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Love Can Be
A Literary Collection about Our Animals
Edited by Louisa McCune and Teresa Miller
Published by: Kirkpatrick Foundation
Imprint: Kirkpatrick Foundation
240 Pages | 6 x 8 | 48 color and b&w illus.
$19.95
“Love can be, and sure enough is, moving in all things, in all places, in all forms of life at the same snap of your finger.”—Woody Guthrie
Oklahoma native Woody Guthrie said it first and best. This new anthology of poems and prose, Love Can Be: A Literary Collection About Our Animals, is proof of what love can be, as thirty acclaimed authors join together to champion life in all its forms. This is their gift to the world, not just the artistry of their words, but their vision of an extended community that includes cats, birds, frogs, butterflies, bears, dogs, raccoons, horses—a full-out menagerie of being that enriches us all.
This broad-hearted vision comes with responsibility, and that responsibility speaks to the mission of the Kirkpatrick Foundation, publisher of the book. The Kirkpatrick Foundation will donate all net proceeds of sales of this volume to animal charities in Oklahoma as well as honoraria donated to the contributors’ selected animal charities.
Authors featured in the collection are Julia Alvarez, Blake Bailey, Rick Bass, P. C. Cast, Wayne Coyne, Kim Doner, Delia Ephron, Reyna Grande, Joy Harjo, Amy Hempel, Juan Felipe Herrera, S. E. Hinton, Brandon Hobson, Dean Koontz, Ursula K. Le Guin, Jill McCorkle, Teresa Miller, N. Scott Momaday, Joyce Carol Oates, Susan Orlean, Ron Padgett, Elise Paschen, Diane Rehm, Jewell Parker Rhodes, Wade Rouse, Alexander McCall Smith, Lalita Tademy, Clifton Taulbert, Michael Wallis, and Mary Logan Wolf.
Special contributions include:
* “The Cat,” one of the final original poems by the legendary Ursula K. Le Guin.
* A memorial tribute to Sudan, the last male white rhino, by former U.S. poet laureate Juan Felipe Herrera.
* An essay by noted novelist Alexander McCall Smith, who celebrates the whimsical link between baboons and opera.
* An essay on love, grief, and resilience by Peabody Award–winning journalist Diane Rehm.
* A classic, “Jubilate,” by Joyce Carol Oates.
Oklahoma native Woody Guthrie said it first and best. This new anthology of poems and prose, Love Can Be: A Literary Collection About Our Animals, is proof of what love can be, as thirty acclaimed authors join together to champion life in all its forms. This is their gift to the world, not just the artistry of their words, but their vision of an extended community that includes cats, birds, frogs, butterflies, bears, dogs, raccoons, horses—a full-out menagerie of being that enriches us all.
This broad-hearted vision comes with responsibility, and that responsibility speaks to the mission of the Kirkpatrick Foundation, publisher of the book. The Kirkpatrick Foundation will donate all net proceeds of sales of this volume to animal charities in Oklahoma as well as honoraria donated to the contributors’ selected animal charities.
Authors featured in the collection are Julia Alvarez, Blake Bailey, Rick Bass, P. C. Cast, Wayne Coyne, Kim Doner, Delia Ephron, Reyna Grande, Joy Harjo, Amy Hempel, Juan Felipe Herrera, S. E. Hinton, Brandon Hobson, Dean Koontz, Ursula K. Le Guin, Jill McCorkle, Teresa Miller, N. Scott Momaday, Joyce Carol Oates, Susan Orlean, Ron Padgett, Elise Paschen, Diane Rehm, Jewell Parker Rhodes, Wade Rouse, Alexander McCall Smith, Lalita Tademy, Clifton Taulbert, Michael Wallis, and Mary Logan Wolf.
Special contributions include:
* “The Cat,” one of the final original poems by the legendary Ursula K. Le Guin.
* A memorial tribute to Sudan, the last male white rhino, by former U.S. poet laureate Juan Felipe Herrera.
* An essay by noted novelist Alexander McCall Smith, who celebrates the whimsical link between baboons and opera.
* An essay on love, grief, and resilience by Peabody Award–winning journalist Diane Rehm.
* A classic, “Jubilate,” by Joyce Carol Oates.
Louisa McCune is Executive Director of the Kirkpatrick Foundation and Editor in Chief of ArtDesk magazine.
Teresa Miller is the author of the novels Remnants of Glory and Family Correspondence, as well as numerous essays and commentaries. She was Executive Producer and host of Writing Out Loud, a television interview program that aired on OETA, Oklahoma’s PBS affiliate from 1999 to 2015. She is Director Emerita and Founder of the Center for Poets and Writers at Oklahoma State University–Tulsa, where she taught advanced fiction and literature until her retirement. In 2019 Miller was inducted into the Oklahoma Writers Hall of Fame.
"Love Can Be—a wonderful book, so varied and rich with emotion. Love can be anything: tender, raucous, bittersweet, joyful, transcendent or ridiculous—but it’s always better when shared with animals!”—Diana Gabaldon, bestselling author of the Outlander Series.
“When it comes to the human-animal bond, this work is truly everything “Love Can Be.” It’s an anthology for our time -- inclusive, sympathetic, and joyful. The contributors represent the broad, beautiful, and rich diversity of our nation, but there is something special that unites them here – their deep love for animals and their desire to celebrate them.”—Kitty Block, Acting President and CEO, The Humane Society of the United States.
"A touching tribute to the creatures we let into our hearts and homes….Literature fans will love the photos of authors and their animal companions that accompany each piece. In keeping with the spirit of the season, proceeds from sales of the book will go to animal charities. This is a heartwarming, hopeful anthology.”—BookPage
“Love Can Be is a collection that belongs on every animal lover's bookshelf. It is clear that the authors whose essays and poems are in this collection care deeply for the animals in their lives — the animals who are family, and those encountered in the wild. Some pieces are moving, even funny, tributes to the animals who share the writers' homes. There are also poignant examinations of how animals shape our world, how by trying to understand animals we can better understand ourselves.”—Stephen Wells, Executive Director of the Animal Legal Defense Fund
"Love Can Be is an extraordinary compilation of literary and artistic minds musing on our mysterious and profound relationship with animals. Open-hearted, earnest and wise, it explores the vast, complex terrain between humans and other animals, and illuminates the transforming effect animals have on us." —Michael Mason, author of Head Cases: Stories of Brain Injury and Its Aftermath.
“A bonanza of biophilia! Whether it’s a lifetime of canine companionship or a brief encounter with a bobcat, the writers of this diverse collection mine their lives and hearts to help us understand the non-people of our planet—and why they mean the world to us.”—Gordon Grice, author of Cabinet of Curiosities and The Red Hourglass.
"Warm and witty, poignant and profound, Love Can Be chronicles our relationships with animals and tells us a lot about humans in the process. This book is guaranteed to lighten your heart and brighten your day."—Hilary Davidson, Anthony Award–winning author of One Small Sacrifice.
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