So, my mama struggled with how to continue her story until she decided to have me become the narrator. That was the best decision she could have made.
Dea – Alison Rand’s Poodle – 7 August 2024
The Back Flap
How did humans manage to function before dogs were domesticated some 23,000 years ago?
That is what Dea, a savvy black poodle, wonders in Walking Alison: A Poodle’s Mostly True Story of Helping Her Human Navigate Life, by Alison Rand—a wise and jaunty memoir told entirely from her dog’s point of view. During their daily walks, new puppy Dea pulls her human, Alison, by the leash into making connections, handling crippling loss, and coping with the challenges of life. What might have been tragic through Alison’s eyes finds wider perspective and resonance through Dea’s as she tolerates Alison’s pathetic attempts at meditation and online dating, sees her through a second bout of cancer, and finally steers Alison toward appreciating life’s daily wonders that are a puppy’s birthright. Thanks to Dea’s “training,” Alison learns to finally trust herself in new and life-affirming ways, realizing that feeling safe is a conscious decision.
About the book
What is the book about?
Walking Alison: A Poodle’s Mostly True Story of Helping Her Human Navigate Life is my mama’s (Alison’s) second memoir. Her first memoir, A Place Called Grace ended in a bittersweet manner, but it mentioned me at the very end so I guess my Alison felt the need to continue her story so there would be more about me and our new story to be less sad.
In Walking Alison, which by the way, is narrated by moi, the star of the book, a beautiful and opinionated black poodle, I needed to take my Alison on so many walks because she needed to be walked a couple of times a day, to help her make new connections. Then, through my pulling her along by the leash with my mighty strong shoulders she engaged more with life enjoying all the little things that I see, like the beady eyed squirrels who lock their eyes on me and then run away and she began to smell all the pungent scents in the grass everyday.
During our story I even tolerated a man she liked a lot, (he gave great back rubs) but I didn’t see the need in adding someone to our pack of two. When it didn’t work out, I was OK because I had my mama all to myself again. I hope she finally realizes that all she needs is me– and she doesn’t need to go out with silly men who are too hot to wear shirts like we saw in their photos inside the big box she looks at.
Plus, once “I trained her” to appreciate what the most important things in life are, like feeding me on time– ahem, throwing my loudest, squeaky, elephant toy every morning, lying down on the grass on our bellies, smelling all the scents outside in the park, watching squirrels with their beady little eyes trying to clamber up the trees, she became a happier person, with less stress and more resilience. She learned to appreciate her own strength and could look at her silly and odd humanlike ways with more humor even in the face of setbacks and loss, including her own recurrences of breast cancer.
When did you start writing the book?
After her first memoir my mama started thinking about how to continue her story, because she felt she had more to say. But, it took her too long to figure out that I needed to be the narrator this time because come on, I know her as well as she knows herself, or maybe better. Plus, we have the same birthday, we both suffer from the same bouts of anxiety and we both love exercise. It took her about two years which felt like the time it takes for her to come back home when she goes out the big front door to buy milk. Forever and a day!
How long did it take you to write it?
With my help which was the most important, and as long as I got to play with my lion squeaky toy, it took us about a year and half to write our story.
Where did you get the idea from?
My Alison knew she had more of a story to tell because after she published her first memoir, A Place Called Grace, she heard from many people that they were curious what happened to her. Her first memoir ended in a bittersweet way, not a fairytale ending, just like when I saw the new standard poodle on the block and he came over to sniff me but then his owner suddenly jerked him away. Oh, the humanity. So, my mama struggled with how to continue her story until she decided to have me become the narrator. That was the best decision she could have made.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
Yes, my mama is the writer and she confided in me, (she tells me everything) that she had a hard time intertwining my brilliant narration with her own story. She is a major character and my number one human, but it is all from my point of view, the right point of view. So, I am the most important character. And let’s face it humans are just clueless about so many things. Especially when to give me belly rubs when they are busy doing the silly other things humans do.
What came easily?
We worked great together and as long as she continued to give me my favorite freeze-dried chicken treats and didn’t leave me alone, I did my part as the opinionated and empathic narrator.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
This is a memoir so it is a true story of me and my mama. Everyone was a person in her life and every dog is a dog I sniffed and played with (plus one in particular tried to hump me which Alison doesn’t allow).
We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?
My mama looks at and turns all these white pages a lot. But as long as she puts me on her lap I don’t mind. A few of the white pages were W. Bruce Cameron, Jenna Blum, Garth Stein and her favorite was Hiro Arikawa who wrote about a cat of all things! It was called The Travelling Cat Chronicles. The nerve! My mama told me she got a lot out of Nana the cat’s personality but she also told me that none of these white pages she looked at were true stories like ours is. They were all made up.
Do you have a target reader?
My mama has had some setbacks in her life so she told me that people who have had serious illnesses and difficulties in life will understand her story of finding more resilience and acceptance in herself and others (of course with my help). My only setbacks are when I want to meet a new dog who snubs me or when I deserve a freeze-dried chicken treat and my mama forgets to give it to me. But mostly our book will resonate with people who love dogs and even cats. (There is a cat in my story, named Precious of all names!)
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
My mama sat at this table looking at a big box of metal for hours with me on her lap. She said she was talking with a lady, her editor, who gave her a lot to do. And every week she came back to the table and looked at the big metal box and talked to the same lady who gave her more and more to do. It didn’t bother me too much because my Alison kept telling me I was the star of the book and she had to get things just right.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
My Alison did tell me she was working with outlines with the lady in the metal box and she kept going back to look at the same thing. How strange are the ways of humans.
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
My Alison kept returning to the same thing that she looked at on the metal box time after time. I guess she tried to change my brilliant narration all the time until she got it right.
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
No, my mama would listen to loud thumping sounds in anther room- sometimes yelling out the words “disco” and expecting me to dance with her. I would need to hide under a chair until she turned the music off.
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
My Alison told me she did send our story to agents and a few were interested but they also said they had just taken on another writer who wrote about dogs so the timing wasn’t right. Just like when I missed seeing my favorite dog, a Havanese, in the building when he entered the big moving box my Alison calls an elevator, and it closed on me before I could get in. Bad timing.
What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
The publisher that my Alison chose was so excited about my narration and me being the star and the most important, so Alison chose them. They had good taste and deserve a chicken treat.
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?
My Alison had someone draw us like we are on our walks with me pulling her toward a beady eyed squirrel right where we live by the Hudson River. Everyone tells us they love the cover. I do look splendid I must say.
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
We have found the best marketing people who love dogs (and I also heard they love cats but I can forgive them for that because they are so nice to me) and my Alison works with a dog loving great lady who is trying to promote me and my perfect poodleness to so many others. She understands our story because she too has a dog she loves and who probably walks her a couple time a day.
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
It took a while for us to find our super intelligent publisher who offered to get our story out into the world. My mama worked very hard on our memoir and you know it was all due to my amazing narration that we finally found the right place to be. But if my Alison didn’t find this publisher she would have never given up. She never gives up on anything. If you have a story that needs to be told, like our story does, she would say “never give up.” Just like when I am patiently waiting for my Alison to play fetch with me and she is busy. I never give up that she will notice me and put all her attention on me and throw the elephant squeaky toy.
About You
Where did you grow up?
My Alison is from Manhattan where we both now live. I was born in New Jersey but I never go back there.
What would you like readers to know about you?
I want people to know what a good dog and a proud poodle I am. I just don’t understand all the silly ways of humans. My mama tries to explain them to me and I just let her go on because it makes her happy. But if you ask me, if she just lets me walk her a little more and we go out and look around the park smelling all the intoxicating scents, I know she would feel better all the time. I am her best teacher.
What are you working on now?
My Alison and I are discussing if there could be another story in the future.
End of Interview:
You can follow Alison’s next adventures by following her on Facebook.
Be a good boy or girl and get our book, Walking Alison, from Amazon US or Amazon UK.