Rachel Rose, a well-known poet and essayist, has astounded many readers with her new nonfiction book, The Dog Lover Unit: Lessons in Courage from the World’s K9 Cops.
By Madison Lotenschtein
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To write poetry, then leap over a puddle to nonfiction is a bold move; Rose, who has made her mark in poetry, decided to transition to nonfiction by tackling a subject that has occupied a place in many people’s hearts for thousands of years: dogs.
As a well-known essayist and poet, a reader would not suspect Rachel Rose to immerse herself in a world of K9 units and policemen. The Dog Lover Unit: Lessons in Courage from the World’s K9 Cops, is a non-fiction memoir, which delves into the lives and relationships of policemen and their loveable dogs.
“When I set out on my journey to learn about the relationship between police officers and their dogs, it was curiosity about the human-dog bond that drove me,” said Rose. “Animals, especially dogs, have always been important in my own life, and I wondered what it would be like if you had that incredible bond with your dog, but also depended on your dog to save your life, and spent all your time together with your dog as your work partner.”
Rose met with police officers and was given a first-hand experiences on the world of a police officer, and the intense training that is provided for the dogs. She, like all of us, has seen photos of police brutality, but met with police officers to hear and learn about their experiences, instead of judging them.
Much has been written on the police, but not their furry friends. To provide a wealth of data, and to show some cultural differences, Rose journeyed to four different countries. She interviewed police officers as individuals, instead of a representative sample from a single institution, in a single country.
Throughout her work, the author came to a realization: all police dog trainers and handlers have similar personalities. These people love their work, their dogs, live off of adrenaline, and despise paperwork.
While Rose has added being a novelist to one of her many identities, her base of writing has always gone back to poetry. However, there are writers who write for fun, and then there are writers who write to sustain their mind and body.
“I depend on it to make sense of my place in the world, and I lean on its transformative alchemy.” Rose said.
She self-published her first poetry collection at the mere age of 10, and has been publishing her works ever since. Her books include: Song & Spectacle, Thirteen Ways of Looking at CanLit, and Marry & Burn, as well as publication in Poetry, The Malahat Review and The Best American Poetry. Rose also holds the position of Poet Laureate of Vancouver. An argument may arise to those who think of poetry as “boring” or is questioned by common folk. Why does our world need poetry? Rose knows poetry is important.
“Poetry is the compression of experience into truth, of prayer, and song into new forms.” Rose said. “It has the power of juxtaposition, of metaphor, to startle us and help us see the world more accurately through making unexpected cognitive leaps.”