Your Questions Answered

Do You Actually Read Fan Mail?

Question:
 
I don’t usually take the time to write fan mail, because I don’t like not knowing if it was ever actually read or not, but this was important enough to me that it just kept gnawing at me begging to be written, to tell you.

I just recently finished the last book in the Alice McKinley series. It was a familiar feeling at first, wanting to keep reading and consuming the story as fast as I could while at the same time wanting to savor each word and memory of Alice’s life. Then, when I finally finished, there was a feeling that wasn’t so familiar. I sat in my bed bawling. I know Alice didn’t die, but it felt like with the last turn of a page I was losing a great friend. I felt as if I were in the hospital watching her Dad die, but I also felt like I was at her and Patrick’s wedding smiling and crying like I would at a close friend’s wedding. I’m not used to feeling that strongly about a character, and I was truly in awe of how much I cared. I also couldn’t have even asked for a better ending to her story, to Patrick’s, her family’s, Pam, Gwen, Liz, etc. It was truly wonderful.

As with many other people who have written you, these books and the reality you have created within them hold a very dear place in my heart. I began reading them after I saw my sister reading them one day. I would check them out at the library when I was in maybe 4th or 5th grade. Because of the way my family can be, I learned much of what I know about boys, sex, and just being a normal girl through Alice, and I honestly cannot thank you enough for that. I’m sure I learned from other places – friends, TV, and maybe the occasional talk with my parents, but overall, it was their visit to the gynecologist, the class they took at the church about sex, and in my own later years, Alice’s yearnings for Patrick and their interactions, that made me see that everything I was experiencing in life was normal as well as wonderful. It was something to be careful about but also something to embrace with open eyes and an open mind.

My favorite thing about the whole series is that Alice is a normal girl. Often times when people would see me reading them and ask what I was reading, it was hard to explain. It’s not like Harry Potter – “Oh you know just a bunch of cool wizards fighting a dark lord!” No, more like “Oh, well…it’s Alice. She’s a normal girl.” And I love that. I think in our world today we are taught that success is being a heroine. Success is being financially well-off. Success is being famous. And all of that is a bunch of crap. When I read Alice’s stories I am reminded that ordinary truly is extraordinary. She goes to school, has relationships, goes through all the normal life events. Alice is somebody we all can relate to. I find myself in her every time I read whether it’s when she’s over worrying or longing for patrick, even when she wants to be a counselor (as do I).

Another thing that really hit home with me personally while reading the last book was the drive to embrace the future. I am about to be a senior in college, and I have gotten into this mindset that my best days are behind me. I find myself longing for childhood again, wanting to be dependent on people for my life. After reading Alice from ages 20-60, man was I pumped up to live the rest of my life. Fun isn’t just for the youthful, and I cannot tell you how long I have been trying to get passed that hurdle in my mind and heart. I’ve known it, but reading this made me really truly understand that life is a wonderful journey and it doesn’t end when you graduate college. I often go through quite dark depressive spells for months on end. It’s hard for me to find hope sometimes. I believe in God, and that certainly helps. But for the first time in a long time, I have hope in life. Just life in general. It’s nice to have hope as an overwhelming feeling and not just hoping in one particular thing.

So, all this is to say: Thank you, Thank you so much. I cannot express how much these works have meant to me from the time I was 8 to now, being 21, and for many years to come as I reread the pages you’ve written with a happy heart and weepy eyes at times. Sometimes it seems silly, that a story can be so meaningful, because, after all, it isn’t real. But most of the time, it just seems wonderful. It’s wonderful that these little realities can be created and can affect us and help us so much. It’s one of life’s true blessings. Thank you for who you are and all the realities you have created in my life and in countless others.

Phyllis replied:
 
Indeed, I do read my fan mail.  I don’t read it as fast as I should–right now I’m working against two separate deadlines, but I felt I couldn’t put off checking my friendsofalice website, and am embarrassed that so many emails have accumulated unanswered.  I’m just so happy that the character of Alice resonated with you. Very ordinary people can have an extraordinary influence on the lives of others in the way they perform their jobs or inspire other people or raise their children.  I wish you all the best in your future career!

A P.S. (sometime later)

Question:
 
Hi, it’s me again.

I just finished “now I’ll tell you everything” and naturally I sobbed my eyes out. A flood of emotions came over me so strong it shook me. The way you tied everything together gave me closure. I love the way Alice turned out, and I love the way the series ended. I hoped that the group would uncover the capsules. Thank you for that. Thank you for the decade I spent loving Alice and the whole group, and for teaching me so much about love, life, and reality.  You’re one of the most remarkable people in this world.

Phyllis replied:
 
I’m so glad the ending didn’t let you down!

Afraid to Start Reading It

Question:
 
I’m sitting here staring at the cover of “Now I’ll Tell You Anything” afraid to start it. I’m not afraid of reading it because of the content. I’m sure you did a fabulous job, as you always do. I’m afraid of opening it because when I finish this book, it’s the end of an era that has lasted a decade for me. I stumbled across “Alice in April” in my fifth grade teacher’s bookshelf one day when I was only 10 years old. And from the moment that I picked it up, I was hooked. When I found out that it was a series, I was excited. I used every single Barnes and Noble gift card I received for birthdays or Christmases to go buy more books to try to complete my collection. Eventually, I had every single Alice book up until the ones that had yet to be published. And I read them faithfully. I read them throughout middle school, the most hellacious time of my life, as I was bullied out of my mind. I related to her on so many levels. My best friends Alana, Anna, and Kaltra are very similar to Pam, Liz, and Gwen, as we have been best friends since elementary and middle school.

I’m 20 years old right now, going into my third year of college. And reading this book and completing it symbolizes that I’m not a little girl anymore. I’ve been reading these books for a decade. This book, as I understand, takes Alice all the way til she’s 60. She’s no longer talking as if she’s a teenager. She’s talking as an adult, as my peer, finally, because for so long I would be so much younger than she was in the books that I was reading. This book symbolizes the continuation of my journey into adulthood. It lets me let go of being that 10 year old who was SO excited every time you mentioned anything about puberty or sex in your books because it was so informative. I mean, here I am, in a steady relationship with the man I think I’m going to marry, studying social work at the college of my dreams. I’m growing up, and Alice is too. And once I finish this book, I feel like I’m not a kid anymore.

That’s how big a part of my childhood these books were to me, Ms. Naylor. I know you probably get it all the time. But I’m 20 and I still have every single book lined up in order on my bookshelf in my childhood room. My sister is 11, and I told her this summer, I want to read them with her. Your books help people, so much. Your writing is beautiful and real. And ALICE is real.

So even though I haven’t started this book yet, I wanted to thank you. I’ll get up the courage to open the cover. Although I do have a feeling that there will be tear shed throughout the course of reading it. Thanks for helping me have such an amazing childhood and young adulthood. I know I’m probably just another email praising you and thanking you, but I do hope you have the chance to read this, and to realize how much you’ve helped me. “Now I’ll Tell You Everything” is going to be amazing, I just know it.

Thank you so much, Ms. Naylor.
 
Phyllis replied:
 
Your letter moved me so much I forwarded it to my editor.  I’m sure it made her day as well.  It delights me to know that your sister will enjoy the books, and that you have the whole collection.  Thanks so much for writing to me.

Happy and Sad at the Same Time

Question:
 
I just finished reading “Now I’ll Tell You Everything”. A book has never made me feel so many different emotions. I felt awful when Alice was engaged to Dave but I knew that you wouldn’t let her spend the rest of her life with anyone but Patrick. I squealed so hard when they found each other at the airport. Every time I walk into my English class and see my beautiful young teacher I can’t help but think of Alice admiring Sylvia. About an hour ago I was in tears due to the passing of Ben. I was so happy with how you decided to end the series. As soon as it was announced that the last Alice book would be chronicles of her life from age 18-60 I knew you would include the time capsule. Your final book has made me appreciate my parents so much more. I’ve been reading your books for the past 6 years, starting them when I was 9 as I was introduced to them by my best friend. They’ve make me so happy and sad at the same time. They taught me everything I know and I wouldn’t be the same person without your books. Knowing she is not a real person hurts because she has become one of my best friends over the years but, I find bits and pieces of her in me as many other girls do. I’m 15 now and, I wonder if my mother has the same thoughts about me as Alice did about Patricia when she was 15. I’m going through all your recent letters and they all seem to be be about how thankful everyone is. You’ve inspired and helped so many people with your series. I’ve written to you twice, once when I was 11 and again when I was 13 but this time I feel like I have way more to say to you and I appreciate this series so much more This ending is bitter sweet but I still know I can re-read the series and experience the adventure you took me and many other people on all over again. I like this series rivers and love it oceans and I’m so grateful for the day you jotted down the title “The Agony of Alice”.
 
Phyllis replied:
 
Thank you so much.  You know, when I’m talking about these books with friends, I talk about  Alice as though she’s real, too–laughing over some of the funny things she did, and tearing up about the sad parts.  And then I get embarrassed, because I’m the author!

Crying A Lot

Question:
 
I just finished Now I’ll Tell You Everything and I loved it! The part that made me cry the most was when she found the note from her mom saying she would have loved him too… 🙂 I cried a lot at the end… and part of that crying was because now there’s no more Alice books to read… I guess I’ll just reread the whole series…. But thank you for writing these books! They are by far my absolute favorite books ever! Thank you so much!
 
Phyllis replied:
 
Thank you so much for taking time to write to me.  I cried a lot writing these books–real tears!  But I also laughed out loud a lot.  So glad you enjoyed them too!

Happy Birthday, Alice!

Question:

This will be a short message, as I just want to tell you one thing: Happy Birthday, Alice! I had to e-mail you, Phyllis, because I was browsing the beginning of the Alice Bible when I noticed that Alice’s birthday is May 14th… which is today! I cannot believe I finished the final book on her birthday. I swear I didn’t plan it that way. But I can’t think of a more fitting end to my journey through these books… and it’s nice to know that wherever I end, another adventure is beginning with Alice, out in the great wide somewhere. Now I can go and read ALL the books front to back and definitively pick some favorites. There are so many it’s hard for me to remember what events happen when (I see why you made the Alice Bible!), especially in the earlier books, but Alice the Brave always stood out to me for being uniquely hilarious. I love Alice Alone and Simply Alice, because I liked Alice discovering who she was without Patrick. I always loved the summer books the most, particularly Alice In the Know. Dangerously Alice and Intensely Alice were good, but I reallyyyy loved how Alice finally seemed to find herself and try new things in Incredibly Alice. But Now I’ll Tell You Everything (always Always Alice to me 🙂 ) has been the most exciting because so much happened and we got to see Alice in so many different stages of life. I wish her the happiest birthday, and I’m so sad it’s over.

Phyllis replied:
 
It’s hard to choose a favorite, isn’t it?  I’ve never been able to love one more than another.

Alice Upside Down

Question:
 
Hi! I’ve just finished your last book in the Alice series Now I’ll Tell You Everything.  Now this is just suggestion but you should really make a movie for that! To be honest, I didn’t like the Alice upside down. :(. Blonde Patrick? Dark Liz?  I’m devatstated that I’m done with the series. I started reading your books this year and I have gotten – literally- EVERYONE hooked on them! Keep up the good work! You are the best author ever. Please see what you can do about the movie. Thanks!
 
Phyllis replied:
 
I appreciate your suggestion.  The people who enjoyed the movie, Alice Upside Down, the most, are the ones who were not familiar with the series.  If you viewed it as something completely separate from the Alice series, you could forget the character changes and enjoy it as something different.  There are no plans at present to make a movie of any other Alice books, but should that ever happen, perhaps I would have a bigger part in the screenplay and casting.

How Can I Buy the Whole Collection?

Question:
 
Just wanted to start off by saying that I LOVE your books! I read every single Alice book when I was younger and was addicted to every single one. Now that I am older, I’ve been wanting to collect all of them, but it is really hard because I can’t find one seller that sells them in a collection. And buying them separately means paying for shipping separately or going crazy going to a zillion different bookstores hoping they have them!

I hate to bother you about this, but do you happen to know of anyone or any way that I can just buy the whole series from? I would really appreciate it!!
 
 
Phyllis replied:
 
I so wish I had an easy answer.  I’ve been hoping the publisher would print the whole series in those 3 books-in-one bindups, so that instead of having to buy 28 books, you could buy 9 bind-ups and the final book.  I’ve forwarded your letter to my editor, asking if sales and marketing have come up with any new ideas to make it easier on readers, and if they ever devise a plan, I’ll print it here.  I know that the books have come out in so many different forms, with different covers, but remember that I wrote the series over 28 years, and of course, although I planned for it to cover 28 books, no one knew for sure if I’d be able to do that–that I would LIVE that long.  But I  still have dozens of books in me, so I plan to be around for awhile.

Real Life Experiences

Question:
 
Can I just say “WOW” on your Alice series! I started reading them in the 7th grade and instantly fell in love. After I couldn’t find them in my school library anymore, I started looking for them in my public library. This is the only series, besides the Harry Potter series, that I’m trying to collect. I bought the first book on amazon and have all but one of the three in one books. I just started the last book and I’m trying to drag it out as long as I can because I don’t want it to end!

I see a lot of Alice in myself and I just love how you put real life experiences into one character. Heartache to mistakes to the loyalty of true friends! This girl is so down to earth in everything she does that I wish she was real, because I would totally befriend her!
You really have no idea how much this series means to me. And I like it because it seemed like every time I went through something in my life, Alice would go through something similar in hers. And I hope that if I ever have a little girl, she will find as much joy reading the series as I did.

I don’t know if you’ll ever read this or have time or anything, but maybe if I could get your autograph in one of the books, that would be forever amazing! I could even send you one of mine to sign 🙂

Much love to you and all of your Alice’s who inspired you,

Phyllis replied:
 
I loved your email.  You have a lot of restraint.  When I read a good book, I gobble it down as fast as I can!
Anyone can send me either a book to sign or just a label that I could sign and you could stick it in a book.  If you send a book, however, make sure you enclose a self-addressed stamped mailer so that I can mail it back to you.  My address: 401 Russell Avenue, Apt. 713, Gaithersburg, MD  20877 

What Alice Has Meant to Me

Question:
 
First, I just wanted to let you know that as soon as Now I’ll Tell You Everything came out, I rushed to click the Order button before the book would run out of stock. You have SO many fans all over the world, and I’m just one small girl who is addicted to Glee. But I hope you listen to my words, because whenever I talk about the Alice series, they come from deep within my heart.
Alice… I can’t describe the impact she has made on my life and my future. When things were going wrong, she always looked up. Whenever I was having a bad day at school, I would arrive home to find one of your book waiting for me, like a shiny gold star in this cruel but somewhat lovely world. Alice has been, and always will be, one of my best friends for eternity. Her actions have inspired me each and every day to be a better person and to work toward a goal that will benefit not only myself, but others because there is always someone going through a worse time than myself. When I’m in college, I know that I will look back on my youthful days and regret this and that, but one of the greatest decisions of my life was picking up Alice in Rapture, Sort of, at my public library.
A few months ago, a comedian named Mikey Fallon performed at my high school. By the end of the assembly, half of the room was crying. He showed us his alter egos, and made us recognize the truth: that our outside appearance will never be what we feel inside. That man, just like you and Alice, forever made your mark in my heart.
You are one of the most successful authors of all time. And you know why It’s because you have dug your way into the hearts of thousands of people. You have changed their futures; probably even saved lives! And that is why I want to be an author when I grow up. You, along with Jeanette Walls, influence me. By the way, have you ever read The Glass Castle? My request; I’m wondering if you could possibly read one of my rough drafts or my story plots. I know that not all authors make it big like you, but I want to at least try to become the next Suzanne Collins or Veronica Roth. And your guidance would definitely help me through the long journey that I know is to come. I understand if you don’t have the time; thank you for even reading this. And thank you for your everlasting aid throughout my life. I love you and Alice forever.
 
 
Phyllis replied:
 
I so appreciate your taking time to write to me, and I feel very humble that the Alice books have meant so much to you.  Sometimes I felt I was writing them only for myself because I enjoyed doing it so much.  Yes, I have read The Glass Castle, and was blown away by all the author had been through, and her ability to write so movingly.  I wish that I could say yes to all the readers who want to send me a poem or story or play or book manuscript to read, but I currently have four projects going, and somewhere in all that I need to squeeze a personal life, because I do have family and friends.  So in fairness to everyone, I have to say no, but I wish you luck and success.  Please don’t set your goal to be famous like any other author you know.  You need to write from the heart, the story that only YOU can tell, whether or not it’s ever published.  It’s that which makes a good story.