The Dog Walker
A Novel
by Leslie Schnur
List Price: $13.00
Pages: 336
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 0743482085
Publisher: Washington Square Press
Leslie Schnur lives in New York City with her husband, their two children, and their dog, Milo.
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Q: You worked in the publishing world for many years in both marketing and editorial roles. What is it like to experience publishing from the author's point of view?
LS: It's terrifying! I know what actually goes on behind those closed doors where decisions about the cover, publicity plans and marketing budgets, are made. So the hardest thing for me has been to trust my publisher, to relinquish control. And you know what? So far, so great! I thought I knew everything. But my publisher has proven that there is more than one way to do something -- and they do it so well.
Q: How is it different to write a novel than it is to edit it? Did your experiences as an editor help you with this novel?
LS: You'd think after ten years as an editor I would've learned a thing or two about writing. Well I didn't. It's very different to be on this side of the editorial table. Being an editor -- choosing what books to publish, helping writers do their very best possible work, making sure the book is published well - is not an easy job. You have to first trust your own instincts and then stand by them. And though the hands-on editing itself can be creative and challenging work, it doesn't compare to writing original material from scratch -- making a story, creating characters, and writing compellingly where there was once a blank page.
Nothing could have prepared me for how hard it is to be a writer. There is nothing as difficult, except maybe hiking the Himalayas, as sitting down and facing that empty screen, and then rely on the voices in your head to fill it. But most importantly, I learned that rewriting is where the real work lies and that with every rewrite, magic can happen. Every writer needs an editor. My novel is much richer because of mine.
Q: Do you think everyone struggles with some of the issues that prevent Nina and Billy from connecting at first?
LS: Yes, I think it's difficult for people to allow themselves to reach out and make real connections because they are so afraid of being hurt. If you've had any experience with falling in love, you know what it means to have a broken heart. People become guarded so that they'll never have to feel that kind of pain again. Of course, we all know there's only one way to find love -- to put oneself out there in an open and vulnerable way. You need to be open to allow yourself to love and that very openness will get you killed. Sounds fun, doesn't it?
Q: As a writer, who are your role models? What did you learn from them? Could you recommend any other books for us?
LS: I am a huge fan of Nick Hornby because his books are full of humor and music and depth and an unexpected sweetness. He writes about love and angst with wit and his characters are rich and layered. And he tells his story straight, without unnecessary embellishments or pretentions. I loved Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. It was my favorite book of last year. What a family, and told from the point of view of a fascinating, heart-breaking character. I thoroughly enjoyed Zoe Heller's What Was She Thinking? (Notes on a Scandal) and Tom Perrotta's Little Children. They both deal with gray moral areas -- the kind we grapple with every day as humans on this planet. And both have humor and heart. I guess I like books that move me. Well-written, of course, but simply and unself-consciously told. Books that are both funny and deep. They're hard to find, but they're out there.
Q: What, if anything, do you think a snoop would learn about you from your apartment?
LS: Oh my god, I'd want to clean up first before anybody snooped here. With two kids who seem to think the entire apartment is their playroom, and a husband who never learned to put his clothes in drawers (what a radical thought, right?) this place is usually a mess. A snoop would learn that our kids rule the roost -- like most parents, we don't throw one piece of art or writing away. She'd learn that our dog is like our third child. That I like paper napkins, the kooky, cute ones with bright colors and designs and I buy them whenever they're on sale. I could have a cocktail party for millions. That I have a lot of stuff, but nothing really valuable stashed away, nothing illegal, or secret or very interesting. A snoop would learn that we don't always put the dvd's back in their boxes, and the cd's are not organized. We do have some interesting stuff on our computer. That's where our secret stash is. Highly provocative stuff, like ideas for vacations, lists of things we need to do, new material I'm working on, and what we've bought on Ebay.
Q: Regarding Nina and Isaiah's mock argument about nature vs. nurture, and how it might be applied to dogs, do you think dogs naturally have a certain temperament, or do you think their characters are developed by their owners?
LS: I certainly believe that nobody should own a pit bull. Period. I don't care about the argument that they're really sweet if you treat them nicely. It is a fact that pit bulls are born with the propensity to be aggressive and violent. And look at yappy chihauhuas. They yap. A lot. No matter what. As do a lot of other small dogs. Probably because they're small and want to be noticed. I can understand that; I just wouldn't want to live with it. Many dogs are born with characteristics specific to their breed and no matter how hard you try, how good the training, a lab is always going to be a lab. That's why we love them.
However, I think there are many neurotic owners who make their dogs nuts. People who spoil their dogs, people who anthropomorphize their dogs. Any dog who wears a raincoat and boots is probably going to become vicious at some point in his life. We have friends who take their dog everywhere -- to parties, to restaurants, to our place -- because they feel badly leaving her at home. Hello. The dog would rather be at home asleep on the cool floor, than running around a stranger's house chased by a bunch of kids. No wonder that dog always leaves us a personal gift of the stinky, dirty variety every time she visits.
Q: What inspired you to write The Dog Walker? Have you met anyone like Nina or Billy? Where did the idea for this story come from?
LS: The idea for this novel was, at first, visual. I was riding in a cab up Park Avenue, and saw a guy walking at least a dozen dogs. What a sight. But he looked like an ex-con and I began to imagine all the things this guy, or anybody who has access, does in an apartment when the owners are out. I remembered snooping as a kid when I would baby sit. And then I thought about the moral issues of opening a closet you shouldn't or reading someone else's email or letter, and I realized these are issues facing us daily. One thought and then another and it stuck with me, and the idea was born.
I have never met anyone like Nina. Oh, except me, of course. She is insecure and romantic like me. She likes musicals and dogs and art, like me, and she's worked in book publishing, like me. But she's also different. I've never been a dog walker. And I've never snooped. Well, hardly ever. Like any writer, I took what I know as the basis for Nina, but then used my imagination to create a character who I hope readers will find vital and universal. Billy is somewhat like my husband - the sweet, practical and unassuming part -- but again, that's where the comparison ends. He's a combination of a few men of my past, as well as of my mind.
Q: Did you have a particular audience in mind as you wrote The Dog Walker? Is there a particular theme or idea that you would like your readers to be thinking about?
LS: I was writing for women from 20 to 80. I guess I assume since I love movies and pop culture, since I'm a mom and a wife and have worked most of my life, my concerns are many people's concerns. This is a book for women who are romantic and love love, love life and have a sense of humor and appreciate dogs, of course. The themes that are most important to me, I think, have to do with the moral issues. Is it right to take a bath in someone else's apartment when they don't know you're doing it? To read someone else's mail or computer or anything? Is it right to pretend to be something you are not? To lie -- even for the larger good? Or to not be true to yourself? When does desire become an obstacle to getting what you really desire? That is, how do we hurt ourselves by coveting what our neighbor has? When is what we have and who we are enough? And just right?
Q: The Dog Walker has been optioned for film. Who would you like to see play Nina? How about Billy?
LS: Reese Witherspoon, whose production company has optioned the film rights, with Universal, is perfect. And Billy? John Cusack or Matt Damon would be terrific. Just thinking about who should play what character from a book I've written is thrilling in itself!
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Excerpted from The Dog Walker © Copyright 2008 by Leslie Schnur. Reprinted with permission by Washington Square Press. All rights reserved.
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