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April 24, 2019
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Ted Gioia

Ted Gioia is a pianist and composer and the author of several books on music, including The History of Jazz and Work Songs.

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The Big Roundup

John Lomax roamed the West, collecting classic songs from the cowboy era

by Ted Gioia | Tuesday, March 01, 2005
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THIS WEEK’S ARCHIVE PICK

2nd Look

What Is a Dog?

by Chloe Shaw

We admit that unofficial, national fill-in-the-blank days can sometimes feel contrived. (National Pizza with the Works Except Anchovies Day, anyone?) But National Hug Your Dog Day (April 10) is too good not to celebrate, especially if it means we can revisit one of our favorite essays: Chloe Shaw’s “What Is a Dog?” from our Spring 2018 issue. After losing a beloved hound named Booker—described as a “wolf meets horse meets dinosaur meets tongue”—Shaw confronts the joys and inevitable sorrows of loving a pet. “A dog is a second chance. A dog is death and life. A dog is plush red carpet and fresh warm pee.” A dog is worth celebrating, and not only on April 10.