Neil Labute
The Hardy Boys Series (1927)
by Franklin W. Dixon
Message to Fenton Hardy, Detective
Dear Mr. Hardy:
I know that you don't technically exist, but I wanted to send you a note of thanks all the same for the many hours of joy that you brought me as a boy. I accompanied you and your sons on many daring adventures, and I was thrilled to spend time with you, Frank, Joe, and even their lovable sidekick, Chet. My home life was kind of tricky back then, and I didn't have too many positive male figures, but you guys never let me down. Sure, I enjoyed solving all those mysteries with you, but even more than that, I feel like I learned a lot of important things about being a man and other good stuff like that along the way. I definitely improved my powers of deduction and sleuthing, but I also learned to treat other people with respect (even girls) and how to be self-suffcient and to finish something once I started it. Basically, I always considered you a kind of substitute father and a literary figure that I will forever look up to. Is that okay? Hope so. Thanks again, "Dad."
Yours in fiction,
Neil LaBute
P.S. I always saved up my money so that I could buy each book in the hardback edition. That said, when I ran out of your titles, I started reading a few of the Nancy Drew mysteries. I often felt bad about that and a little dirty for such a literary infidelity, but I feel happier now, getting it off my chest. For the record, yours were better.
Neil Labute's play Reasons to Be Pretty opens this fall in London.
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