about me. I just wanted to say that you really kick ass, and I will be reading everything I can find with your name on it. Never stop kicking ass, and never lighten up.
Dear Hariette Surovell, It sounds like you believe yourself to be of superior intelligence. If you are so convinced the theory of evolution is indeed correct, maybe you would be interested in checking out the following website: www.drdino.com he has an ongoing offer for $250,000.00 for evidence for evolution. Maybe you should check this out. We don't believe the world is only 2000 years old, its more like 6000 years old. Maybe you should actually read up on a subject before you start ranting and raving about it. Regarding Dinosaurs in the Bible, they are there. Read Job 40: 15-24 and Job 41. P.S. I found it very ironic, that on your web page you featured the poem "Happiness" by Jane Kenyon. This is clearly based on a parable from the Bible. **** Hariette Surovell replies: Dear Ms. Higgins: Thank you so very much for taking the time to read my website, http://www.matahariette.com. I am glad that we share the same tastes in poetry. I will give The Bible another shot, but I always get distracted by all the hot sex in it. Thanks again, Hariette Surovell
Hariette Surovell and Her Readers (from cyber corpse 3 letters Jan.-Feb. 2000)
Subject: Salon dismissed/Lamott disemboweled Your story on Lamott is AMAZING. Everyone here in San Francisco just LOVES her and I hit my forehead and wonder how or why she's always doing these radio gigs and telling people how to do things. You, girl, you're slinging artichokes at the giants and I'm right there... right there waaaay behind you, because when it comes to writer folks, I'm never quite sure what I'm talking about. See, I think Stephen King is genious (even though I haven't read him since PET SEMETARY came out when I was in high school). Formula? Sure, why not. Plays come in three parts; screenplays are 120 pages. I don't care. I just hope to GOD my books never, ever get big enough for YOU to review. Yours truly, Erika Lopez (San Francisco)
Subject: Wait, is this Lamott woman real? Yours was the first essay I read in the online Exquisite Corpse, and your informal style nails the point about this author from Salon magazine deftly. Still, I must wonder: Are you sure this woman isn't, say, fictional? Maybe she's a personality projection by the publishers. I'm a tad scared to check with Salon (maybe I'll examine the phone book) to confirm she isn't, say, an outcast from the old Processed Word zine or perhaps the state-mandated therapy for a child-beater. Just a thought, as the idea that any professional magazine would pay a wacko except by direct deposit...maybe that's it. They're not a professional magazine. Maybe you've hit on something else: that Salon is less a publication as a Geocities for hacks. Keep up the fab work! Dante Blando, Utica, NY Subject: Birdbrain by Birdbrain I just read your piece about Anne Lamott in EC. I thought it was mean spirited. Thank you. The only thing worse than reading her, is listening to her read her stuff. Whining, monotone, zombie. (No disrespect to Zombies intended.) I think I'd like to hear what you have to say about Garrison Keillor. Matt Eggleston Subject: Re: Salon dismissed/Lamott disemboweled Is your website "Panix.com"? I'll check it out. I'd actually found out about you because I was at home writing or fucking around, with the radio on, and the Russian-sounding guy that does commentaries was on "Talk of the Nation" about scary stories. (I'm horrible with names.) They said he edits "Exquisite Corpse.org", and so I checked it out. I'd only heard of Salon last year when someone told me they gave me a bad review of one of my books, and I haven't really checked it out since. So of course, your title got my attention. And your writing's really good. You cut right through it all and you're not too cool. I can't STAND all of these snide writers who're just TOO COOL. Boring. Erika Subject: "Exquisite Corpse" Hariette, I enjoyed your piece Dissing 'Salon' Again in Andrei's EXQUISITE CORPSE immensely, as well as all the referenced pieces included. I only have one theoretical question. I know you are an Editor, et all;...but are you misspelling MILLENNIUM (on your URL) for some reason of artistic license, or is it an insider's joke I am failing to pick up on? Just wonderin'. Ms. Paris Tirone ptirone@cdsnet.net Subject: Re: Birdbrain by Birdbrain Sorry to bug you again. But I wanted to talk you into listening to Bride of Christ Looney Lady Lamott read one of her own pieces. You must savor the time lengthening effect of her drone. Listen to her often and you may not live forever, but you'll know what it feels like. I wonder which ring of hell her voice would be the sound track for. You decide. The site is www.thislife.org (This American Life) look for the program from June 5, 1998 entitled "Music Lessons". You can listen to the show via Realaudio. David Sedaris also reads something on this show and does a dead on imitation of Billie Holiday singing the Oscar Meyer Bologna song. You won't be sorry! Matt Subject: Lamott Man, are you funny! randi@together.net Subject: SaLon SaLon Hariette - Was headed over to see what musical misstep Salon had made this week, when I clicked over to EC instead and came across your spot-on pieces on their ivory web-tower. While I may eventually cringe at the memory of my dogged pursuit of various editors there, I will savor this sense of liberation as long as the vibe can be prolonged. Thanks! regards...JoE Joe.Silva@Premtec.com Subject: corpse story Hey Hariette: Very funny, the "court" piece. How've you been? This is my first trip to the Corpse site. It's nice that I can just zip in there at my desk at my new job, just chow on a black forest ham and smoked gouda sandwich while the smell of stinky cheese eminates from some of your characters. Have a good turkey day...Joe Maynard JMaynard@christies.com Subject: YEAH Hariette! God, I thought I was the only one who thought that the Anne Lamott articles in "Mothers Who Think" were a bunch of claptrap. Yes, I am paying attention. I just don't have your eloquence! Merci. kac Kac04@aol.com Subject: Maybe nuts ain't so charming after all H--- Just read ADVENTURES IN TAXIDERMY. Looking at things from your point of view, I can see why you aren't as charmed by weirdoes as I sometimes am. So, to amend my statement, weirdoes are great as long as you don't have to live in the same building with them. That black candle trick is something I'm gonna have to add to my repertoire of gags. J. MoonShadow_Press@msn.com Subject: salon.com dear hariette surlyvell, thank you for your discreditation of saloon.com and in particular the work of anne lamott. I have never visited salmon.com nor have I read the writings of ms. lummox but it is quite possible that I might have in the future. That is, until you stopped me. Where were you when 'Howard the Duck' came out? I thought, "wow, a george lucas film about an extra-terrestrial duck. this is gonna be great!" I wish i had been forwarned. (Entre nous, it's not a good movie). It seems clear to me now that this anne lambchop just doesn't know what the internet's for! maybe she should take a class or something or get one of those internet books for dummies. what do you think? I often do internet wide searches on "black butts" and it was only a matter of time before I got to the salaam.com article (probably right before your "review" of salsa.com). When you want a big black butt, there's no time to waste at the new yorker of the internet! that's for darn sure! Thanks again for steerin' me straight. mark podojil
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