101 Books, Number 7

Favorite Books Throughout My Life

7: Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend, 2011, by Susan Orlean (1955–)

This dog I met in boyhood days—

That TV show that ran some years.*

I watched that show—the guns would blaze—

But Rinty soon assuaged all fears.

The show began when I was nine—

I watched it every week I could.

The plots, I learned, were asinine.

To me—back then?—far more than good!

I later wrote a book review**

Of this superb old Rinty tale.

And met the writer (what a queue!)***

And read her other works—cocktail!

It’s always nice to meet the one

Who’s written words that you admire.

Yes, that is just the sort of fun

To please old Daniel Osborn Dyer!

*The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, 1954–59
** Oct.2, 2011--Cleveland Plain Dealer

***At the Cleveland Museum of Art, where she showed and talked about an old film about the dog. November 13, 2011 (and, yes, she signed!)