“A dog has no use for fancy cars or big homes or designer clothes. Status symbol means nothing to him. A waterlogged stick will do just fine. A dog judges others not by their color or creed or class but by who they are inside. A dog doesn’t care if you are rich or poor, educated or illiterate, clever or dull. Give him your heart and he will give you his. It was really quite simple, and yet we humans, so much wiser and more sophisticated, have always had trouble figuring out what really counts and what does not. As I wrote that farewell column to Marley, I realized it was all right there in front of us, if only we opened our eyes. Sometimes it took a dog with bad breath, worse manners, and pure intentions to help us see.”
“”In the English language, it all comes down to this: Twenty-six letters, when combined correctly, can create magic. Twenty -six letters form the foundation of a free, informed society.””
— from Bad Dogs Have More Fun: And Other Tails of Animals, Life and Family
An American journalist and non-fiction writer who has also written novels, most famously Marley and Me, about his dog. John Grogan’s work as a reporter and newspaper columnist shows in his books; the construction is timed, thought out to produce certain notes of emotion, and a certain sense of completion.
Construction shows as a framework, but not awkwardly. In an interview on his publisher’s website, Grogan discussed his writing method: ” And here’s what I consider the most important part: Take your finished piece and cut it by 20 percent. Relax, you can always restore the lost text. You’ll be surprised how seldom you will feel the need. In my own work, tighter is almost always better.”