Dear S. E. Hinton,

I have written to you twice in the past; once I expressed my gratitude to you, but in very general terms, and more as a child than an adult. Since then, I’ve been even more influenced by your writing and life. I thought I would let you know just how much you have impacted me both as a person and as a writer, because, well, you have.

The first of your works I ever read was The Outsiders when I was twelve. In some ways I don’t think I took it all that seriously, although it did intrigue me, because it was so different from anything I had ever read—violent, male, and tragic. The film intrigued me, too; in fact I became quite a fan of Matt Dillon because of it, possibly because a fellow classmate was so in love with Johnny Cade/Ralph Macchio, and I wanted to rival her love. My brain at twelve was very strange.

But it was that strange desire that caused me to find Tex, and read it. I loved Tex, absolutely loved it, because not only was it a horse story and I was an avid rider, but because the story and characters were just so good. I felt I understood Tex in a way I hadn’t understood many other characters before. (And yet, re-reading it years later, I understood and empathized with Mason much more.)

That resulted in me watching the film, and later reading Taming the Star Runner—different from what I was expecting, but in some ways something with which I could identify, because Travis is a writer. Later I read That Was Then, This Was Now, and hated the ending but loved the book; and Rumble Fish, which was strange and quite painful (in that I couldn’t get out of Rusty-James’ head and it was starting to make me feel crazy and desperate) but also beautiful. And so mysterious. The Motorcycle Boy is such a wonderful character, memorable exactly because so little is revealed about him. And then I read Some of Tim's Stories, which are delightful as well, even if different from your novels: concise, impactful, concrete.

But reading your stories was just the start. The summer after I read The Outsiders, I began working on a story. What story, I had no idea, but I wanted to write, and I thought I would just go for it. I’d always loved writing but I now suddenly felt inspired to try something new—to write from a male perspective. Of course, this inspiration was because of you.

And it was so much fun. While the story was heavily inspired by The Outsiders, it was my own, and was such a great challenge. I just kept writing, forcing myself when I didn’t want to—and finished it, a novel. A real novel! I had never stuck with one of my own stories for so long.

At that point I couldn’t stop. I wrote another novel, in some ways more inspired by Tex. And I wrote another novel, and another. My later years of middle school and early years of high school were some of my most prolific—I was a crazy novel-writing machine. Granted, these novels are not all that good, but they do have decent elements, and were great practice, and encouragement.

I have now written over ten novels, and am in the process of editing my most recent one—much better than that first novel, I must say—to submit it to an agent. I’ve researched agents and publishers for years now, and with all this practice writing I think I’ve finally started to develop a “voice.” Maybe.

I’d like to share some specific things from your writing that have really inspired me. First of all, as I mentioned above, the male perspective was and is huge for me. If not for you, I would never have the appreciation for male points-of-view in stories that I have today. I would not have been so receptive to, sought out, and read great male-POV novels, such as The Catcher in the Rye, Strider, Skate, Running Loose and others. I certainly would not be as open to male perspectives, and knowledgeable of them, as I am now. Nearly all my stories have been from male perspectives, which has resulted in considerable research on the male mind over the years. This research has helped me learn a tremendous amount about men and people in general, and improved my characters and their voices considerably.

From your stories I have learned that men, too, experience emotion, and that it is okay for men to show feelings. I have realized just how "masculine" men are encouraged to be in our society, and how much they, like women, need to be able to feel, and be open, and have best friends. I am passionate about this, and you helped bring the issue to my consciousness. You have helped me see the common need for connection for both men and women.

Also, your dialogue really hits me. You write it so well—it’s polished, but it’s rough; it’s dialect, but universal. I remember first reading your work, loving your use of “ain’t” and “don’t” and other words I had never heard people use before (especially since I’m from the west coast). Your wonderfully strong voice, and your characters’ voices, pulled me in from the first day I read The Outsiders.

Your characters have impacted me and my writing; notably their socioeconomic levels and resulting lives. Your characters have given me insight into working-class, blue-collar life, something I know I would not have been exposed to much at all otherwise. I have learned about gang life, and why it is appealing in many ways to young men; I have learned about why alcohol and drugs are often attractive; I have learned about what it’s like to grow up in a rough neighborhood, to worry about money, to live without a father or mother or both. You write with such sympathy and respect. Your characters and their lives have given me so much empathy for people who are in many ways not like me.

Because of your subject matter I have also been much more open to other stories with similar subject matter—stories which focus on working-class people and their struggles. I don’t think I would love As I Lay Dying, and Faulkner in general, quite so much if it weren’t for you. And because I’ve been open to other stories like yours, my empathy for others has only increased.

Your life itself has inspired me as well: the hardships you went through, and the social situation in which you grew up, all are fascinating to me, not only because they are another’s life, and different, but somewhat influenced your writing and your perspective, and so influence me.

And because of your stories, I fell in love with writing, and with literature. I have no doubt that your writing is a part of the reason I became an English major.

There’s much more I could say, but I won’t go on. I’ll just say thank you; thank you very, very much for writing what you have and being who you are.

Sincerely,

Erin Donoho