Ted L. Nancy

Ted L. Nancy is the author of a number of prank letters which have been published in a series of bestselling books under the titles "Letters from a Nut", "More Letters from a Nut" and "Extra Nutty!: Even More Letters from a Nut".

Although it is "widely rumored" that Nancy is an alter ego of the comedian Jerry Seinfeld [cite web| last = Cling | first = Carol
date = 2002-07-15
url = http://www.lvrj.com/cgi-bin/printable.cgi?/lvrj_home/2002/Jul-15-Mon-2002/living/19177435.html
title = "Shooting Stars: ABC pilot attempts to answer nutty questions"
work = Las Vegas Review-Journal
accessdate = 2006-06-14] , this may just be a canny marketing ploy. [cite web | last = Marks | first = Don
date = 1998-03-16
url = http://www.sas.upenn.edu/~dmarks/postal.html
title = "Going Postal: A Sociological Interpretation of Ted L. Nancy’s "Letters from a Nut" and Other Adventures in Epistolary Mischief-Making"
accessdate = 2006-06-14] Roger Friedman of Fox News suggested in 2002 that Barry Marder — a longtime Seinfeld collaborator and friend, and the executive producer of the ABC pilot based on the letters (which never made it to the air) — is the real source; [cite web | last = Friedman | first = Roger
authorlink =
coauthors =
date = 2002-05-31
year =
month =
url = http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,54141,00.html
title = Gere: Up for Tibetan Help?
format =
work =
pages =
publisher = FOXNews.com
language =
accessdate = 2006-06-14] and a 2002 "Los Angeles Times" article suggested that comedian Bruce Baum was the author. [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4196/is_20020611/ai_n10797089] At any rate, Seinfeld claims to have "discovered" the material and provides an introduction for each of the books.

Nancy specializes in letters to unsuspecting celebrities and organizations; these missives typically consist of off-the-wall queries and much of the entertainment derives from the replies as individuals and institutions endeavour to respond politely to the author's often absurd requests and outlandish proposals.

In 2002, a number of news sources reported that Ted L. Nancy — or rather Jerry Seinfeld, who was assumed to be behind the prank — incurred the wrath of Hunter S. Thompson by embroiling the gonzo Godfather in one such correspondence. Thompson allegedly accused Seinfeld of pitching the letters as a show idea to ABC and objected to having his name associated with what he regarded as a cheap stunt. [cite web | last = Burkeman | first = Oliver
authorlink =
coauthors =
date = 2002-07-03
year =
month =
url = http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,3604,748388,00.html
title = "Is Jerry the joker?"
format =
work = The Guardian
pages =
publisher =
language =
accessdate = 2006-06-14] However, perhaps in keeping with the playful spirit of forgery and pranksterism surrounding the Nancy letters, the authenticity of Thompson's response has, subsequently, also been brought into question. [cite web
last = DeMazza
first = Matt
authorlink =
coauthors =
date =
year = 2002
month =
url = http://www.3ammagazine.com/litarchives/2002_oct/interview_asterisk.html
title = 3am Interview: The Gonzo Seinfeld Connection: An Interview with Asterisk
format =
work = 3 AM Magazine
pages =
publisher =
language =
accessdate = 2006-06-14] [cite web
last = Crooke
first = Jeff
authorlink =
coauthors =
date = 2002-10-16
year =
month =
url = http://www.jeffcrooke.com/hst
title = "The Asterisk/HST/Seinfeld Mystery"
format =
work = InfoJunkie Props
pages =
publisher =
language =
accessdate = 2006-06-14]

ee also

*Henry Root
*Wanda Tinasky
*Don Novello (the "Lazlo" letters)
*Ed Broth

References