An Open Letter to John Goodman

(A quick note to everybody not named John Goodman: Chalupa of the Lebowski Podcast sent me this story yesterday - once you read that you'll get up to speed on this letter)

Mr. Goodman,

Please accept my official invitation to attend an upcoming Lebowski Fest. I should mention now that I have no authority from Will Russell or Scott Shuffitt (the "founding dudes" of Lebowski Fest).

My invitation is merely just a suggestion from one Fest attendee (me) to another potential attendee (hopefully you). As someone who spent years on the sidelines wanting to go to a Fest, and finally did - I find myself uniquely qualified to help convince someone who appears to be on the fence about attending [such as you might be].

Knowing that your time is precious, I'll list a few quick reasons:

-It is as fun as it looks... And that's well before the bowling starts.
-It is not a Star Trek convention... Nobody is going to hassle you asking if you know the name of Walter's dog.
-You might end up taking more pictures than being pictured... I won't lie to you (no funny stuff), you will be very popular at a Lebowski Fest and many people (such as yours truly) will request to be photographed with you. But I can assure you that you are going to want to take pictures of your own to help share your experience with others.

Also, on a personal level, let me say that I get the sense that you will only attend if one of your fellow billed co-stars join you. Please, don't let this be the barrier preventing your decision to come out. The same reason kept me away for years, and I finally decided three years ago to fly it solo. It didn't take me long to meet instant friends. At the very least - you can hang out with me.

I can't offer you much Mr. Goodman. And, no offense, if I had the option of cutting off my toe to get you to a Lebowski Fest I would decline it and keep my toe. However, if needed: I will sacrifice my hotel room. People will be happy to let me crash in their room knowing I gave it up to get Mr. John Goodman to town.

May I suggest the 9th Annual Lebowski Fest in Louisville, Kentucky to be your first Fest? It's the weekend of July 16 & 17. Although there are many more in 2010, the one in Louisville would be your best option. Feel free to e-mail Will or Scott at dudes@lebowskifest.com for more information.

I look forward to meeting you,
TQ