Dog People
A novel by Cris Mazza

"Provocative . . . Dialogue and characterization are among the strong suits in Mazza’s emotionally charged novel, in which she demonstrates that the reciprocal capacity for devotion between dogs and humans is at least as powerful as the most self-serving and venal human motives."

- Library Journal

"The connection Cris Mazza makes between dogs and their people are startling, hilarious, comforting, and terrifying. Dog People is an ingenious novel from a storyteller who is clearly an authority in more than one animal realm."

- Valerie Sayers, author of Brain Fever

A lesbian dancer, fascist dog trainer, would-be male dancer, ineffectual interior designer, and a love starved caterer compose the tangled cast of Dog People. In this complex exploration of human behavior, Mazza turns to canine training philosophies for both solace and guidance. As their marriages crumble and careers falter, Mazza’s characters brutally learn that loving another species is so much easier than loving each other.

Cris Mazza is the author of seven novels and short-story collections, including Your Name Here:____ and Exposed. She is also coeditor of Chick-Lit and Chick-Lit 2. A chapter from Dog People, "Honorary Dyke," was one of ten recipients to receive the Illinois Arts Council Literary Award for 1996. Mazza is an associate professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago.