Book Marks: November 2, 2006

By Richard Labonte

"Paws and Reflect: Exploring the Bond Between Gay Men and Their Dogs," by Neil Plakcy and Sharon Sakson.

Alyson Books, 274 pages, $24.95 hardcover

This is a mixed-breed collection. Some stories are as-told-to tales about the dogs in our queer lives, based on interviews conducted by the editors. Kevin Anderson reveals how his first dog outed him; Randall McCormick talks about how his dog's unconditional love got him through the AIDS death of his partner; Justin Rudd describes forging a community of dog owners. These three, like a majority of the contributors, aren't writers by either vocation or avocation; they're guys who care about canines with a passion that shines through the otherwise prosaic prose.

There's more poetry in other contributions, including those by novelists Jay Quinn, who confesses the pain of having to put down a pet; Lev Raphael, who says his dog's soul is "entwined around" his heart; and Victor J. Banis, who writes about the deep love shared by "the girls," his dogs Jenny and Prima.

Other "names" in the book include playwrights Charles Busch and Edward Albee - but each contributor waxes eloquently, as best he can, about the four-footed members of his family.