2) Because he wrote a great book about writing – one of the best.
3) Because he wrote Love Warps the Mind a Little , a book that solidified my dream of being a writer,
4) Because he wrote me back after I wrote him about how much I loved Love Warps the Mind a Little (pre-Internet) and told me “Best of luck in your writing. Just hang in there. We’re all in this for the long ride.” [Full disclosure: I still have the letter, and Susan Fromberg Schaffer’s, and Sheila Ballantyne’s and a few others.]
5) Because when I finally met him in person, he didn’t laugh when I said his name “Doo-fres-knee.” It’s really more like “Du-Frayne.” I think.