For some reason, when we’re young, we get the message that it’s not “cool” (or whatever’s the word for it “these days”) to be excited about something other than the Of the Moment Musician or clothing store. I think these days it’s The Jonas Brothers and Hollister. Hollister looks amazingly like Abercrombie and Fitch, but that’s a whole other story. I think that it’s a good thing to always be a fan. Tell people that you like them.

To (as always) use me as an example, this woman I was dating gave me a CD of a poet that she met. I totally dug it and sent the poet an email. It said: “Okay, yes, I know. It is ridiculous that a grown woman is writing fan mail. However, someone sent me your CD. Well, to be honest, I had to harangue her into it, but, still I got it. She played me Butterflies and Rainbows and Rockstar Poet over the phone and I had to hear the rest of it. How can I resist someone who uses both “polysyllabic” and “onomatopoeia”? Clearly, I cannot. Since I’m in Michigan, which is nowhere near Atlanta, I couldn’t just go buy my own CD. You are officially now My Favorite Poet, replacing the long-dead, thus isn’t going to write anymore, Rumi. And just so you know? You are SO my Rockstar Poet.”

She put it in her blog with a note that said “very cool way to begin the day after my coffee!” Isn’t it nice to think that you might be a lovely beginning to someone’s day?

I’ve written plenty of fanmail to people who haven’t responded at all or who only responded very briefly. I don’t take it personally. Sometimes people are shy. You never know. Ms. Rockstar Poet and I met when she came to Michigan, so that was cool.

Who do you like? Have you found a cool new book or a blog? Send the author fanmail! Email is a great way to send fanmail and you can almost always find a way to email someone with a website.

Be a fan!