Watson, the best fiction writer to come out of the Alabama creative writing program, died July 8, 2020, at the age of 64, after publishing two volumes of stories and two brilliant novels, “The Heaven of Mercury” and “Miss Jane.” I have recently learned that Brad Watson’s uncollected stories are to be published in July.
That news sent me back to Watson’s first collection, “The Last Days of the Dog-Men,” 1996. They are amazing, just as vibrant and fresh as the day they were published. All eight stories feature dogs. Each story engages, in some way or other, the infinitely complicated ways dogs and humans, in this volume mostly male humans, interact with and reflect one another.
“The Wake” is a story that suggests parallels. The protagonist, Sam, spots an old, very sick, dog in his yard and then realizes the dog has gone under his house to die. Sam decides to dig a grave and give the dog a dignified burial. At about the same time, a delivery service brings him a large wooden packing crate which contains, we learn, Marcia, the wife who left him. She has had herself shipped to Sam. Marcia wants to patch things up, but the marriage clearly cannot be saved. The marriage and the dog are goners.
Some of the males are more virtuous and praiseworthy than others. In “A Blessing” and “Kindred Spirits” there are men no good dog could be proud of. We know these are terrible men because they are cruel to dogs.
In the title story, two men, the protagonist and Harold, are living in a dilapidated house in the country outside Montgomery. Both of their marriages have recently failed. There are two dogs with them, both loveable but not equal in talents and self-discipline. In one wonderful scene, Harold puts a bit of meat on top of Otis’ nose and commands “stay”! Otis really wants the meat, trembles with desire, but obeys. Then is rewarded. Otis sleeps indoors. The other dog, Ike, is less clever, less disciplined, and sleeps on the porch. Thus is it with us all.
“Agnes of Bob” is short and touching. It begins: “Agnes Menken, missing her left eye ,and Bob the bulldog, missing his right, often sat together on the porch.…Together they could see anything coming.” The women in Watson’s stories are often old widows, living with a dog, waiting for the end. In “Bill,” Wilhemina is 87; her dog, and best friend, Bill, is an old, “trembling poodle.”
Wilhemina’s freezer is filled with meats. Perusing her cookbooks, she chooses six recipes and cooks them, just for Bill. “Bill’s leg of lamb,” “Bill’s Broiled Red Snapper with Butter and Crab,” “Bloody Boudin a la Bill.” Bill, sated, is taken to the vet, for the final time. Dogs are indeed man’s best friend We should be as caring and kind to them.
