Fictional character Kilgore Trout appeared in many Kurt Vonnegut novels, including Breakfast of Champions and Slaughterhouse-Five. Our shopkeeper Wally Naymon was a big Vonnegut fan, so why not name the store after this mythical character?

Of course, one thing stood in the way: permission from Kurt Vonnegut. So on April 1, 1977, Wally mailed a letter to his literary idol and crossed his fingers.

The letter made it to Kurt, and noting the date the letter was written, Kurt assumed the request was an April Fool’s joke from a fan, and he heartily replied giving his permission to use the name—with one caveat: a a discount on shirts. Instead, we periodically mailed him a necktie on his birthday.

Kurt stayed in touch through the years. Learn more about the legacy of Kurt Vonnegut here.