I'm Trick Dog Trainer, the co-host of the podcast This Animal Life, and the author two books, the memoir, For the Love of a Dog, (Harmony Books), and the novel, Body Sharers (Rutgers University Press). Body Sharers placed among the finalists for the PEN/Hemingway Foundation Award for Best First Novel. Recent honors include finalist for the 2017 Frank McCourt Memoir Prize, winner of the 2016 Briar Cliff Review Nonfiction Award, winner of the 2013 Florida Review Editor’s Award, and a Best American Essays 2015 Notable Essay. I teach creative writing and dog training in Tampa Bay.
They say depression has tripled in the United States since the start of the pandemic, with corresponding increases in suicide rates, domestic abuse, and addictions. If you’re feeling down or even desperate, and scrolling through puppy pictures just isn’t enough for you, consider teaching a dog a trick. And here’s why:
“Leadership is not a person or a position. It is a complex moral relationship between people based on trust, obligation, commitment, emotion, and a shared vision of the good.”—Joanne Ciulla, Philosopher of Leadership Ethics
“I just love bossy women. I could be around them all day. To me, bossy is not a pejorative term at all. It means somebody’s passionate and engaged and ambitious and doesn’t mind leading.”—Amy Poehler
I am a warrior in the time of women warriors; the longing for justice is the sword I carry.
― Sonia Johnson, activist, author, 1984 presidential candidate
But over the years I have observed that some attributes of leadership are universal and are often about finding ways of encouraging people to combine their efforts, their talents, their insights, their enthusiasm and their inspiration to work together–Queen Elizabeth II
What I want young women and girls to know is . . . you’re going to walk into many rooms in your life and career where you may be the only one who looks like you or who has had the experiences you’ve had. But you remember that when you are in those rooms, you are not alone. We are all in that room with you applauding you on. Cheering your voice. And just so proud of you. So you use that voice and be strong–Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States
Democracy is necessary to peace and to undermining the forces of terrorism–Benazir Bhutto, First Female Prime Minister of the Islamic World
Some say we’re responsible for those we love. Others know we are responsible for those who love us.
–Nikki Giovanni, American Poet
“When I go hiking and I get over the hill, that means I am past the hard part and there is a snack in my future. That’s a good thing as far as I am concerned.” – Ellen DeGeneres
I’m concentrating on staying healthy, having peace, being happy, remembering what is important, taking in nature and animals, spending time reading, trying to understand the universe, where science and the spiritual meet. Joan Jett, American Rock Singer
The Gloria Sirens 