Paws and Reflect

by Neil S. Plakcy, Sharon Sakson

The truth is, our dogs are our children. We don’t have to straighten their teeth or send them to college, but we love them, feed them, groom them, sometimes even dress them up, just like we'd do with little boys and girls. Most dog owners, straight or gay, would probably feel the same way.

Even though advances in society and social norms have made it more common for gay men to have human children, for many gay men, our dogs play an even more important role in our lives. They love us unconditionally; they comfort us when we are in pain; and because it's most likely that we will outlive them, they teach us to cope with loss.

We decided to parlay our backgrounds-- Neil as a gay writer and dog owner, Sharon as a journalist, dog show judge and award-winning breeder of Whippets and Brussels Griffons-- to explore this connection. We asked talented writers to contribute their thoughts, and Sharon interviewed celebrities and ordinary men about their relationships with their dogs.

With contributions by Alistair McCartney, Andy Zeffer, Brian McCormick, Charles Busch, David Mizejewski, Donald Hardy, Edward Albee, G. Russell Overton, Hal Campbell, J.R.G. DeMarco, Jack Morton, Jay Quinn, Jeffrey Ricker, Jonathan Caouette, Justin Rudd, Kevin Anderson, Lev Raphael, Matthew Phillips, Michael Wallerstein, Neil Plakcy, Randall McCormick, Randy Allgaier, Ron Nyswaner, Sharon Sakson, Stephen Kwielchek, Steve Berman, and Victor Banis

Genres: Nonfiction, Dogs, Gay

273 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

I have been a voracious reader all my life, mostly in mystery, romance, and science fiction/fantasy, though a college degree in English did push a lot of literary works into my list of favorites.

I began writing seriously in high school after an inspiring assignment with A Separate Peace by John Knowles. But it took getting an MFA in creative writing to kick-start my career.

Since then I've written dozens of books, won a couple of treasured awards, and enjoyed the support of readers.

I hope you'll visit my website, where you can sign up for my occasional newsletter, and also follow my author page on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/neil.plakcy.

I love writing cozy mysteries as well as gay mysteries, M/M romance and gay erotica. My golden retriever mysteries were inspired by my own goldens, Samwise, Brody and Griffin, who continually give me ideas for new books.

Reviews

[Leslie Angel · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is not the book I read but is the closest title I cuold find--same author. The book is available from Amazon at a bargain of $1.99, an ebook called IN DOG WE TRUST. It's a mystery set in Bucks county, the protag is an adjunct prof., he ends up with his neighbor's golden retriever when she is killed. What's not to like? Neil sent me a copy of the book, and I enjoyed it very much.

[Neil Plakcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

My friend Sharon Sakson is a journalist and dog breeder, and one day when she was visiting we sat down and brainstormed a book we could work on together. I'd just published Mahu, and was besotted with my golden retriever Samwise, and we wondered if other gay men had similar relationships with their dogs.

That led to a proposal to Alyson Books, where the publisher was also a dog lover and thought the idea was great. I began soliciting gay writers I knew, and Sharon used her contacts in the dog show world to bring in other authors.

I handled the editing, and Sharon and I alternated writing introductions for each piece. I was so moved by the end of the process, by all the great essays we had found and all the love displayed between men and dogs.

[Christine Fay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderfully poignant collection of essays in tribute to the relationships we have with our four-legged friends, who provide us with some much love and connection.

[Claude Bouchard · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice little compilation of dog stories. Most are cute, some are touching, and one or two will absolutely make you cry.
I was a bit surprised at the number of authors who chose to buy dogs from breeders rather than go to a rescue or shelter.
Writing is uneven, as not all the stories are by folks whose primary occupation is that of writer, but it's not terrible by any means.
FUNNIEST STORY: "My Ph.D. In Dachshunds" by Stephen Kwielchek
MOST TOUCHING STORY (you *will* cry): "The Girls" by Victor J. Banis

[David Jay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing. I was so intruiged by the topic, essays about gay men and their relationships with the dogs in their lives. But most of the essays were boring and/or not well written. "The Girls" by Victor J. Banis was the big exception--beautiful piece that brought me to tears.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many of the stories are endearing and some pull at the heart strings. The writing is not particularly strong; the editing hit and miss.

[Shianne]

this book i haven't read but from what i have herad it might be a good book