8/9/16

To Whom It May Concern:

I apologize if this letter is a little too random for comfort but I just had to drop a line. I saw a post on Facebook this week from a woman who saw what I believe is your tortoise ambling down Sheridan Road. She asked the Evanston moms group if anybody knew who the owner was. Other posters recommended she look on the tortoise's belly for a potential phone number and indeed, it turned out that the tortoise belonged to you and s/he was safely returned home.

I'm a journalist here in Evanston as well as a young adult/middle grade book author, and so I will blame this letter on professional curiosity but I would love to learn more about your adventurous tortoise--how long you've had it, where it travels, its temperament, etc.

I inquired with the woman who originally found the tortoise to see if she had your contact info but she said she no longer did, although she let me know where the tortoise (and by extension you) live, which is how this letter ended up in your mailbox. I hope this got to the right house or else this letter is going to read really weird.

If you'd be willing to answer some questions over email/phone/in person, please drop me a line! I know this letter probably makes me seem weird but if you Google me I'm actually somewhat legit--I write frequently for Chicago Magazine and Fast Company, among other publications (and I grew up near here, actually.)

Anyway, thanks for your time and for unwittingly providing me with a lot of entertainment this weekend. Hope to possibly connect!

Sincere regards,

Claire Zulkey