Woof!: Writers on Dogs

by Lee Montgomery (Editor), Elizabeth Marshall Thomas (Introduction)

Overview

As the popularity of Marley & Me attests, people love their dogs-and everyone else's too. For all the time spent on grooming, petting, and other care-it's as if owning a dog is a religion unto itself. Woof! brings together original essays from acclaimed writers ruminating on the sometimes tumultuous, often selfless love affair between human and dog. Alternately poignant and hilarious, these collected stories of mutts and purebreds alike will win the hearts of the millions whofive ever loved a member of the world's most loyal species.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780143116004
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	08/26/2009
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.48(w) x 8.42(h) x 0.72(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Lee Montgomery is the editorial director of Tin House Books, executive editor of Tin House magazine, and an award-winning author. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two schnauzers.

Elizabeth Marshall Thomas is the celebrated author of The Hidden Life of Dogs and The Social Life of Dogs.

Editorial Reviews

"[Woof!] will touch the hearts of canine owners everywhere."
-Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

Montgomery (The Things Between Us), a memoirist and executive editor of Tin House magazine, delivers personal essays from writers-including Barry Hannah, Victoria Redel and Denis Johnson (whose essay is written from the point of view of his curiously military-minded bullmastiff, The Colonel)-that capture "the soul essence of dogs" in a way that will touch the hearts of canine owners everywhere. From novelist Tom Grimes's description of his dog Charlie's "zigzagging, semi-Homeric" outings to Lydia Millet's paean to her pug Bug, "a confounding and holy monster," each author presents a memorable dog each possessing much devotion and baffling eccentricity. Other than Millet and Yannick Murphy ("The Sea of Trees")-who presents an ode to Tom, his huge, slobbering and totally good-natured Newfoundland-almost all of the essayists prominently feature descriptions of their dogs' deaths, each of which is affecting but read together can be a profoundly sad experience for those with dogs. This fine collection works best if readers give themselves adequate time for reflection-and sometimes a good cry-between each essay. (Nov.)

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Publishers Weekly

Edited and featuring a contribution by Montgomery (The Things Between Us), this collection of canine essays by writers includes reminiscences of long-gone childhood pets and pieces on the stress of picking the right companion and living with our four-legged friends. Unlike several other recent dog-lit anthologies, this volume presents original writings that display an atypical depth. The tone of the essays ranges from the humorous (Abigail Thomas on sharing a bed with her three dogs, all of whom have a strong sense of entitlement) to the reflective (Rick Bass and Barry Hannah on saying good-bye to a beloved dog). Paul Winner's "Nightmares" evolves from a description of his sick dog to a meditation on family, memory, and faith. This collection should be popular with dog lovers who are looking for something a little different. Recommended for larger public libraries.
—Dan Forrest

Library Journal