Matt's North Pole Post Office - archive

12-1-97

Dear Mr. Robinson,

> Thank you for the prompt and thoughtful reply to my letter. I
>am already in contact with the publishers in ordering Mr. 's
>book. I look forward to reading "Dark Companion."

> I appreciate your sharing the new information with me. As you
>can imagine, I have a deep interest in exploration, in large part
>because success is built upon strength of character as much as
>planning, stamina, luck, or any other factor. As an educator, I
>believe the most important thing we do is to build character. The
>stories of the people who have led us to new horizons and insights
>are critical to our work.
> I look forward to continuing to visit your Website and sharing
>it with students for the inspiration you offer. Thank You!

Geoffrey

(Second reply to letter is below)

If it is not too personal, I would love to know more about how your
father came to be a collaborator with Matthew Henson and whether your
father was involved in similar projects with others through the
Explorer's Club. Was your father an explorer as well as a writer? I
think it is wonderful that he had the vision to capture Matthew Henson's
story before time simply wiped Henson away. It is shameful that he and
his fellow non-named leaders are seldom mentioned or chronicled in
history. We so worship individual achievement that we often fail to
recognize the absolute necessity of teamwork and collaboration. It is
possible the Web may help correct this problem by vastly expanding
networks of people helping one another.

Thank you for providing the Web sites and links on Matthew Henson and polar exploration. I am a principal at a magnet school for science and technology, and I have had a passion (limited to reading and one trip to the farthest NE end of Newfoundland to see icebergs) for stories of the people who ventured to the poles and the people they met on the way. I have always been dismayed by the lack of information on team members, especially Matthew Henson. Your site is wonderful for school kids and us others filled with wanderlust. I am writing in hopes of purchasing a 1975 paperback copy of your
father's book "Dark Companion." I have been searching for it for years,
but I never imagined being able to obtain a copy directly from you. I
am not very knowledgeable about book publishing and I am just learning
the ways of book searching via the Web.

If it is not too personal, I would love to know more about how your
father came to be a collaborator with Matthew Henson and whether your
father was involved in similar projects with others through the
Explorer's Club. Was your father an explorer as well as a writer? I
think it is wonderful that he had the vision to capture Matthew Henson's
story before time simply wiped Henson away. It is shameful that he and
his fellow non-named leaders are seldom mentioned or chronicled in
history. We so worship individual achievement that we often fail to
recognize the absolute necessity of teamwork and collaboration. It is
possible the Web may help correct this problem by vastly expanding
networks of people helping one another.
I appreciate your help in making information available to those of
us who are interested in polar exploration, and as a school principal, I
am even more grateful for what you are doing for education. You Website
is a great teaching tool both in content and design. You offer a fine
example of the possibilities of Internet and intranet correspondence.
I am looking forward to purchasing "Dark Companion." My name is
My e-mail address is My mailing
address is I will
send a check as soon as I have an address. Thank You!
Sincerely,
Geoffrey

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