EP05: On Loving Pets, Here and Hereafter with E.B. Bartels

Mother of Dogs

Welcome to the fifth episode of Mother of Dogs. Today, Tina is joined by E.B. Bartels.

E.B. Bartels is a writer, editor, teacher, and former bookseller, with an MFA from Columbia. She is the author of Good Grief: On Loving Pets, Here and Hereafter (Mariner Books/HarperCollins, 2022), a narrative nonfiction book about loving and losing animals, which has been featured in many media outlets including The Boston Globe, Boston.com, and NPR's Here & Now. Her work has appeared in Salon, Slate, WBUR, Literary Hub, Catapult, Electric Literature, The Rumpus, and The Millions, among others, and she also edits the interview series Non-Fiction about Non-Humans on the literary site Fiction Advocate. E.B. lives in Massachusetts with her husband, Richie, and their dog (Seymour), two tortoises (Terrence and Twyla), a small flock of pigeons (Bert, Dan, Lucille, and George), and a dozen fish (all named Milton).

Topics Covered:

• Lessons E.B. has learned from her animal teachers.
• Insight into what it is like to be a writer and the journey to publishing Good Grief: On Loving Pets, Here and Hereafter.
• E.B. shares advice and recommended resources for those aspiring to write their own book.
• We dig into the inspiration behind E.B.’s book and the interesting research she came across around loving and honoring pets from various perspectives.

Mentioned in the Show:

Book: Before and After the Book Deal: A Writer's Guide to Finishing, Publishing, Promoting, and Surviving Your First Book By Courntey Maum

Book: Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers By Mary Roach

Book: My Dog Always Eats First: Homeless People and Their Animals by Leslie Irvine

Book: The Unbearable Lightness of Being: A Novel By Milan Kundera

Book: An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us by Ed Yong

Book: Wolfish: Wolf, Self, and the Stories We Tell About Fear By Erica Berry

Story of Hachiko: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-65259426

Fiona Apple Letter: bit.ly/FionaApplesletter

Follow:

Subscribe to Mother of Dogs Newsletter: https://www.motherofdogspodcast.com

Connect on Instagram: @motherofdogspod // @allidoiswinwithchloe

E.B. Bartels: http://ebbartels.com/

Connect on Instagram: @goodgriefpetsbook

Check out E.B.’s work: https://linktr.ee/eb_bartels

Purchase E.B. Bartels’ book: bit.ly/GoodGriefPetsBook

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Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on your favorite podcast platform.

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