Peter H. Cropes

I realized this evening while watching a detective show that when a person wants to make a stir about their announced project, they have a party. They invite friends, and also people who are not friends, and they serve cold wine and wonderful cheese. At this party the writer (I am ashamed to say that in this case that is me) will take questions and try to interest the community in his work, casually. Often, powerful men will ask him why he wrote the book, and wait for an answer.

I am going to host a party of this kind. It only makes sense, as I have a project that should debut to the public. I will throw the party on Halloween, which is an ideal day, as folks have already asked for that time off work.

Oh how it is good to work with one's hands. In the modern computer world they say most people never get their hands dirty. With me it is quite the opposite way. At the end of the long nights of making the books my back is sore like Noah and of honest work. There have been horrible problems— ghastly, furious moments. But art must be lifted, screaming, in our hands, if it is to touch the heart of man. Just as the babe is rent from the bleeding flesh unto this world, just as the world hungers and slavers for him to return unto its dust, such is my labor on this book.

I do not feel that I will write another tale for quite a while. I may travel.

It has been a treasure and a delight to understand the world of book publishing. I have learned many new things, and had many terrible moments as I put the finishing touches on A Wonderful Tale. The main thing I hate is computer screens which tell you one thing but then that thing is a Lie. Hence most of my book will be manually pasted up using good old hot wax technology and know-how. Caul, maintenance man at the high school, has let me make use of the out-dated equipment which no-one uses.

I am grateful to him.

I am pleased at my drawings. They are what is inside my head. I have been careful to draw them extremely slow, so each line is exactly what I see. You will notice this.

I want you to get this book at Christmas-time. Oh how the book will please you. Oh how the angels will dance. Oh how the people will sing.

Sincerely,
Peter H. Cropes