Izzy,The Best Book Tour Dog, and The Way We Were

As promised, I'm going to post re the new class, but first I want to tell you about a fantastic reading a few of us went to at the Monson Library, up in the hills of Southwestern MA. Jon Katz, author of more dog books than you can shake a stick at, spoke about his new book, The Soul Of A Dog. The book addresses the question of what role our companion animals, or indeed animals in general, play in our spiritual lives. And the answer seems to be that they have, in great measure, become a repository for our emotions, have even in many cases replaced family, friends, and community as our chief source of comfort and love and happiness. Mr. Katz is a fine story-teller, so the evening was a great mix of thought-provoking ideas, and both poignant and riotously funny anecdotes.

Then there was Izzy. Izzy is a Border Collie, rescued from a farm where he had virtually no human contact for three years, and now after much training, a book tour dog extraordinaire. He trotted in, left Mr. Katz to his own devices, and worked the room like a pro. He greeted almost everyone individually, posed for photos, then fell asleep in the arms of a little girl he didn't know. Now, Border Collies are not generally as adaptable and calm, especially rescued ones. I know this because I'm now on my third in twenty-five years. It was a testament to the devotion and care he'd received, to Mr. Katz's patience in allowing Izzy's personality to develop and blossom. I can only hope that when I'm ready to take my own book on the road, my own young Border Collie will be ready to accompany me and bring as much joy to my readers.

So, if you get an opportunity to see Jon Katz and the amazing Izzy, don't pass it up. Especially if it's a library benefit. And in the meantime, visit his farm at www.bedlamfarm.com. where you'll find Mr. Katz's thoughts on animals, life, the craziness of our modern selves, and his lovely photos of said animals and the farmland of upstate New York.

Now, for the new class. The Way We Were: Memoir and Personal Essay, will begin Wednesday,September 23, and run for six Wednesdays from 6:30-9:30pm. We'll begin (or continue) writing about our extroardinary, normal, crazy, beautiful lives, using writing prompts and exercises. We'll learn how to structure our memoirs, and how to send out our personal essays to magazines or newspapers. Among other things. So, if you want to get your misty watercolor memories on paper and out into the world, give me a shout. (413) 346-8793, or e-mail at chryslerszarlan@yahoo.com.

Happy Writing!