Letter for Don

Daniel van Eijmeren dve at kabelfoon.nl
Tue Aug 8 07:35:01 CEST 2000


DON ROSA to me, 5 AUGUST 2000:

>> So, *please* try to be a bit careful when you write about other 
>> persons than yourself.

> As usual, I'm not remotely close to understanding what irks you.
> Obviously anyone would have the sense to know that I had no intention
> of summing up Barks' entire working methodology or 60-70 year career
> in two sentences in one paragraph.

Not in one paragraph, but the subject about what Barks did, didn't
and shouldn't have done, returns in many of your messages. It's just
a matter of opinion, of course, but you being a well-known artist
(who even has based his career on Barks) makes it very difficult 
for a fan like me to tell you *my* opinion here.

And the times when I did an attempt, I get *private* messages from
people telling me that they agree with me and that it's about time
that someone does the job.

(I'd rather polish coins for 30 cents an hour then.)

I surely don't want to embarrass them, but I've finally decided to
tell you about it because I think that you deserve to know it. 
Summarizing, they simply don't dare or want to discuss with you
because of your position in Duckworld, and your strong wording in
your messages makes it even more unattractive. 

Your phrase "Obviously anyone would have the sense to know" in the
above quote is just only an example of that.

Do you think that this is what I (or anyone else) want to get as
an answer on a discussion list about a *hobby*? That is what irks
me for a long time (you and I are on this list for many years)
and that is what I meant with asking you to be more careful.

Maybe my English isn't good enough to understand it, but in this
case you seem to mean that I'm SENSELESS in one way or the other.
Why? Because I apparently misunderstood a "brief message" from you? 

But anyhow, if I did misunderstand you in this or any other message,
you have my apologies for that.

> I'm not writing a doctorate thesis here, none of us are,

*You* are not writing a doctorate thesis here. Please, let the
others speak for themselves, because that is what this discussion
list is for.

> we are exchanging brief messages.

Who is "we"? I've seen many very extensive long messages here.

> So, *please* relax.

Agreed. And I hope I can count on you that you will be relaxed,
too, in your future messages. I hope we both can agree that
contributing to this list should be fun, without the feeling of
being in some kind of battle.

And in case that this message or any other gives you (or anyone else)
the impression that I feel some kind of hatred towards you, you'll 
have to believe me on my word that this is not the case. Even though
I've disagreed with you or your work for many times, I feel much
respect for you as an artist who has given me so many times of enjoyment. 

Also, if I ever managed to insult you in any way, you have my sincere
apologies for that. You'll have to believe that I'm not the sour, 
cynical person as you may think I am.  Saying this, I just can't help
thinking of a Barks quote: "ASK THE NEIGHBORS!" :-)


Best wishes, again heartfully meant,

--- Daniel
"Hate is suffering."


PS. I curse my English, which is my second language, because it's
VERY difficult for me to express myself in a language which isn't
my own. If you could only see the wornout dictionary lying next to
me... In fact, I've already worn out one during the years that I'm
here on this list. It literally fell apart one day. And *still*
I can only write 'theory-English': phrases and lines spliced 
together as a very, very inferior version of the much better Dutch 
wording I have in mind.





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