Joanne Lewis & Frisco

Who is in the photo at right?

My name is Joanne Lewis and I am a novelist.

My dog is Frisco. He’s a six-year-old male toy poodle.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

I have tea with Frisco every day. We love to go to cafes, sit outside, sip tea and look for dropped crumbs.

What's brewing?

Genmaicha. It’s Japanese green tea leaves combined with roasted brown rice. It’s also called popcorn tea. It was invented by poor Japanese people who wanted to stretch their supply of green tea. I try and drink only loose tea and my favorite brand is Adagio.

Any treats for you or Frisco on this occasion?

Tea and a raisin scone for me. Small pieces of milk bone for Frisco.

How were you and Frisco united?

I had a toy poodle named Jennie growing up whom I really missed. It took me almost twenty-five years to unite with Frisco. I went into a puppy store and he insisted I take him home. I’m glad he did.

How did Frisco get his name? Any aliases?

Frisco is named for San Francisco. He’s also called Bear, Papa and Baby Boy. I think he likes Bear the best.

Has Frisco played any role in your writing?

Absolutely. He lounges on my desk while I write. Petting him when I am working on difficult plotting helps me a lot. Just having him around makes me feel good.

He also makes me get out of the house and enjoy the fresh air. We take at least 4 walks a day together.

Does Frisco have a favorite place to go for walk?

The park across the street from my house. There is a volleyball court and he loves to run in circles on the sand.

Squirrel, postman, cat...?

He’ll chase squirrels for a few feet but he doesn’t really mean it. The postman doesn’t bother him. Cats – who cares?

But the bigger the dog, the more ferocious he is.

He also likes to jump at palm fronds and try to grab them – one’s close to the ground of course since he’s a little guy.

What is Frisco's best quality?

He lives in the now.

If your dog could change one thing about you, what would it be?

I would never leave him alone.

What's Frisco's proudest moment?

When we finish a novel and go for a nice, long walk on the beach.

And his most embarrassing?

His anal glands get impacted so I take him to the vet every 6 weeks or so to make sure they’re OK. When the vet pulls on a glove and sticks his finger---well, you can imagine the rest.

If Frisco could talk in the movie about your life, who should do his voice?

Gerard Depardieu – he is a French poodle, after all.

Joanne Lewis is the co-author of a novel called Wicked Good. It's the "story of a mother and her son with Asperger's syndrome. A different kind of love story. A different kind of mystery."

Visit the Wicked Good website and blog.

--Marshal Zeringue