Some dogs can heel, some can play fetch. But how many dogs can write books? Not very many, I warrant. But Boswell, being an exceptional canine altogether, has just published his first book, with help from my daughter Bethany and Blurb.com.
Boswell has graciously agreed to take some time from his busy schedule to talk to me about his new venture.
Q: Boswell, how was writing your first book?
A: I would describe it as a cathartic experience, really. It helped a great deal in coming to terms with my greatest enemies—the bathtub and the vacuum cleaner—both of which are pictured within these pages.
By the way, why are there so many words that start with c-a-t and not so many that start with d-o-g? I smell a conspiracy.
Q: No, you smell dinner. Can you describe your book for us?
A: It’s a book about me and my times—the people and cats I live with, my typical day, the things I enjoy doing. Really, it’s the essence of my life as a dog, distilled into a few short pages.
Q: What gave you the idea to write a book?
A: At first, I just wanted to make the cats jealous. But then I realized that I had a unique, dogly voice of my own that was just crying out, begging to be heard, as opposed just to begging for leftovers.
And I've still made the cats jealous.
Q: Where can I buy it?
A: On Blurb.com. Not on Amazon or anything like that, which is just as well because if my Amazon ranking was better than Mom’s, she’d get all miffed and probably quit playing ball with me.
Q: No, I wouldn’t.
A: Yes, you would.
Q: Anyway, Boswell, what’s your next project?
A: I don’t know. I’ve been thinking about maybe venturing into historical fiction. Dad read a book about Robert E. Lee told from the viewpoint of his horse, and Mom read a book about Shakespeare told from the viewpoint of his dog, so perhaps I’ll go for a book about Mary, Queen of Scots told from the viewpoint of her dog. Or Anne Boleyn told from the viewpoint of her dog. Or maybe a book about the Knights Templar told from the viewpoint of their dogs. I think that’s the most promising project—Dogs of the Templars.
Q: That last one sounds highly marketable.
A: I know. I just need a good agent.
Q: If you find one, will you introduce me to him or her?
A: If you're a bit more generous with the leftovers from now on, Mom.
9 comments:
Cute!
Boswell says thanks!
How cute is that!!
He looks so sweet in the cover photo.
Lol, Dogs of the Templars so would sell, with all that Da Vinci hype going on. :)
But dear Bothwell, I suspect the cats will find that website some day and get a book, too.
I'm tempted to use the program for a travel diary or something though the prices are pretty high (justified if the quality is good, of course; printing photos is expensive).
My canines will be glad to know about this...they've got a bit jaded about their stardom on my blog!
Oh, the little cutie!!! And so clever, too! I think I'm going to have to come over there and dognap him.
He is a cute little guy. And I want to read the Templar dog book.
Oh, he's blushing now! But I keep telling him that he needs to do something besides lie on the sofa with his feet stuck up in the air if he's going to get the Templar dog book written.
Gabriele, the book does look pretty nice quality-wise, though I'm no expert by any means. It's a hardback with a paper dust jacket (there's no text on the hardback spine or cover, just on the dust jacket) and the pictures reproduced nicely, given the fact that I'm not exactly the queen of digital photography.
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