Praise for Glenn Plaskin’s
KATIE
UP AND DOWN THE HALL
“Katie is a dream come true to the various families living on her floor in a New York apartment. Her heart is so big that she adopts them all, making you wish you were one of them.”
—Mary Tyler Moore
“I picked up this book to glance through it and suddenly found myself unable to put it down. This warm, touching, tender, and loving memoir is probably the best book I’ve ever read about a dog. Glenn pulls you in to this moving story instantly. Even people who are not crazy about dogs will love this tale.”
—Barbara Taylor Bradford
“God can appear in many disguises—even as a dog—bringing people together in a spirit of love. All I can say is that I felt ‘really good’ after reading Glenn’s superb book—there can be no higher endorsement.”
—Wayne Dyer, New York Times bestselling author
“I hate to brag on Glenn Plaskin because he is a famous fan of yours truly. But, I have no choice! His book on Katie just zeros in to touch your heart. I am a dog lover myself and something of a dachshund specialist but now, I’m thinking, if I had a cocker spaniel, maybe I’d get one like Katie. Don’t miss this book!”
—Liz Smith
“Glenn’s book is a perfect reflection of the man who wrote it—engaging, open-hearted, and very warm. His story proves that the true and small pleasures in life—friendship, loyalty, and trust—are the ones that matter most.”
—Calvin Klein
“It is not surprising that Glenn Plaskin’s innate talents—his insight and human touch—are wonderfully brought to the forefront in his new book KATIE UP AND DOWN THE HALL. It’s a significant story well worth reading—Glenn has done a terrific job.”
—Donald J. Trump
“KATIE UP AND DOWN THE HALL runs up and down your heart on four little darling, padded golden feet. This story is for dog lovers, New Yorkers, for those who have a family, and those who wish to. A celebration of love—it’s for everyone.”
—Valerie Harper
“The healing energy of Katie the dog and pure love and friendship in this book will melt your heart.”
—Bernadette Peters
“Glenn has done a masterful job in telling this love story. I raced through it when I was traveling, and got teary eyed. Katie is a great neighbor and the true definition of a New Yorker—intelligent, adventurous, assertive, protective, warm, loving, kind, generous—and a joy to know.”
—Ivana Trump
“KATIE is an emotion-packed story that will keep you reading to the very end. This is no ordinary dog.”
—Michael Imperioli
“Plaskin’s engaging narration and Katie’s ability to make a community will endear this book to readers.”
—Publishers Weekly
“It’s been said that the family you come from isn’t as important as the family you’re going to have—and Plaskin’s heartwarming story brings that truth to life. Plaskin and Katie leave you with a roadmap for life.”
—Irene Pepperberg, PhD, bestselling author of Alex & Me, professor of Animal Cognition at Harvard and Brandeis Universities
“KATIE was a joy to read from start to finish. Plaskin brings to life his many adventures with this mischievous and loveable dog, and the family that she helped bring together. All dog lovers should put this one on their must-read list!”
—Billy Rafferty, author of Happy Dog: Caring for Your Dog’s Body, Mind and Spirit
ALSO BY GLENN PLASKIN:
Horowitz: A Biography of Vladimir Horowitz
Turning Point: Pivotal Moments in the Lives of America’s Celebrities
Copyright
Copyright © 2010 by Glenn Plaskin
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Center Street
Hachette Book Group
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Visit our website at www.HachetteBookGroup.com.
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Center Street is a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
The Center Street name and logo are trademarks of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
First eBook Edition: September 2010
ISBN: 978-1-59995-385-4
To Mom, Dad, and to my sister Debby—
with much love and gratitude for always being there.
CONTENTS
Praise for Glenn Plaskin’s KATIE UP AND DOWN THE HALL
Also by Glenn Plaskin
Copyright
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Welcome to Battery Park City
1. Faux-Paws
2. Test-Run Dog
3. The Runt of the Litter
4. From Bow to Wow
5. “Lion” in a Cage
6. News Hound
7. Prancing with the Stars
8. Walter the Horse: Favorites and Foibles
9. A Real Pearl
10. Everything That Goes Up…
11. Canine Cop: Three Apartments Become One
12. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
13. “Ready, Set, Go!”
14. The Accident
15. Party Girls
16. The Talking Picture Frame
17. Lady Sings the Blues
18. The Day Our World Stopped
19. The Escape
20. Ghost Town
21 Granny in the ER
22 Georgia Peach
23. Nocturne
24. “Have a Great Time: And Call Me!”
25. Love Remains
Epilogue: An Open Door
Create Your Own Tail of Love
About the Author
American Kennel Club
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
People often say that writing is a lonely, isolating profession.
And it can be, though I’ve never really experienced it that way.
I guess it’s because I’m always bouncing ideas (and multiple drafts) off of my patient circle of friends, family, and colleagues, and of course, my editor.
In this, the most personal book I’ve ever written, I was lucky to have so many wise souls on my side—and on the other end of the phone.
First, heartfelt thanks to Harry Helm, my dog-loving editor at the Hachette Book Group, whose insight, love of the subject, and incisive editing have been altogether indispensable. Without Harry encouraging me to write this at our fateful first lunch, there would be no book. Harry and his able team in both New York and Nashville—including Shanon Stowe, Pamela Clements, Jody Waldrup, Adlai Yeomans, Gina Wynn, Chris Murphy, Martha Otis, Kelly Leonard, Valerie Russo, Kallie Shimek, Jaime Slover, and Karen Torres—have done a fantastic job making this book come alive.
As always, I’m grateful to my supersonic agents, the great Jan Miller, a dear friend and fellow animal lover who encouraged me to strike out in a new direction, and the vivacious and efficient Nena Madonia, wise beyond her years. Together with the entire gang at Dupree Miller, they did a superlative job.
I am greatly indebted to my longtime friend and editorial advisor, Ed Friedel, who provided invaluable suggestions, insight, and advice on each succeeding draft of the manuscript as well as meticulous corrections. His is a rare talent.
In addition, I’m v
ery lucky to have worked with publicists Lynn Goldberg and Angela Hayes, both unforgettable in their strategic devotion and vision for Katie.
I must also turn back in time and pay tribute to my longtime magazine editor, Ellen Stoianoff, who loved Katie and supported the original idea for the “Granny Down the Hall” article. She would have been so delighted to see the entire story told.
A strong memory is never quite enough when writing a true-life story, so I’m also beholden to the many people who witnessed the events I describe and further illuminated them for me by sharing precious anecdotes, recollections, and details.
First and foremost, I was fortunate to draw from the memories of John Freed, and his son, Ryan, two starring figures here, who shared their firsthand reminiscences, providing an intimate link to the seven-year period they lived down the hall from me.
Next, I am thankful to Michael Simon, who generously reviewed the manuscript, providing keen observations on the people he’d known so well, and to Paul Huberdeau, who contributed crucial details to later chapters in the book.
Equally essential were the contributions of Michael Gordon, a once-in-a-lifetime friend and sage adviser. His impeccable memory was especially helpful in writing chapter fourteen.
In addition, I was greatly aided by the kindness of Naia Kheladze, Lee Blake, Rose Dicker, and Helene Meltzer, each of whom provided extended interviews about events outside my own firsthand experience.
Many thanks also for the perspectives provided by Scott Simon DMV (Katie’s vet), Stuart Cohen, Jeffrey Cohen, Ramon Aizarna, Barry Meltzer, Bea Aron, Norah Berner, Anita Diggle, Robert Simko, Manny Norona, Robert Defendorf, and our building’s doormen, Felipe Dominguez and Dave Scott-Duns.
I’m also grateful to my close friend Brandon Williams and to Diego Costa for producing the Katie book trailer—a project that would not have happened were it not for book marketing expert John Kremer. I am so thankful to my friend Ann McIndoo for introducing John to me.
And thanks also to web designers Chris Matthias and Dan Root for creating katiebook.com.
And a special nod to Eileen Calvanese, horticulturist for the Battery Park City Parks Conservancy, who enlightened me about the plantings and landscaping of our neighborhood.
Finally, I am touched and grateful for the close friends and colleagues who have lavished their support on me. They include a brilliant team of “coaches,” Peg Wallis, Dr. Paul Weinfeld, Eric Mugele, and Mike Mole; the incomparable Owen Laster; the intrepid Susan Grode; my “youngest” friend, Bud Klauber; the always faithful Gregory Dickow; Michael Darvin; Freda Hertz; Scott Parris; Jason VanOra; Marvin Feuerstein; Jack Plaskin; Linda Belfer; Rob Rabin, David Winner, Dan Strone, Robby Baker, Paul Donzella, Bunny Shestack, Ellen Kruse, Geraldine McBride, Norah Berner, Norman Goldstein, Harvey Helfand, Jeff Schoenheit, Susan Ungaro, Vincent Smetana, Mickey Alam Khan, Harry Moskowitz, Sy and Esther Kornblau, and Justin Weinberg, to name only a few.
And, finally, a special thank you to Anthony Robbins, a true friend of the heart who has generously contributed to my understanding of the universal need for love and connection. Tony, better than anyone, taught me about the driving force of emotion and the “power of proximity,” two principles that have everything to do with the events that unfold in this book.
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to Battery Park City
Tucked away at the southernmost tip of Manhattan is a little town built on water.
Many New Yorkers are only vaguely aware of it, while tourists often pass it by. In fact, the charm of the place is that it’s so hidden away, though impossible to leave once you’ve discovered it.
Armies of gardeners maintain the winding trails, manicured parks, and gardens splashed with flowers of every color.
Here there are playgrounds decorated with fanciful sculptures, playing fields brimming with Little Leaguers, expansive lawns for sunbathing, duck ponds with waterfalls, and restaurants perched along the water.
Then there are the plazas for outdoor concerts, the marina filled with motorboats and yachts, and the spectacular Winter Garden, a glass-enclosed pavilion featuring sixteen palm trees overlooking the Hudson.
And best of all, day or night, it’s the water lapping up against the shore that you hear, not sirens or cars, a fact appreciated by us writers.
The idea for it all began in the late 1960s with the construction of the World Trade Center. The excavation for those soaring 110-story Twin Towers produced a gargantuan amount of earth. And like chefs not wasting any of their leftover ingredients, construction crews saved tons of the dirt, rocks, and sand for a greater purpose.
It took six years to complete, but ingenious engineers devised a way to use this material as landfill, filling in the Hudson to create a brand-new town. Water was pumped out, new earth was put in, and the boundary line of the river was pushed westward—creating a ninety-two-acre oasis thereafter known as Battery Park City.
The result is a sleek virtual city—with sparkling sand-colored high-rises flanked by office towers, hotels, museums, movie theaters, public schools, and a shopping arcade, all of it set on thirty-six leafy acres of open space.
And it’s in this place—a fledgling waterfront town—that our story begins.
I moved here twenty-five years ago, seduced by the spectacular views of New York Harbor, historic Ellis Island, and New Jersey’s “gold coast,” though people questioned my migrating to a “wilderness” that was little more than a sandy beachhead.
Getting to the local subway station required what amounted to aerobic exercise. One uptown friend joked he’d need a passport, a bike, or a jogging suit to visit. True, we were inconvenient to get to and had exactly one supermarket, one drug store, one dry cleaner, one bank, and a half-finished garden and pool.
But to me the Hudson River sunsets, up-close views of the Statue of Liberty, and the never-ending parade of boats made it all worth it. After all, I’d come from a dark walk-up apartment overlooking an airshaft!
Compared to that, my new Battery Park City home seemed utterly sublime. It was filled with sunlight and perched so low to the water that I felt as if I was living on a riverboat. I had my own honey locust tree that pushed up against the living room window, enveloping the entire space and creating a tree house effect.
And being a pioneer in Battery Park City had other advantages too. Since my neighbors and I were isolated on the same little block of land, we were constantly bumping into each other, unavoidably so.
In a notoriously brusque city of eight million, where neighbors typically keep their distance, our community of 9,000 was an unusually open one—with people mingling at neighborhood block parties, outdoor picnics, pick-up basketball games, and sailboat outings—happy to be living in what amounts to an idyllic resort town.
The backbone of it all is a magnificent tree-lined Esplanade, a 1.2-mile promenade winding its way around the entire length of the Battery. All the buildings and outdoor spaces here are set along this expansive walkway like pearls on a string.
In the warm days of early fall, the grand English oaks, river birches, and weeping willows sway in the wind. As I bike through the pathways, I’m shaded by a lush umbrella of trees, an ideal backdrop for lunchtime strollers. In the evening, the purple lanterns set close to the water glow as residents and visitors dine at candlelit tables.
In winter, though, living here becomes a grueling marathon, a regimen of ice, wind, and snow. Blustery high winds seep through our windows. Snow floating down on the Statue of Liberty turns it into a snow globe. And I’m always mesmerized by the jagged ice chunks traveling downriver, their edges catching the sun as the current moves them briskly along.
Then, with the arrival of spring, the neighborhood perks up once again. Cherry blossoms and silver lindens perfume the air with their heady sweetness. Eighty species of birds flutter amid the lion’s tails, roses, azaleas, anemones, toad lilies, and lavender hydrangeas. And hopeful fishermen cast their lines into the Hudson for local specialties like blue
fish, white perch, winter flounder, and tomcod.
But best of all, the Hudson River is overflowing with sailboats, private yachts, tour boats, Jet Skis, and kayaks—plus barges, water taxis, and commuter ferries—a blur of nautical movement creating a wild dance across the water.
Most dramatic are the mammoth cruise ships that glide southward to the ocean as people stand on shore and wave. The only thing I haven’t seen on the Hudson is somebody floating by in a bathtub.
On land, the Esplanade is jam-packed with bikers, joggers, rollerbladers, skateboarders, picnickers, volleyball and soccer players, and a cavalcade of baby carriages. This is Kid Central, with toddlers and elementary school kids everywhere—their bikes, skateboards, frisbees, and kites filling the neighborhood with action.
And that’s not to mention the dogs—hundreds of them in every shape and size. Majestic Great Danes rub noses with pint-sized pugs and Shih Tzus. Golden retrievers and Labs race by the river, pulling their owners, trailing behind bikes, or staying ahead of Baby Jogger strollers. German shepherds, Labradoodles, Westies, beagles, and puggles parade along the water, sniffing under trees and reveling in the sun. At the nearby dog run, boxers, Yorkies, poodles, Boston terriers, Wheatens, and bulldogs chase balls and one other, or splash in the dunking pool.
It’s a circus and a dog show rolled up in one. And it’s perfect employment for the neighborhood’s dog walkers, exercising their troops from dawn to dusk.
But to say that the neighborhood is dog friendly would be an understatement. At Halloween, canine residents compete in the neighborhood’s annual costume contest and dog parade. Contestants have included a Batman whippet, a Wizard of Oz cowardly lion Bernese mountain dog, a Cinderella Chihuahua, a Minnie Mouse pug, and a Madonna Lhasa apso, all strutting their stuff.
They competed against creatively attired Rhodesian ridgebacks, Australian shepherds, dalmatians, Havaneses, Border collies, Scottish terriers, and, of course, an army of mutts. (One year, the champion was Santiago, a one-year-old pit bull “biker”—in a leather jacket, leather cap, white T-shirt, and blue jeans.)
Katie Up and Down the Hall: The True Story of How One Dog Turned Five Neighbors Into a Family Page 1