Conversation so far:
who wrote the notes in when you reach me
In When You Reach Me, a homeless laughing man sends Miranda notes.
Who is the laughing man in the book When You Reach Me?
A homeless man lives on the corner of Miranda's street. She calls him the laughing man for his tendency to laugh without cause.

Question: Why did the man write the notes?
Self-contained rewrite: Why did the laughing man in When You Reach Me write notes to Miranda?