This week’s Bookshelf is about a writers convention, a poetry reading and cowpuppies.
Animal magnetism. We all have our guilty pleasures, right? Well here’s one of mine. A favorite way for me to wind down at the end of the day is to scroll cute animal videos on TikTok. And as mindless as that may be, I have learned a thing or two about the animal kingdom in the process. For instance, who knew a monkey and a bunny could be best friends?
One of the first videos that got me hooked — I guess you could call it my gateway video — was of a beautiful chestnut horse having the time of its life playing with a yoga ball in a field. This horse was clearly experiencing a sense of joy. It was a revelation for me to realize that, just like my dog, a horse has emotions, too. Which means, of course, other species of animals must like to play, get the feels and have personalities of their own.
So, you can see why I got excited when “Cowpuppy: An Unexpected Friendship and a Scientist’s Journey into the Secret World of Cows” (Harper Horizon. $29.99) came across my desk this week. Written by neuroscientist Gregory Berns, a professor of psychology at Emory, it recounts his experience communing with a growing herd of mini cows.
It all started during the coronavirus pandemic when he and his wife moved to a farm 40 miles outside of Atlanta and bought two cows and a bull to keep the grass trimmed and produce fertilizer. Before long he had a herd of 10.
Having already applied his scientific knowledge to the study of dogs’ brains, it wasn’t much of a stretch to do the same with cows. In time he would come to discover cows recognize their names, show affection and like belly rubs. And by matching their energy in order not to spook them, he learned to appreciate a slower pace of life.
Naturally, he has a cache of videos capturing the cuteness. You can see them on his YouTube channel at youtube.com/@GregoryBerns.
Gathering of scribes. If you’re an aspiring writer who’s been toiling away over a manuscript for years, or at least dreaming about writing a book one day, you might want to plan a visit to the Decatur Library later this month. That’s where New York Times bestselling author Mary Kay Andrews joins Townsend Prize-winning author Julia Franks and Bram Stoker Award nominee Andy Davidson, among a host of other accomplished authors, for the 9th annual Broadleaf Writers Conference.
Organized by the indefatigable founder, director and author Zachary Steele, the event offers a crash course on writing and publishing.
Authors including Marlena Frank, L.D. Lewis and Bernette Sherman will share their wisdom on panels topics such as “Using Cultural References in Your Writing,” “Getting Your Story Out There” and “What Genre is it Anyway?”
In addition, there will be mentoring sessions with published authors, pitch sessions with literary agents and editors, and a First Pages Critique session, in which writers anonymously submit the first pages of their manuscripts for critique in an open forum.
The Broadleaf Writers Conference takes place Sept. 21-22. And if you can’t attend in person, virtual options are available. For details and to register, go to broadleafwriters.com.
Celebrate poetry. Poet Brandon Som will read from his Pulitzer Prize-winning poetry collection “Tripas” at the Asian American Literature Festival on Sept. 15 at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia. Presented by Lostintheletters and the Georgia Review, Som’s reading will explore growing up in a multigenerational household blending Chicano, Chinese and American cultures.
In addition, Jordanian poet Siwar Masannat will read from her collection, “Cue,” exploring intimacy and distance.
Admission is free, but RSVP is required at thegeorgiareview.com/events.
Suzanne Van Atten is a book critic and contributing editor to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She may be reached at Suzanne.VanAtten@ajc.com.
About the Author
