Politics going to the dogs
...and a major announcement for OWR
Our puppy, J. Dudley Gilbert, has his own column, J. Dudley’s World, but today, he wanted to speak to you Potluck people. Be patient. He’s only one year and twelve days old, but he does seem to have a lot to say.
Hey, Potluck gang! J. Dudley Gilbert here. You can call me Dudley.
I want your advice about something. My she-human acted strange last night, and I didn’t understand what was happening.
I am a very sensitive breed of dog: a mixture of a Golden Retriever combined with a poodle, a couple of two generations, referred to as an F1b: The "b" stands for "backcross." An F1b Goldendoodle is a first-generation backcross Goldendoodle. This typically means an F1 Goldendoodle (50% Golden Retriever, 50% Poodle) is bred back to a Poodle. Therefore, an F1b Goldendoodle is 75% Poodle and 25% Golden Retriever.
Got that?
So, I am a mutt who is a highly desirable family member because my sole purpose in life is to follow my humans around wherever they go, look up at them lovingly, and surf countertops for stuff I’m not supposed to eat.
I am very good at these things.
Last night, my she-human was watching television, and she started acting strangely. I did not know what to do.
She became emotional and cried but seemed happy at the same time.
How does that happen?
I climbed all over her, trying to make sure she was alright, and she just hugged me tight and said, “Oh, Dudley, you are going to love the coach!”
Can someone please explain this to me?
J. Dudley Gibert: Please let me know your thoughts. Feel free to join me in my column.
Julie Cantrell, bestselling author, joins the line-up for the Okoboji Writers’ Retreat.
Julie Cantrell is an award-winning New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author, editor, creative writing instructor, TEDx speaker, and ghostwriter. She served as editor-in-chief of the Southern Literary Review and is the Managing Director of Story Summit, where writers of all levels and genres unite to elevate their craft and support one another’s creative works. She also teaches creative writing for Story Summit and the Drexel University Low-Res MFA Program.
Her novels have earned starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal and have been featured in Top Reads lists by LitHub, Redbook, Southern Living Magazine, REAL SIMPLE, BookBub, HuffPost, USA TODAY (HEA), and more. As a novelist, she’s received two Christy Awards, two Carol Awards, and the Mississippi Library Association Fiction Award. She was named a short-list finalist twice for the Mississippi Arts & Letters Fiction Award and a two-time short-list finalist for the Pat Conroy Southern Book Prize. She also received the Mississippi Arts Commission Literary Arts Fellowship, the Rivendell Writer’s Colony Mary Elizabeth Nelson Fellowship, the Fairhope Writers Residency, and the Pat Conroy Writer’s Residency Fellowship.
With published works across a diverse range of genres and numerous languages, Julie finds great pleasure in helping to shepherd other people’s stories to shelves. Learn more: www.juliecantrell.com
"Into the Free" (2012): This debut novel won the Christy Award for Book of the Year, Debut Novel of the Year, and the Carol Award for Debut Novel.
"When Mountains Move" (2013): This is a sequel to "Into the Free," and it continues the story of Millie Reynolds.
"The Feathered Bone" (2016) is a gripping and emotional tale that explores themes of loss and redemption.
"Perennials" (2017): This novel delves into family dynamics and the complexities of relationships.
So, here's a big reason to do so for those looking for just one more reason to come to Okoboji, Iowa, September 22-25. We’ll bathe in the woods, become inspired, and meet new life-long friends.
Learn more about the speakers, workshop topics, and how to enroll:
https://okobojiwritersretreat.com
Build that Walz
Iowa Writers’ Collaborative members have started to weigh in on the introduction of Minnesota’s Governor, Tim Walz, as Kamala Harris’ running mate. This came in from last night:
Here’s a take by
in his column Weathering Climate Change.
Learn about the other 60 writers who are members of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative:
Joy...
J. Dudley, If she keeps acting strange - I would like to adopt you. I can tell that you would fit into my family very well and I would keep my emotions under check while feeding you excessive amounts of cheese.