This is a fast one, since I’m so very close to finishing my reading/review of “Discourse in the Novel” by Eminem Bakhtin, a text I’ve been dreading for the last month or so and one I meant to finish before school started but couldn’t manage, due to that fear.

It’s weird how one can be afraid of reading certain books. I mean really: afraid of reading “Discourse in the Novel,” which, btw, you’ve read before? Yes afraid. Afraid that my brain is too full and nothing more will go in. Afraid of not being smart enough for this entire endeavor, in general. The usual. I’m trying to keep perspective. I read The Book of Laughter and Forgetting and said to myself, “At least no one’s firing you from your job, separating you from your friends and family and ultimately forcing you to emigrate from this country.” At least not yet! Hey-o, Perry and Bachmann!

M and I watch a few minutes of TV sometimes when we eat dinner. It’s the only TV we get really (except for the Buffy/Angel night I reserve for N and J once a week, although lord knows that is also equal parts drinking and Smith’s cakes) and tonight there was an episode of Nature with wolves, coyotes and foxes in Yellowstone. The dogs have not been as interested in TV since Westminster was on over Thanksgiving. Swayze sat about a foot from the TV and watched intently the whole time. Even Stella, who is deaf and so couldn’t hear the howling and barking which kept Swayze so rapt, paid attention through almost the entire show. At one point, when the lone “Casanova” wolf came up to romance a bunch of lady wolves from a neighboring clan, both dogs had their noses on the television screen.

I think it’s one of the best and weirdest human things ever, living with animals. They make life so much better. Seriously, first thing in the morning, feed a rabbit and watch it roll over on it’s back because it’s tummy is so full, then have a dog howl hello at you and just see how horrible your day can possibly be.

I feel okay gushing about my pets in that spare paragraph above. I would never dream of writing a book about them. Even though some people (hi mom) probably think I should. It’s possible I would make a million hundreds of dollars. I guess the real question is: how much is one writer’s pride worth?

Tom McAllister is taking an in-depth, up-close look at this very problem with his Inspirational Pet Book Review series at the Barrelhouse website. I have little else to say except this is a brilliant idea with exceptional delivery and you should read them all right now.