Calli is the lovely, beautiful, brilliant thirteen-year old (mostly) border collie. The less hairy one is me, Laurie Frankel, author of the newly-released debut novel The Atlas of Love.What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?
Occasion? We live in Seattle where all of life is an occasion for coffee.
What's brewing?
Nonfat latte, almost always. Iced whenever possible. Hot, alas, most of the time.
Any goodies to go with the coffee?
My most frequented coffee shop, Tougo, has really amazing squash bread. My other favorite coffee shop, Joe Bar (featured in The Atlas of Love), has incredible made-on-the-spot crepes.
Any treat for your dog on this occasion?
If you have a bread product of any kind at any time, you will be not just expected but relentlessly encouraged to share it with Calli.
How were you and your dog united?Calli was found as a puppy by the side of the road with three of her brothers and sisters by a guy in Dover, Delaware who trained animals for a living, mostly to help disabled people. But right after he found the puppies, he acquired a pony, and evidently you have to tend to the ponies right away, so he had to get rid of the dogs. The other puppies he sold as working dogs to farmers in the area. But Calli was the runt, so he put an ad in the paper and sold her for 25 bucks. You could tack three zeroes on the end, and she would still have been worth it.
How did your dog get her name? Any aliases?
Calli is named for Cal Ripkin, Jr. I also call her Cal (short for Calli) and Potato (short for Sweet Potato).
Does Calli have any influence on your writing?
Well, for starters, the dog in The Atlas of Love, Uncle Claude, is Calli, descriptor for descriptor. Two, Calli is always, always willing to walk around the neighborhood and smell stuff while I mull over what characters should do next or why a scene’s not working or what happens at the end or whatever I can’t solve sitting in front of a computer. But most valuable of all, Calli is a great giver of the awesome, entire, abundant, unconditional love that is the subject of my novel, all my writing, and, arguably, all of everyone’s writing, so she’s quite an inspiration.Cat, squirrel, postman...?
Our postman is a woman, but her for sure. Cats? Scary. Squirrels? Distracting but who can catch one. Humans in all forms? Very likely to give pets or treats or attention of really any kind. So that’s the way to go for sure.
Tennis ball, squeaky-toy, stick...?Ball ball ball ball ball ball ball ball ball ball ball ball ball ball ball ball ball ball ball ball ball ball ball ball ball ball ball ball ball ball ball ball ball ball ball ball ball ball ball ball ball ball ball ball ball ball ball ball. Ball ball ball ball ball ball ball ball ball ball. Ball. Ball. Ball ball ball ball ball ball ball ball ball ball. Ball.
Where is Calli's favorite place for an outing?
Lake Washington -- she loves to swim. Or for a long road trip, the Oregon Coast where she can swim and have free reign over the sprawling and leashless beaches.
Who is Calli's best pet-pal?
Me. We’re pretty tight. She follows me everywhere. And because I work so often from home, we spend a lot of quality time together. Am I her pet? Maybe. She doesn’t like other dogs -- I think because she doesn’t really consider herself one and finds it irritating that others do.What is Calli's best quality?
She’s an angel dog, really. She’s very very freakishly smart. And she wants only to make you happy. The combo there is a real winner. Some dogs want to make you happy, but they’re too stupid to know how. Some dogs know exactly what you want from them, but they’re all, “Screw you! I’m a dog and can do whatever I like. Ha ha.” Nice and smart is the good choice if you have one. Calli is the best and sweetest dog I have ever known.
What is Calli's proudest moment? Her most embarrassing?
Well, she cowers before cats which is pretty embarrassing given that it should be the other way around. Once, when my husband and I were out of town, she stayed with some friends with cats, and the cats just terrorized her. Our friends had to give her an armed water gun escort to the backyard a few times a day. Otherwise, she refused to leave the bedroom.
Meanwhile, did I mention the ball obsession? Every time she catches one in midair -- and that’s many many many many many many times (she’s quite athletic in addition to obsessed) -- she gets the exact same totally pleased with herself expression on her face. This is nice for her. It’s very good to be Calli, even though sore hips mean her ball catching days are mostly behind her now.Laurie Frankel lives in Seattle where it's sometimes hard to find a day on which to take an author photo without an umbrella. Originally from Columbia, Maryland, she often fails to understand why it won't stop raining in Seattle. Then it becomes summer there, and she remembers why she loves it. She teaches writing, literature, and gender studies at the University of Puget Sound. She roots for the Orioles and the Mariners (and thus is often very frustrated during baseball season). She makes good soup.
Read an excerpt from The Atlas of Love, and learn more about the book and author at Laurie Frankel's website and blog.
The Page 69 Test: The Atlas of Love.
--Marshal Zeringue
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