Interview With An Icon: Anne Serling, Writer/Dog Lover

I’ve by no means been with out a canine. I like once I interview somebody who begins our dialog with these phrases. Anne Serling is a canine lover of the very best order.

I first met Anne at SerlingFest in Binghamton, New York in 2018. SerlingFest is a yearly gathering organized by the Rod Serling Memorial Foundation. From shows to memorabilia, the occasion provides one thing for each Rod Serling or Twilight Zone fan, of which I’m each.

I briefly reminisced with Anne about her well-known father’s indelible imprint and affect on my profession alternative (writing) and the fantastic thing about her prose.

For these unfamiliar, Rod Serling was an Emmy award-winning tv and movie author who created and hosted the collection, The Twilight Zone. Sarcastically, we share the identical Christmas Day birthday. Rod was taken manner too quickly in 1975 at 50 years of age.

On this eve of the 60^th anniversary of The Twilight Zone, being celebrated at SerlingFest, Anne shares fond reminiscences of canine, her dad, and what’s she engaged on nowadays.

About Anne Serling

Initially from southern California, Anne now lives in upstate New York preferring a small city and the change of seasons.

Anne, a former early childhood instructor, is the creator of AS I KNEW HIM: My Dad Rod Serling which received the Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award for greatest memoir/biography in 2015.

The diversifications she wrote of two of her father’s teleplays seem within the anthology The Twilight Zone: The Unique Tales. She has had poetry revealed in The Cornell Day by day Solar and Visions; articles in Salon.com, The Huffington Publish, and literary journals (The Write Place on the Proper Time and Foundling).

Anne has appeared on a number of radio reveals which embrace George Noory– Coast to Coast and NPR’S Snap Judgment. At the moment, she is at work on a novel: AFTERSHOCKS.

Anne Serling and Rod Serling with dogs — Rod and Anne Serling with their Setter’s puppies. One among them is Michael– one they saved. His mom was Maggie. “Although we’d go on to have one other Maggie (SPCA) canine,” she says. Photograph courtesy Anne Serling.

About Canine In Her Life: Then and Now

Fidose of Actuality (FOR): Your father is beloved and an American treasure. Your ebook takes us behind the inexperienced curtain and into your lives. Inform us concerning the position of canine in your life rising up. Was your dad a canine lover?

Anne Serling (AS): My father additionally at all times had canine. As a child, he had Boston Terriers. He and my mom had a Cocker Spaniel once they obtained married, Robbie. Robbie #1 –they needed to give to somebody as a result of he used to bury his bones within the couch and every time company came to visit and sat down, he would go after them. Thus Robbie #2 entered the image. Additionally they had a Collie named Laurie and what I consider was a rescue dog- a phenomenal great Irish setter named Beau. He was the primary canine I keep in mind. After that, there have been extra Setters, a Beagle and a few canine from the SPCA.

FOR: Do you will have a favourite reminiscence involving canine and your father you may share?

AS: Our setters Michael and Maggie (mom and son) cherished to run off on the cottage. My dad referred to as them, “The pleasant vacationers.” We’d get within the automotive and go on the lookout for them and sing- normally rounds. My dad had a terrific voice. It’s such a robust reminiscence I ended my ebook with it.

FOR: What canine have shared your life as an grownup?

AS: Jenny, Heidi, Huggie, Maggie, Brandy, Annie, Kate, Kelly, Tucker.

FOR: Do you like purebred canine, blended breeds, and/or does it matter?

AS: It doesn’t matter. I’d undertake each shelter canine if I may.

FOR: In these turbulent political occasions, do you’re feeling canine play a task in serving to folks cope, deal, and discover sanity?

AS: Oh, completely. Although I fear about mine now as we’re at all times screaming on the tv and he’s extraordinarily delicate. I believe it has been scientifically confirmed that canine (and different animals) relieve stress.

FOR: What have canine taught you about life?

AS: These quotes say all of it; sum it up completely:

All his life he tried to be an excellent particular person. Many occasions, nonetheless, he failed. For in any case, he was solely human. He wasn’t a canine. – Charles M Schulz

If you need a good friend, purchase a canine. – Kevin O’Leary

Be the particular person your canine thinks you might be. – C.J. Frick

FOR: What canine shares your life at current?

AS: We have now a canine named Tucker. He’s a Border collie/Lab combine. He was initially our daughter’s canine however she was transferring and couldn’t maintain him. In all honesty, she may have finally taken him, however by then we had been helplessly in love; utterly smitten with this boy. He’s good and sheer perfection. Want I say extra?

About Writing

FOR: Previous to publishing As I Knew Him: My Dad, Rod Serling, what did you do in your profession?

AS: I used to be a preschool instructor on the Cornell Early Childhood Program.

FOR: Why did you determine to put in writing a ebook about your father?

AS: Someday after my dad died, so consumed with disappointment, I attempted to put in writing about it. Like my father, I discover writing cathartic. That ebook was referred to as; “IN HIS ABSENCE.” I couldn’t end it. I didn’t notice I used to be a great distance from navigating that entire minefield of grief. Once I lastly wrote my memoir AS I KNEW HIM- there have been three causes—once more to work by grief; to study extra about my dad professionally and to dispel as soon as and for all of the offensive assertions that some had written, characterizing my dad as a darkish and tortured particular person.

Anne and Rod Serling, photograph courtesy Anne Serling.

FOR: What made you wish to start writing professionally?

AS: I’ve at all times cherished writing. I started with poetry—which I usually confirmed my dad. If he appreciated the piece he would discuss it for weeks. If he didn’t prefer it as he would declare it, “attention-grabbing.” In reality, a whole lot of it was fairly dangerous.

FOR: What would you say is your attention-grabbing writing quirk?

AS: I rise up very early and write. On good days I’ll nonetheless be revisiting the day’s writing at 10 pm. I additionally ship what I’ve written to my cellular phone as I choose up issues I missed on my PC.

FOR: What do you love to do if you’re not writing?

AS: I run each day, like to backyard and Facetime with my grandkids who dwell fully too distant.

Enjoyable Details About Anne

We love to finish our interviews with off-the-beaten-path tidbits.

FOR: Do you will have a favourite dog-themed ebook or film?

AS: I cherished the ebook, “Marley and Me” and the film, “My Canine Skip”

FOR: The place do you want to put in writing? Do you will have a most popular area or location?

AS: My little research.

FOR: In case your canine may speak, what do you suppose his first phrases could be?

AS: I like you, too.

FOR: What do you love to do for enjoyable/in your free time?

AS: Run, learn, backyard.

FOR: Favourite tv present?

AS: What does it imply when the primary two reveals that come to thoughts are Lawrence O’Donnell and Dexter?

FOR: Do you will have youngsters/grandkids and are they canine lovers?

AS: I’m married, have a grown daughter and son, stepchildren, two grandchildren, and they’re canine lovers, too…and this: I’ve at all times had a canine.

Canine Writers Keynote Speaker

On Sunday, February 9, 2020, Anne will keynote the Canine Writers Affiliation of America (DWAA) annual event and awards banquet near New York City. Anne shall be talking concerning the position of canine in her life and on the subject of getting revealed. Larry Woodward, President of Dogwise Publishing may even keynote.

Because the President of the DWAA, I encourage anybody with an curiosity in canine to contemplate attending. ~~Tickets are restricted and can be found on a first-come, first-serve foundation~~. As of this writing, we’re SOLD OUT!!!!

The annual occasion and awards banquet takes place on the eve of Westminster Kennel Club’s annual canine present. Members and non-members attend for a night of networking, enterprise card change, schooling, celebration, photograph alternatives, and extra.

Who ought to attend? Anybody who has an curiosity in artistic endeavors that promote the curiosity of canine. This consists of, however will not be restricted to, writers, authors, journalists, publicists, bloggers, social media influencers, photographers, illustrators, and on-air personalities.

Whether or not you’re a member of not, you might be welcomed and inspired to attend the occasion. Whether or not you’re a finalist for awards or not, this occasion provides one thing for everybody, each members and non-members.

We’ll even be asserting the winners of our annual writing competitors, awarding Maxwell Medallions in addition to over $14,000 in particular awards because of beneficiant sponsors!