{"product_id":"9780711267145-and-a-dog-called-fig","title":"And A Dog called Fig","description":"\u003cmeta content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\" http-equiv=\"Content-Type\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSolitude, Connection, the Writing Life. \u003ci\u003eAnd A Dog called Fig\u003c\/i\u003e is a study of how animals help writers deal with the challenges of the creative process, insterspersing the author's own experience with stories of other famous writers and their dogs. \u003cb\u003eAward-winning author Helen Humphreys tells a beautiful tale in this brilliant memoir of the writing life as told through the dogs Humphreys has lived with and loved over a lifetime.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn artist’s solitude is a sacred space\u003c\/b\u003e, one to be guarded and kept apart from the chaos of the world. But in the artist’s quiet there is also \u003cb\u003eloneliness, self-doubt\u003c\/b\u003e, the possibility of collapsing too far inward.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e What an artist needs is a familiar, a creature perfectly suited to accompany them on this coveted, difficult journey. They need a companion with emotional intelligence, innate curiosity, passion, energy, and an enthusiasm for the world beyond, but also the capacity to sleep contentedly for many hours. \u003cb\u003eWhat an artist needs, Helen Humphreys would say, is a dog.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThis \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003ebrilliant reflection\u003c\/b\u003e touches on themes of connection, solitude, friendship and the creative process, and culminating with the \u003cb\u003earrival of a new puppy, Fig.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e A love song to the dogs who come into our lives, and all that they bring—sorrow, mayhem, meditation, joy—this is a book about \u003cb\u003ecompanionship and loss\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003ecreativity and the writer’s craft\u003c\/b\u003e, filled with the beauty of a steadfast canine friend and the restorative powers of nature.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Interspersed are stories of other writers and their irreplaceable companions: \u003cb\u003eVirginia Woolf\u003c\/b\u003e and Grizzle, \u003cb\u003eGertrude Stein\u003c\/b\u003e and Basket, \u003cb\u003eThomas Hardy\u003c\/b\u003e and Wessex—the dog who walked the dining table at dinner parties, taking whatever he liked—and many more.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Just as every work of art is different, \u003cb\u003eevery dog is different\u003c\/b\u003e—with distinctive needs and lessons to offer. If we let them guide us, they, like art, will show us many worlds we would otherwise miss.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rarewaves","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40943343468641,"sku":"9780711267145","price":12.79,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0092\/7504\/8033\/products\/stand_7673540_jpg.jpg?v=1706879462","url":"https:\/\/www.rarewaves.com\/products\/9780711267145-and-a-dog-called-fig","provider":"Rarewaves.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}