Eric A. Kimmel: Hello, my name is Eric A. Kimmel. The A stands for Alan, A-L-A-N, and Kimmel is pronounced just as it looks. Kimmel rhymes with Himmel. Its German meaning is caraway seeds. Nobody is sure what our family name is, because Grandpa Kimmel went by several names, Kimmel, there's Kimmelchik, Kimmelhoff, and Kimmeloff. He was an orphan anyway, and was adopted by another family as a very little boy, and never talked about it, so what is our real family name? Who knows? I think the smartest children's writer is Avi. He only has to write three letters. If I'd been that smart, realized how many times I was going to have to write Eric A. Kimmel, I definitely would have changed my name. I'd call myself Eak.