Books Are Going To The Dogs

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard Oprah announced her (adopt a loud, deep, excited voice and show the whites of your eyes) NEW BOOK CLUB PICK! It’s The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski. Oprah’s site describes the book as an “epic” novel about the “kinship between people and dogs.” Today I received an e-mail from Oprah, commanding me to “Show Us Your Sawtelle Dog!” The e-mail goes on to explain, “Author David Wroblewski wants you to create your own image of a Sawtelle dog so much that he won't even reveal what breed his own dog is! So, what does a Sawtelle dog look like to you? Is your dog one?” Apparently, “for generations, the Sawtelles have raised and trained a fictional breed of dogs,” described as having a “thoughtful presence.” I admit, I haven’t read the book. Ok, I admit I haven’t even bought the book. I’m still consumed entirely by I, Elizabeth (the English have won the war against Spain and now Elizabeth can concern herself with more domestic affairs, like executing those who don’t ask her permission before marrying. And she's getting old, so now I've started picturing Judi Dench. Go figure.). I admit I tend to cringe when faced with the prospect of settling in with a “dog” book. Ever since I had my first bout of deep depression after reading Where The Red Fern Grows, I’ve steered clear of the canine literary genre. I will read this book, though, if only because the entire world will be talking about it and I’d like to join that conversation. For the time being, however, having not read the book, I can’t say what a “Sawtelle dog” looks like to me (so, in an act of doggie-owner narcissism, I've posted a photo of my Husky, Misha). But I am interested in the question itself. No doubt this book will be made into a movie (first-time author, Oprah stamp of approval, animals and kids . . . I’m sure a script is already in the works). And if the breed of the dog is not revealed in the book, what kind of dog will be used in the movie? Dollars to doughnuts whatever breed is picked, people will be disappointed, having already created their own vision.

God Save The Queen Blanchett

I’m knee deep in I, Elizabeth by Rosalind Miles . . . which is to say I’m 280 pages into the hefty tome. I cannot put it down, not for yoga, not for movies, not for a walk with the dog. (I will not set it down in the house; I would not drop it for a mouse…) I might be enticed to set it aside if Colin Farrell showed up in my bedroom, just maybe. It isn’t simply that the book is interesting and beautifully written…it’s also that if I put it down for more than a day, I will have to start over. There are scads of Lords and Ladies and Duchesses and Dukes and Earls and Queens and Dowager Queens and Lord Protectors and Council members, and if I don’t sit court with them daily, I will forget who they are and why they’re important. To make matters even more difficult, as their positions change, so do their names. An Earl of Sussex or Essex or Fed-Ex named Bob might become Duke Wellington or Colonel Sanders overnight. This can get terribly confusing, especially for me, who for years thought John F. Kennedy and Jack Kennedy were two different people. I’m not so good with names. Thank goodness Miles includes a family tree at the beginning of the book. Above all the identity-shifting power grabbers, however, Elizabeth (whose name changes, as well, from heir to bastard to most honored sister, etc.) rises and shines. She is interesting and smart and beautiful and savvy. She has a knack for self-preservation that modern politicians can only dream of. And she looks like Cate Blanchett. At least in my head, she does. I saw the movie Elizabeth only once, right after I took the bar exam. As you can imagine, I was a little loopy, and the details of the movie didn’t stick with me, stuffed as my head was with the rule against perpetuities and exceptions to the statute of frauds. But apparently Cate’s performance made an impression. I haven’t thought about it in years, but as soon as I started reading I, Elizabeth, I pictured Cate Blanchett as the fair virgin Queen. Perhaps because she, too, is smart and beautiful and savvy. I applaud you, Ms. Blanchett, for embodying the role in such an indelible manner.