"For most dog owners, our dogs are not possessions, they are family. Gay men in particular have found joy in bringing dogs into their nuclear circles. Their dogs love them unconditionally, without judgment or regard to sexual orientation; comfort them when they are in pain; and because most men outlive their dogs, teach them extraordinary lessons in how to cope with loss. . . Paws and Reflect is a celebration of all the dogs we have loved in the past, the dogs we love now, and the dogs of our future, who are only waiting for the right moment for us to invite them to join in our lives." -- From the Introduction Through interviews and with original contributions, Paws and Reflect explores and celebrates the special and powerful bond between twenty-five gay men and their dogs. Interviewees included Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Edward Albee, Cannes award-winning director Jonathon Caouette, Academy Award-nominated writer Ron Nyswaner, actor and playwright Charles Busch and Animal Planet's David Mizejewski, with contributions from authors Jay Quinn, Alistair McCartney and seventeen others. Praise for Paws and Reflect: "A guy I dated didn't like my Dachshund. One of them is gone, and it isn't the Dashed. As it happens there are two terrific Dashed essays in this book. Both made me cry and one of them has the best punch line I've come across in a long time. Dink in these real-life stories of dog love and devotion." -- Craig Lucas, Playwright, The Light in the Piazza, Filmmaker, The Dying Gaul. "Dogs don't care about race, age, appearance, financial standing, employment, sexual orientation or any of those other things that people use -- too often -- to judge one another. Paws and Reflect is an eloquent, moving testament that this unconditional love has helped forma a great emotional and spiritual connection between dogs and their humans that just simply makes our lives healthier and more complete." -- David Frei, Co-host, "The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show," USA Network. "If you don't enjoy reading about the white Shepherd who protected Charles Busch, or the canine friends who kept the home fires burning for Ron Nyswaner, you are not a real dog lover. I was stunned by the emotions this book shook out of me."-- Sue Simmons, WNBC News Anchor "Paws and Reflect is filled with surprises that sometimes made me weep and often made me laugh in delight. I adore this book. If you love dogs, don't miss it!" -- Susan Conant, author of Gaits of Heaven, and other novels in the Holly Winter series of Dog Lovers' Mysteries. |
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5 of 5 found the following review helpful:
For dog lovers and the dog indifferent, both gay and straightJul 03, 2007
I bought Paws and Reflect for my partner for Valentine's Day. He loved it and put it on my reading stack. And I'm so glad that he did. As the proud owner of a sweet one year old dachshund, we just recently decided to get his new baby half-sister, who is now five weeks old. We were a bit skittish about introducing a new dog into our household. Through stories both humorous and touching, Paws and Reflect has made me more aware of our bond with our current boy and made me excited about welcoming a new little girl into our family.
The writing in this anthology is superb. The short vignettes by both well-known and (to me) unknown gay men touched on so many points of dog ownership. Both the positive and the negative bonds were addressed, without a sense of respect and veracity
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
 A Book for Every Dog LoverJun 02, 2007
You don't need to be anything more than a dog lover to love this book. Its not about gender its about the dogs and the people they let love them.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
A wonderful heartwarming book of how much our dogs mean to us. May 27, 2007
I was worried that this would be someone's doctoral dissertation, but it's not. It is immensely readable--I have trouble putting it down. I was reading it in a casual restaurant when I read a passage about a terrier attacking a St. Bernard that made me laugh out loud. When I was a teen, we had a chihuahua who would bark and growl menacingly at the St. Bernard from across the street. When the St. Bernard had had enough of this, she'd just bend down and give our Rusty a big wet sloppy kiss that would drench tiny Rusty which would very effectively shut him up.
Beneath the main concept of gay men and their relationships with their dogs, there's also a subtle secondary story of gay men living happy, successful--and totally normal--lives. I'm recommending this book to all my friends.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
A sentimental anthology of gay men and their dogsMay 07, 2007
A romantic series of short stores of love affairs between gay men and their dogs. Some are real tear jerkers, others quite funny, but all are endearing and a joy to read.
A Great ReadApr 04, 2007
I love the stories in this book. Funny, sad, and touching...all these stories show us why dogs are a gay man's best friend.
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based on 14 reviews
