Horse in the House
"Thirteen years ago, Misha was a five-month-old weanling," explains Jackie. "She came to us with her lungs full of pneumonia, her belly stuffed with worms, and her hooves split and infected. She promptly moved herself inside our living room to stand against our woodstove. It took six months for her pneumonia to go away. By the time she was healthy, she was used to living inside with us and didn't want to move back out into the yard. She has lived in our kitchen and living room ever since. Completely housebroken and very verbal, Misha is like a big pet dog, except she's smarter and seems to be telepathic."Advertisments
Feature
This Publishing House is an Animal House
J. N. Townsend Publishing is an independent publisher in Exeter, New Hampshire, dedicated to producing and publishing high quality books about living with animals.
Since 1986 and through the publishing of more than 30 titles, J.N. Townsend Publishing has epitomized the spirit of finding a unique publishing niche and pursuing it with passion and creativity.The 1998 book, The Master's Cat, by Eleanor Poe Barlow, is narrated by Charles Dickens' little deaf cat, known simply as The Master's Cat. Although usually surrounded by family and friends, Dickens spent most evenings alone in his study reading by candlelight, the cat his only company.
One evening early in their companionship, the kitten, while lying on Dickens' desk, reached out and snuffed the flame of his master's candle. It is upon this true incident that this delightful biography is based. Using Dickens' letters, novels, and his children's memoirs, biographer Barlow--a Dickens scholar who has taught great literature for over 30 years--cleverly reveals the tale of Dickens' life through his cat's reminiscences. An excerpt:
This is the story of my Master, Charles Dickens, the great English novelist. I tell it to you from some distant place, looking back in time to the years 1860 to 1870, the first ten years of my life and the last ten of my Master's. Where I could, I have used his words. I learned the language literally at Mr. Dickens's elbow, for I was usually cuddled, front paws tucked under my chest, on his desk...
This summer, Goat Song, by Susan Basquin, will be published. It is the story of one woman's extraordinary attempts to raise a herd of Angora goats on an island in Lake Michigan, where the severe weather and isolated conditions make day-to-day living a challenge. Susan's writing is eloquent, and her devotion to her goats is truly heroic.
The press received some notoriety recently when one of their new titles, Who Ever Heard of a Horse in the House, was featured on network news and talk shows. I asked Jeremy Townsend about the experience of publishing in such a unique niche.
Q: How did you get started in publishing, and when did the specialization in animal titles come about?
A: I moved to NYC from Los Angeles in 1980 with the intention of learning about book publishing. My father, Irving Townsend, had been a Columbia Records executive before he retired to write full time. I landed a job at W. W. Norton, where I stayed until 1986. At that time, I decided to leave Norton and begin publishing on my own, beginning with a collection of my father's best pieces about animals and country life. I published the collection, titled SEPARATE LIFETIMES, in 1986 as a memorial to him (he died in 1981). It has since become a very popular book among people who have lost animals. With SEPARATE LIFETIMES finding an audience, I felt I had found my niche, and continued on with the animal/country living theme. Q: Why are cats such an important "accessory" to many authors?
A: Cat's love to sleep on printers, computers, papers, laps, and anything else a writer might be using. They are a comforting nuisance, and their attitude of "what, me worry?" is one we should all adopt now and then--especially authors! Nothing can bring down the blood pressure like petting a purring cat. I don't mind cleaning the cat hair off of my equipment now and then. Their companionship is worth it!
Q: Are there any animals in your publishing house?
A: Oh, you betcha! We have two dogs (that's the constant barking customers hear when they phone) two cats, and a ferret called Wanda. But the animal population does change from year to year, growing and, unfortunately, decreasing as the aged move on.
Q: Describe the experience of having such a bizarre book on your hands as Horse in the House, and the publicity opportunities that result. It's been a bit of a roller coaster ride, but also lots of fun. Being such a small publisher, the attention has been amusing at times, upsetting at others. I've accepted it all as our fifteen minutes of fame. But I do hope that people will take the book as it is offered--not as a proponent of bringing outdoor animals inside, but as a testimonial of how deep a bond can form between an animal and a human. Misha is not typical, nor is Jackie. But their story is charming and fun to read (see sidebar.)
Q: What are some of the non-traditional book sales opportunities with books for pet lovers?
A: Catalogs have been wonderful. A Common Reader and Bas Bleu, in particular, both of which are known for carrying high-quality, literary titles. Many of my animal books fall into that category. But pet-related catalogs, stores, and web sites are vital sales opportunities for us as well. The Internet, of course, has opened a wide door for all small publishers, making the playing field a bit more level than it previously has been.