He is running, running, running

~ Live & Learn

spill-simmer-falter-wither-book-jacket

He is running, running, running. And it’s like no kind of running he’s ever run before. He’s the surge that burst the dam and he’s pouring down the hillslope, channelling through the grass to the width of his widest part. He’s tripping into hoof-rucks. He’s slapping groundsel stems down dead. Dandelions and chickweed, nettles and dock. This time, there’s no chance for sniff and scavenge and scoff. There are no steel bars to end his lap, no chain to jerk at the limit of its extension, no bellowing to trick and bully him back. This time, he’s further than he’s ever seen before, past every marker along the horizon line, every hump and spork he learned by heart. […]

He is running, running, running. And there’s no course or current to deter him. There’s no impulse from the root of his brain to the roof of his skull which says other than RUN.

~ Sara Baume, from the Prologue of Spill Simmer Falter Wither (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015)

Ray, a 57-year-old loner on Britain’s southern coast, adopts a one-eyed terrier. You can guess what happens next: Ray falls head over heels in love and is soon organizing his life around One Eye’s walks and feedings…Ray falls deeper under the spell of the damaged but joy-filled dog who has transformed his “squat, vacant life” and renewed his interest in his surroundings…This lovely book seems destined to become a small classic of animal communion literature, fervently handed along among friends and family…Early on, Ray asks himself a question that anyone whose life has been changed by a pet will recognize: “What did I use to do all day without you? Already I can’t remember.”

~ Sam Sacks, from his book review of Spill Simmer Falter Wither

One of NPR’s Best Books of 2016.  See NPR book review: For A Young Irish Artist And Author, Words Are Anchored In Images

23 thoughts on “He is running, running, running”

      2. You did add a dog pup to your heart…(s) 🙂 We sure miss the passing of our pup and big orange kitty – this year…

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  6. Sounds enchanting, a story of one falling in love with man’s best friend…we went to the feed and seed store yesterday, a totally utilitarian setup…we were picking up hay so we parked at the hay barn for loading… went inside to pay, pick up lovely dog and cat food samples and visited with the four in-house dogs, a customers dog and an in-house sleeping cat…one of the big dogs nuzzles up to me on her hind legs with her front legs on the check out counter, she looks at me then looks at the chicken dog jerky, individual pieces, not wrapped treat, sitting in a old fashioned front opening dispensary jar without the metal cover…her face clearly too big to snatch one from the jar…she was fully and politely expecting me to reach in and gift her with one, I am sure she’d had her quota for the day…as had her mother and sibling…the other dog was about an 8 lbs and the customers dog was similar to our pup who was at home…the black cat was sleeping on a wool sweater, which sitting on the check out counter, the sweater belongs to one of the early 20’s workers, he said ick, my sweater is covered in cat drool and hair…and I think of this saying Cats Rule and Dogs Drool.. not the case, yesterday…btw I love both pups and kitties…we have one sweet pup and two nice kitties…one of my cat’s nick name is ‘Miss Diva” 🙂 and she thinks my chest & shoulders are her personal domain…she watches and waits for me to sit down and she comes a running…flies through the air, lands and drapes herself on me…purring almost instantly, engaged…nothing like four legged love!

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    1. You had me on this comment from go. “one of the big dogs nuzzles up to me on her hind legs with her front legs on the check out counter, she looks at me then looks at the chicken dog jerky” – could see and feel this. Thanks Christie.

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