Thurber’s Tail: How NOT to Name a Puppy!
It’s about one of the many dogs that Thurber, a life-long dog lover, especially loved, even though this dog had a penchant for biting people.
The dog’s name was “Muggs.”
“There was one advantage to being a family member,” Thurber wrote, “Muggs didn’t bite family members as often as he bit strangers.”
Ayresie and I laughed so hard at that line the librarian finally kicked us out.
But I didn’t care, because that moment transformed my life.
James Thurber’s mastery with words and humor inspired me at that exact moment to become a writer.
Thurber shares his love of dogs throughout “A Thurber Carnival” and his other books, which I have read over and again. His humorous and affectionate drawings of the many pups he shared his life with are pure joy.
His writings and sketches would eventually leave me with another thought:
If I ever get a dog, I’m going to name him “Thurber.”
Passions Run High
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Copyright 2022 Tom Purcell, All Rights Reserved. Credit: Cagle.com
