Alice Blog

Like Losing a Friend

Question:

I first picked up an Alice book at the public library when I was nine years old, I am now 21 years old and I feel like im losing a friend. Ive grown up with Alice, and its hard to believe I can feel so close to a fictional character. The books have had a big influence on me throughout the years and taught me a lot. I just wanted to tell you how much this series has meant to me. Thank you for writing this wonderful series.

Phyllis replied:
 
You’ve been a long and loyal friend.  Thank you for writing.

Sitting In My College Dorm

Question:
 
I started reading the Alice books when I was in middle school.  I started with Alice Alone, and then worked backwards, and then forward.  Alice has been a part of my life for almost ten years, and she and Lester and Liz and Pamela all feel like family to me.  I’ve grown up with Alice and she’s helped me through those painfully awkward middle school years and those exciting, weird high school years.  We even graduated high school at the same time, which was very important to me because I found leaving home really, really scary.  Now I’m sitting in my college dorm room–twenty years old, twenty-one in spring–and I’ve just finished the last book (which left me a blubbery, sobbing mess) and I had to write you to tell you, from the bottom of my heart: thank you.  Thank you so much for writing such an incredible book series.  You have helped me grow up so much.  You taught me about things nobody was talking about.  You helped me feel less alone about the feelings that I had.  I hope to be a writer someday, and if I can ever write anything a tenth as moving and important as you have, I’ll count myself incredibly lucky.

Phyllis replied:
 
If I was there, I’d give you a hug.   I cried a bit, too, when I wrote the end to the story.

How Do We Get an Autograph for our books?

Question:
 
I wrote to you over a year ago when I finished Alice on Board telling you how wonderful and touching it was and how I couldn’t wait for the last book among other things. Well, I’ve just finished Now I’ll Tell You Everything, and I’d like to reiterate how incredible you and the series has been to me. Alice has been with me since the fourth grade, and now I’m a sophomore in college. I love her, and I loved reading about her in your final chapter for her. It was simply perfect. I can’t wait to have a daughter of my own to share the books with. Thank you for being such an amazing and inspirational author and creating an equally amazing and inspirational character in Alice. I will forever be thankful to you, and I will forever love Alice. I so wish I could have met you on your book tour in October, but life held me here in NC working in school. I would love to have my copy of Now I’ll Tell You Everything signed. I had read on your site about being able to send you a book plate for you to sign and send back, and I wondered if that was still possible and where it is I am supposed to send it if so? Thank you so much for your time, and thank you so much for Alice.

Phyllis replied:
 
Thanks so much for your wonderful email.  You may send a book plate or just a label to me, at my address, 401 Russell Avenue, Apt. 713, Gaithersburg, MD  20877, and also enclose a stamped return envelope with  your name and address–including zip code–and tell me the name you want on the book plate or label.

Even Books Before I Was Born

Question:
 
I’ve never written an author before, despite having many favorites and wanting to be a writer myself, but your books have helped me in so many ways.  I’m 17 in three weeks now, but I was 7 when my mom read the first few to me.  I couldn’t believe it when I had grown up with her at the beginning of Now I’ll Tell You Everything.  Everything you wrote was so perfectly in character and fitting for everyone.  I grew up with both parents, but the whole family always had a tumultuous relationship.  I used to read Alice books for comfort, wishing I had an older brother like Lester, or an aunt like Sally, or a dad like Ben.  Recently, though, I’ve grown closer with my mother and I think it has a lot to do with your new book and rereading the others.  It made me appreciate certain relationships so much more, like first boyfriend, early best friends I’ve had since middle school, etc.  In general, your books have always made me feel better about life.  I’ve had my own Patrick and Pamela, and Elizabeth, and I feel as if so much of your writing has helped me.  So I wanted to say thank you.  These books mean so much to me, and I have hard copies of every single one, even one I think was produced before I was born…  I wish I could meet you in person to thank you, but your tour didn’t come near us (at least for someone without a car and gas money) so this will have to do.  Thank you so much.
 
Phyllis replied:
 
And your letters, and others, mean so very much to me.  An author can’t help but wonder when a series is over, just how much resonated with her readers, and the response to this last book has been so gratifying!

About Lori and Leslie

Question:

I can’t remember which book exactly you introduced Lori and Leslie but it really helped me later in life with tolerance and I was really involved in gay rights activism at my old school.  My best friend is actually a lesbian, and it never bothered me, but some of our other friends ostracized her for being herself.  I couldn’t believe them because she was still the same person as before.  She came out to a few of our friends because she had a crush on one of them and they reacted heinously and completely handled it the wrong way and never accepted her again.  Needless to say, I lost some respect for them and I’m not really their friend anymore.   I think part of the reason I’m so comfortable with it was because I read your books.  I think they honestly had a huge part in raising me to be tolerant and accepting of race and sexuality and everything.  And now it shocks me when people aren’t like that, and I think if they’d read some of your books in the past that they’d understand a little more. I don’t have many older role models like that (except maybe my mother), that are accepting and supporting of gay rights and it’s really nice there are some straight older advocates like me out there.  Especially people like you who write about it and make a difference in people’s lives.  I can only hope to do as well as you have in the future.  So thank you again.
 
Phyllis replied:
 
You’ve made me so happy, knowing that my books have helped you in this way.  Thank you.

Fan Letter from Germany

At the moment I’m reading the final book of the Alice Series. I haven’t finished it yet but I already really love it.Today I read the birth of Alice’s daughter Partricia Marie and when I  got to know her name I had tears in my eyes, because the name of my mother was Patricia, too. And like Alice’s mom she died because of cancer when I was fourteen years old. Of course there’s a difference, since I can remember her but your books help me so much to deal with the death of my mom. And when I finally knew the name of the baby it was such an overhelming moment for me, that I can hardly describe. It was like you would have known me and wanted to support me even more. With this mail I just wanted to thank you for this touching and honest books because you write about topics some authors would never write about.  Your books accompanied me from eight  to eighteen years and I can say for sure that they are definitly my favortire books.
 
Thank you so much!
A lifelong fan from Germany
 
Phyllis replied:
 
I’m so happy that the name really connected with you.  How wonderful that the Alice books have helped you deal witih the death of your mom.  Thank you so much for taking time to write to me.

An Alice Fan Club

Question:

Thank you so much for Alice. I just finished reading Now I’ll Tell You Everything and I’m so emotional right now. My mom borrowed one of the earliest Alice books for me when I was 10 and after reading that, I went straight out and borrowed all the rest of the books that were published at that time. Since then (I’m 20 years old now!), my little sister and I have been eagerly awaiting the publication of a new Alice book each year. We even started Alice fan clubs in our schools and as soon as Now I’ll Tell You Everything was announced, I texted the band of girls in the fan club and we squealed and sighed over it.

It’s definitely bittersweet to let Alice go – but I know I’m gonna start again from Starting With Alice (which hadn’t been published when I started becoming obsessed with the series and made me a bit purist at the age of 12, rejecting the idea of a prequel! Haha!) and read the entire series again! I read most of it in anticipation of the last book, and it’s incredible to see how much I’ve changed! I used to always side with Alice but reading the first few books, I realize I’m agreeing more with Lester which I guess is a sign that I’m maturing?! It’s so cool that I can track my growth through their difference in viewpoints!

I wrote to you a lot from the time I was 11 till the year I turned 14 and I’m SO grateful for all the times you replied. You were the voice of reason, and almost like another maternal figure to me and for that, I thank you. You helped me through a lot of that period, not just through the Alice books but the advice you personally gave me. I felt so special and starstruck every time you replied. You are an incredible person.

Thank you for the gift of Alice and for the gift of love you have for your readers. I really appreciate it, and I’m sure all your other readers do too.

I do have one question from the last book, if that’s okay. What happened to Mark’s time capsule letter?

Phyllis replied:

You sharp-eyed readers caught things that I should have discovered.  I hadn’t really thought about what would happen to the letter Mark had put in the time capsule, but I’m sure Alice and her friends saw to it that it was delivered to his parents, painful as that might be.  It was also something they would treasure.

Thank you so much for your email.  I loved reading about your early Alice fan mail club, and that your little sister was a fan too!                           

Courage and the Ability to Dream

Dear Phyllis Reynolds Naylor,

I am just taking the opportunity to write and tell you how much the Alice books mean to me.  Since I picked up a copy of The Agony of Alice in the sixth grade, I have been unable to put these books down.  It is easy to find oneself walking with Alice through school as a roving reporter for the Edge, working with her on the Seascape, or going for a walk to the playground.  I used to read to get lost in the books because my life was so chaotic.  My parents separated when I was 14, and when I was sixteen I moved away from both of them.  I tried to escape the drama and heartache that came with being part of my family.

Now, for the first time I am able to read….just to read.  At 23 years old, I have already been divorced and played the role of single mom.  I was General Manager of a restaurant, and worked full-time, and went to school full-time, while taking care of my daughter by myself.  I didn’t get to pick up a book for 2 and a half years, unless it was a school book.  I am going to get married for the second, and last, time in April.  The man I am with now works so that I can stay home with my daughter, and he encourages me to do whatever makes me happy.  He bought me You and Me and the Space In Between.  In two and a half weeks, I read from Alice Alone to Alice on Board, and I felt like me again.

Now my rant is over, but I really just wanted to say thanks.  You have a very important job.  You give young girls courage and the ability to dream, especially those who come from broken homes.  But it is not just young girls who look up to you; it is young ladies as well.  My books are going to stay on my bookshelf.  Soon the time will come for me to read them again, and I look forward to sharing them with my daughter.  But even sooner than that, I will have the opportunity to read Now I’ll Tell You Everything.
 
Phyllis replied:
 
How you found time to even write to me, I don’t know, but your email means a lot.  I hope you enjoy every single page of Now I’ll Tell You Everything, because you have already experienced so much yourself.  Congratulations and best wishes!

From A Star Wars Fan

Question:

I just wanted to say that I love your Alice books so much. I read the first one when I was the same age as Alice, AKA 3 years ago. I’m fourteen now, and I have read and reread the series at least five times now. Last night I stayed up until 1 AM reading Now I’ll Tell you
Everything, the latest I’ve ever stayed up reading a non-Star Wars book. I hate to admit that a book character has impacted my life, but Alice is one of the only two I have let do that. I realized I wanted to be a psychologist at around the same time Alice did. I laughed so much when Lester suggested his own name for Patricia. I’ve never been emotional, only four books have made me cry, and Ben’s death in the last book did. You’re an amazing writer, and I wish I had gotten the chance to eagerly await the release of more than just the last two books. Now I’m rambling, so I’m going to sign off. Thank you so much. She’s one of my best friends, no joke. I love Alice as much as I love Star Wars.

Phyllis replied:
 
That’s a real compliment, and I appreciate so much that you took time to tell me. 

So Realistic

Question:
 
I have read “Now I’ll Tell You Everything” about 10 times and every time I end up laughing and crying.
I cry because I know there won’t be anymore Alice books coming out. But I laugh and smile at how Alice’s life is so realistic.
To me, Alice is real friend and she’s always there for me. Thank you so much for creating Alice . I will miss Alice so much and I look forward to rereading Alice’s journey over again.
 
Phyllis replied:
 
She’s real to me, too, and I’ll have to admit I’m going to miss her.