FAN MAIL

Most of these items, that belonged to Stephen Sondheim until his death in 2021, have now been sold to some of the nicest folks I’ve had the pleasure of corresponding with. Sondheim’s work meant the world to many of them and they told me as much. I thought I’d share some of those sentiments here with names redacted. But first, a heartfelt THANK YOU! to Barry Joseph, author of the upcoming book, “Matching Minds With Sondheim”, and a long-time acquaintance of Steve, who remains unnamed here, who helped me put many of these books in their proper context, helped identify the authors of many of the inscriptions, and told me some wonderful stories. I am in their debt. (mostly because I am no longer in debt to Visa!) So, here goes…

Be on the lookout for this book coming out next March from our friend Josh Pachter!

“Thanks, Patrick — and congratulations on recouping your investment — and what a lovely thing you've done, giving some of the material away to people it'll matter deeply to but who can't afford it.

I was pleased to see a paragraph from my email in your ‘Fan Mail’ compilation, and I was tempted for a moment to Reply All with a few further details for those Sondheim aficionados who might be interested, but I decided it would be tacky to hijack your mailing list that way.

Instead, I'll offer the details just to you, and if you'd like to share them, you have my enthusiastic permission to do so.

The anthology [I am writing] will be called Every Day a Little Death: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of Stephen Sondheim, and it'll be published on March 22 next year [2025] — the ninety-fifth anniversary of Sondheim's birth — by Level Best Books. There'll be twenty stories, one inspired by a song from each of the twenty musicals (including the made-for-TV Evening Primrose and the final show, Here We Are). Contributors include a mix of established crime writers, playwrights, and theater historians/critics. I'm just finishing up the manuscript this week for delivery to the publisher, and I think it's one of the best of the (so far) eight titles in my "inspired by" series.

All best wishes, and thanks again for the update!

Josh [Pachter]”

“I Interviewed Steve once when he was on a book tour. Still the greatest two hours of my career. His work has enhanced my world immeasurably. I'd like to get this for my husband. We met 25 years ago in a college production of Company.” — August 3, NY, NY

So my fiancé and I are getting married this month, and our wedding is wedding themed, and our love of his works is beyond measure. I would give anything to be able to give this to my future husband as a wedding gift! - August 3, Schenectady, NY

“Hello and wow! Boy that auction was really something wasn't it? I tried to bid on things I thought no one would want and they went for thousands!! And I wish I could afford the poker spinnerette! I'm just going to ask but was there nothing theater related? Thanks again and I hope I can get the Hanafuda book!” — July 22, NY, NY

“How ridiculously kindhearted of you to offer Sondheim's books at an affordable price. The way you're vetting buyers is stellar! For you to also offer a 15% discount, Wowza! Side note: I bid at auction, but was outbid at every turn. But for fortune to circle back in this fashion, Remarkable! I'm going to assume Barry [Joseph] will be doing some sort of book launch in Spring '25. If our paths cross there, expect a teary eyed thank you from me.” — July 22, NY, NY

“I would love to buy the Jay's Journals. As a kid I was fascinated by conjuring and the auction showed me that it was one of SS's interests too.” — July 22, London, UK

“The item I am interested in purchasing is the inscribed volume of The Listener Crossword.” The reason that I would like to purchase this book is one that I am more than happy to explain because I believe it is because of personal stories that make your choice to sell these items back to fans such a beautiful gesture of love and appreciation for Sondheim. I took part in the auction as well - I was an online bidder - and the item I had my focus on was the lot of thesauruses; four volumes of what many know to be Sondheim favored choice of thesaurus utilized in his songwriting process. I wanted the thesauruses not just because of what they meant to him and why he used them, but also because I am a songwriter and composer who made the choice to use a thesaurus because of Sondheim. Stephen Sondheim is one of my greatest inspirations and influences; I don’t write for the theatre (as of yet anyway), but his work as a composer for the musical theatre has changed my life in so many ways (both as a songwriter and just simply as a human being). 

When Sondheim died, I, like so many, was devastated to see this great artist and human being leave our world. And likewise, when I didn’t have the winning bid for the thesauruses in the auction (which I pretty much knew I wouldn’t by that point because everything was going for insane numbers, but I still held out some strange hope that maybe no one else would care that much about them), I was almost equally as devastated because it meant a complete closure on any possibility that I might exchange something with the life of Sondheim. I never took the chance to write a letter to him because I wasn’t aware that he was so open to correspondence, and there was never any chance of meeting him in person. I wish I had written even just one letter of gratitude for the ways that he has inspired me - taught me, even just by his work - and to let him know that his incredible work was instrumental in my trying everyday to do better work of my own. The loss in the auction felt like a door shutting on all of this: any connection I could have had with even a small piece of his exterior life was no more.

Thus, it is safe to say that I was elated to read Barry’s ‘Matching Minds With Sondheim’ post about your endeavor to share these books and games back with the fans, because it means that maybe there is another moment of hope for being able to study something that was as close to Sondheim’s heart and mind as his love for cryptic crosswords - something that I am also trying to learn and attempt because of his love and fascination for them. In short, I believe that it may help me to be a better songwriter and composer if I tap further into the mathematical and puzzle solving aspects of making art (innate, as they are, but perhaps one should always challenge their mind to seek new layers of process in their craft). I hope that what I have written answers any questions you might have. If there is anything else you would like to know about myself or my reasoning for being interested in the book, please feel free to ask. Thank you for providing this opportunity for all of us, as it really does mean a lot.” — July 22, Travelers Rest, SC

“I was so thrilled to read on the ‘Matching minds with Sondheim’ page that you were offering fans who couldn’t get anything at the auction a second chance. Being outside the U.S. was my big hurdle (although I toyed with the idea of sending a friend’s young nephew, who I have never met, on a mission to get something, anything. In the end I just followed online and I enjoyed the buzz and hearing about real fans who managed to buy things. This book is the one I’d like to buy from you, because I don’t really know how to do the hard crosswords and it would be nice to learn in honor of Sondheim. And I remember this series of books from the 1970s, it’s the kind of thing my mother would have had so that makes it special too. I appreciate it is more expensive and awkward to send a book abroad, I am happy to pay the postage and thank you.” — July 22, Dublin, Ireland

“I thoroughly enjoyed reading your blog and posts about your experience at the Sondheim Estate Auction in June. Your story resonated with me deeply because I won Lot 19 (a pair of mahogany cabinets) but did not see the bidding history nor did I receive an invoice right away from Doyle. When the website informed me that I won the auction, I was in disbelief. That morning was chaotic. I was in Los Angeles, on a Zoom work call, and still half-asleep. The pop-up window vanished too quickly, and I spent the entire morning wondering if I had really won. The idea of having a piece of Mr. Sondheim's legacy in my home was overwhelming. Just thinking about it brings me to tears. Sondheim's work means so much to me, as I’m sure it does to many others. His musical soundtracks were the backdrop of my early twenties, and his words profoundly impacted my life. I know I’m not alone in this, as he touched so many lives with his art. We are all fortunate to be his ‘children,’ treasuring the legacy he left us.

I avoided the financial disaster of bidding on other lots by calling Doyle to confirm that I was indeed the winner of Lot 19. However, I soon faced a logistical nightmare. I booked a ticket to NYC the next day from LA and embarked on a whirlwind 48-hour trip to figure out how to ship two pieces of furniture back to the West Coast. I couldn’t take time off work that week, but I managed to work from my firm's NY office. I flew out on a red-eye flight, excited yet plagued by horrible scenarios in my head. At that point, I still didn’t know how I would arrange the shipment or how much it would cost me.

Upon landing the next day, barely having slept on the plane, I powered through the morning at work. When lunch break finally came, I took the train uptown. The train ride was miserable due to the heat wave that week. The lady at the front desk of Doyle was kind enough to help me find one of their shipping vendors, and the quote wasn’t too bad. However, she refused to let me see the cabinets, stating they should remain in the warehouse until the shipper picked them up. The anticipation felt anticlimactic, but I told myself to be patient.

I flew back home 48 hours later, thinking the furniture would arrive in a week. However, for the next four weeks, I had to call the shipper and Doyle every other day for status updates. They kept telling me to wait. The partner shipper was so backed up that they even lost track of my order at one point. I was devastated, thinking I might never receive those cabinets. Thankfully, I finally got the shipping order this morning.

Reading your story made me feel less alone in my experience. Thank you for sharing your journey and connecting with other Sondheim fans. I started working this year, and my job is demanding and sometimes soul-crushing. I work around the clock and often remember my dreams of being a creative, an artist, someone who could leave an inspirational mark on the world. I studied film in college and aspired to be a filmmaker until I realized it wasn’t financially viable. I went to law school and now work as a corporate lawyer. It’s not fun, I know. But sometimes I just tell myself, ‘It’s not so much about doing what you like as it is about liking what you do.’

For the longest time, I didn’t call myself a theater kid because I never performed in theater; I just loved listening to musicals. I still listen to all of Stephen Sondheim’s soundtracks and watch his birthday concerts, crying every time. Not just during ‘Sunday’, the guaranteed tear-jerker, but even during the cheerful medleys or even ‘A Little Priest’. Sometimes, I can't handle joy well either. 

I’m grateful that my job afforded me the opportunity to buy something from the estate sale. After seeing your collection, I’ve put in requests for more items in three separate emails. Thank you for doing this for others like me, who a year ago, couldn’t have imagined owning a piece of Sondheim's world.

I just wanted to share my crazy story with someone who would understand. Thanks for reading!” — July 22, Los Angeles

“Thank you so much for doing this. :) as a devotee of both Sondheim and crossword puzzles from childhood, owning this would be an absolute dream. :) — July 22, NY, NY

“I agree - the title [“Crosswords from Peking”] alone makes it worth it. I found your page through Barry [Joseph] and was thrilled that maybe I’d have a chance to win something from the auction after all. I attended the preview in person and found it really emotional! Seeing all the stuff Steve (if I may) loved was really moving. The idea of having something in my home which was once his just makes me feel a LOT! And this seems like a good one.” — July 23, Ridgewood. NY

“I saw your site on the ‘Matching Minds with Sondheim’ Instagram feed and raced here in the hope of buying a Christmas present for my father. He loved Sondheim’s work and watched the news of the auction with bated breath. Regardless of what happens, thank you - it’s a generous thing you’re doing.” — July 23, London, UK

“I watched the whole auction in awe, wishing I could afford even one thing. I followed Mr. Sondheim down the path of musical theater writing, and the first show of mine to be produced has a song called ‘The Epitaph of the Undecided Man.’ I was inspired to make lyrics out of Epitaphs and would love to have a small piece connecting something of Mr. Sondheim’s and my own writing.” — July 23, Chelsea, NY

“My fondness for crosswords is rivaled only by my fondness for Sondheim and lo! Thank you so much for this project and for making these available to the world.” — July 23, Washington, DC

“I was so delighted to hear about this! I bid on several items during the auction and missed out on all of them. My husband and I talked about ‘Sunday in the Park with George’ on our first date and 10 years later, we're still obsessing over him. I'm particularly interested in the ‘Maurice Henry Les 32 Positions De L’Androgyne’ book. Thank you for your consideration.” — July 23, Chicago, IL

“Hooray! I would love to purchase ‘ANATOMY OF THE CROSSWORD’ please! Thanks again for this wonderful opportunity.” — July 23, Westchester, NY

“First of all, thank you so much for the generous, thoughtful work you are doing distributing these books - what a lovely thing to do (that must also be a lot of work!). I am a playwright and lyricist, and the sort of weirdo who had a black-and-white New Yorker photo of Sondheim in my high school locker. I'm sure everyone is writing to explain to you how much his work meant to them, so I will say just that his work made me feel less alone when it really mattered. I'm planning to walk down the aisle to ‘Anyone Can Whistle’ at my wedding this fall. Sondheim is without question the most important artist to me. Both of these books coincide with other loves of mine (a childhood fascination with Arthurian legend; a love of wordplay I use often in my work and is one of the things I especially love about his. I would be thrilled to have both of the books, but if you would prefer to distribute one thing to each person or someone else is in love with one of these, I totally understand and would also be thrilled to have either of them. Let me know if there's any other information I can provide that would be helpful. Thank you for doing this, and for reading my message.” — July 24, Brooklyn, NY

“I cannot tell you how much you've made my day - I am currently bouncing around my apartment singing ‘Everything's Coming Up Kathryn.’ This really means a lot to me. I so appreciate your doing this in such a generous way to make the books available to more people, even though it must have been so much more work to catalogue everything individually and make a whole website and ship everything! What a cool thing to do. I hope you have good things heading your way.— July 24, Brooklyn, NY

“Thank you again for the quick and kind reply. With regards to the loss of a beloved sidekick [Pat’s Kitty] -- I have indeed been down that dark road; it never gets easier, but the memories of course become more comforting with the passage of time. I hope that is the case for you as well! And as for the items, I think I'm going to go ahead and proceed with the ‘Annotated Mother Goose Book.’ Please let me know what next steps are and I thank you again for facilitating this.” — July 24, Plantation, FL 

“I believe Sondheim to be one of the greatest minds to ever live. He’s the greatest dramatist since Shakespeare and the medium of musical theatre has never been what it was when in his hands. I don’t know who I would be without him and having any piece of his legacy in my life would be a genuine honor. I’m pursuing everything I’m pursuing because of this guy. Please please consider my offer. Thank you :) (I thought about rhyming my message since content dictates form, but the idea of measuring up was far too great.)” — July 24, NY, NY

“Thanks so much Pat. My partner (who loves Sondheim is going to be thrilled). Now I’m going to work out if us aussies can Venmo, etc., and if there is any issue I’ll [expect] an email. — July 24, Brunswick, Australia

“Fascinating assortment of stuff! I’m editing an anthology of crime stories inspired by Sondheim songs — twenty stories, one for each of the twenty musicals — due out next March on what would have been SS’s ninety-fifth birthday. That’s how I stumbled across your site. Hope you’re able to earn back your investment and then some!” — July 24, Unknown local

“I cannot tell you how amazing you are for doing this. I watched the auction for a friend of mine who just had a liver transplant (huge Sondheim fan as am I) and was so disappointed that I wasn’t able to win anything for her, so this is just beyond amazing what you’re doing. So a huge thank you to you!!” — July 25, Encino, CA

“I was directed to your site by the Stephen Sondheim Society, of which I am a member. In the mid 1970s, when I was in my early 20s, I went to see ‘Side by Side by Sondheim’, and realized in a couple of hours exactly what was missing from my life! Since then, I have seen every show, mostly multiple productions, and been privileged to attend several discussions, Q&As and book signings. I met him once — a friend was a member of the Japan Society and took me along to a discussion on Pacific Overtures, which was followed by a wine and cheese event, at which he was present and talking to many attendees. I was too nervous to approach him, until my friend said it looked like he was leaving, so I plucked up my courage, went and stood in front of him and said 'Mr Sondheim ...?' No further words would come out. He took my hand and said 'Thank you'. Owning something that he once owned would mean an awful lot to me, so I hope you will consider selling me this book. I'm a native Londoner who lived in New York for several decades, but have since returned to London, and the phone number above is a UK one. Thank you!” — July 26, London, UK

“I hope you are keeping well. I read the story of your Sondheim Auction journey with great interest from my friends in the Sondheim Society in the UK, and can only imagine the mixture of shock and delight when your haul was revealed! [I am a] theatre director, educator, and founder of The Sondheim Festival – the first annual festival to celebrate the life and work of the late, great Stephen Sondheim.

Directing this festival is something I aspired to for many years; now, to finally make it happen on a regular basis is a dream come true. As a director, I’ve been lucky enough to direct Follies, Into The Woods, Assassins, West Side Story, Sweeney Todd, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and Putting It Together. The highlights of my performing career have all had Stephen Sondheim at their core too – playing Young Phyllis in Follies in Concert with Lorna Luft and Millicent Martin, the Beggarwoman in Sweeney Todd, and Squeaky Fromme in the Irish première of Assassins at the Samuel Beckett Theatre, Dublin.  

Now, I love to share the passion and admiration I have for his work by presenting amazing Sondheim and musical theatre artists at our niche Festival in Ireland, so that audiences, performers and students alike can enjoy and learn from their great artistry and skills. 

The dates for our next very special festival are 24-26 January, 2025, during which time we will host singing/performance masterclasses, choral, dance and acting workshops, Q&As, and fun events like Painting in the Pub and the Great Big Musical Theatre Quiz, as well as The Sondheim Festival Bursary Live Final, which awards the winner a bursary to further their musical theatre education.  

When the auction came up, I had no hope of acquiring anything — mostly because of finance, but also because I wasn’t available while the auction was taking place. The possibility of owning even this smallest item would mean the world to me, so I truly hope that it can happen. Thanks for reading my long missive, Pat. I really hope you get to recoup your unintentional investment. Wishing you all the very best.” — July 25, Kilkeny, Ireland

“Very interested to read how you came to acquire so many of Steve's books etc. I had the good fortune to perhaps do him a favour, to meet him several times, though never for very long, and to correspond quite a lot by post and email. He sent me a complete photo copy of his book Stephen Sondheim's Crossword Puzzles (New York MAGAZINE); I guess he had run out of copies of the actual prined book to give away! The "favour", if you can call it that, was when at a meeting at the Bridewell Theatre of the Stephen Sondheim Society, which Steve attended in September 1995, I suggested in a Q & A session that the Bridewell was perhaps the ideal sort of theatre in which to stage "Saturday Night", which I assured him would attract a good audience if only he would release it! He had, of course, refused others such requests many times so I was delighted when he said he agreed! (This was mentioned in the Bridwell programme, and in the copy of all the show's songs, though my name is not given, just ‘an audience member’.) I was given ticket no. 1 for the opening performance which Steve attended and he sent me a nice message after the reviews were quite favourable. Pat, I haven't attempted to chose any of the items that you are offering, and probably most if not all have gone by now, but I would like to know what you have left that might be of interest to me and affordable! I hope what I have written has been of interest and that you will find the time to email me.” — July 26, Windsor, UK

“I want to buy this for a close friend ‘s 80th birthday. We are both longtime and passionate Sondheim fans since the 1970s. This gift would mean the world to him!” — July 26, Bath, England, UK

“I got your details from The Stephen Sondheim Society. I was chairman of the Society for a number of years and met Steve on several occasions and exchanged correspondence on a variety of subjects. I would love to own something of his, particularly one of his great passions, crosswords.” — July 26, Woodford Green, UK

“I was just thinking that you must be hearing from interesting people with amazing stories. What a cool adventure!” — July 26, NY, NY

“What a wonderful thing! Steve’s Young Playwrights Festival (& his work) changed my life!” — July 26, East Hampton, NY

“The books arrived safely today, and I am absolutely over the moon. Sondheim means so much to me, and it feels profound to hold something in my hands that brought him joy. Also, I am so excited to try some of these puzzles! 

Thank you again for making these available to people — When I watched the auction live stream, I came away a bit cynical about it (just the sheer amount of money to even be in the running for some of those things). But I felt quite the opposite when I saw how you were making sure each book found a good home with someone who would care about it. 

Here's to you! Who's like you? Damn few!” — July 29, Brooklyn, NY

“My colleague and boss at Lake Erie College is a Popular Culture scholar (Comics) so I may (lol) give her the one book. She has presented extensively on the subject. I am also a Pop Culture scholar. Was in Europe presenting at the EUPOP (European Popular Culture Conference) 3 weeks ago. Most of my work focuses on Black Popular Culture (I am curious to see some of the images from the ‘Cartoon’s Even We Wouldn’t Dare Print’ book so I may be buying that one from you a bit later). I am also the past Board Chair (PCA) here in the U.S. and work professionally here in Cleveland as an actor when I have time.” — July 29, Cleveland, OH

“Back in ’84, I played Paul in a production of Company. Somehow, I’d found Steve’s address, and I sent him a sheet of music paper, just hoping he’d sign it. I put a PS in my letter, saying “I just played Paul in a production of Company, and when you sing like I do, that takes guts.” Here’s what I got back… — Mark O., Dallas, TX

“First, thank you so much for what you're doing. I'm sorry it has taken me so long to write! I came across your site through Barry Joseph's 'Matching Minds' page, after speaking to him for my post about the Doyle Auction.

I'm a lifelong Sondheim lover, and this year have started a site called The Sondheim Hub. We publish weekly Sondheim-related essays and interviews, with the aim of becoming a valuable (and free) resource for both lifelong fans and those just beginning to discover his work. I would be thrilled beyond words to own an item from his collection; it would become one of my most treasured possessions, and stay with me for life.

Thank you for your consideration, and in any case, it is great to be in touch! It's such a special thing that you're doing, and I would count myself lucky to be among those who have benefited from your efforts. I feel, as I know so many others do, that Sondheim is with me every day. It would be beautiful to make that a physical reality too.