In the world of publishing, 2005 was the year of the dog ย that dog being Marley, of the best-seller Marley & Me. But in 2007, there came another dog-centric best-seller, Mark Dotyยs Dog Years, which People magazine called ยMarley & Me for the cerebral.ย A critical smash, itยs not a light book, to be sure. Instead of telling about cute canine antics, the autobiographical story tells the roles Dotyยs dogs, the rambunctious Beau and the well-behaved Arden, played while Dotyยs partner was dying of AIDS. But Doty is primarily a poet (heยs written eight books of verse), so in his hands even death, grief and despair become beautiful things. Doty will read from the book at the Houston Public Library today, which is an easy trip for him, since heยs also a professor at the University of Houstonยs graduate writing program. 7 p.m. Central Public Library, 500 McKinney. For information, call 832-393-1313 or visit www.houstonlibrary.com. Free.
Thu., Sept. 4, 7 p.m., 2008
This article appears in Sep 4-10, 2008.