InterMat Reads: Dogs Don't Talk

Over the years, InterMat Reads has written about a wide range of novels aimed at young adult readers that incorporate the sport of wrestling, from light-hearted tales with heaping helpings of humor, to gritty fiction with large doses of truly serious drama.

Nancy May's new young-adult novel, "Dogs Don't Talk" -- just published by iUniverse -- is something of a hybrid ... or as she described it in an interview with InterMat, "It's a crossover book. You could give it to your mother who's not a wrestling fan and she would understand and enjoy it."

At the heart of "Dogs Don't Talk" is a high school wrestler, Benjamin McDowell, a 16-year-old who is also an honor student and an avid reader. All he wants is "a reasonably hot-looking girlfriend" (to quote the book) which he thinks will help him fit in with his wrestling teammates, and the overall student body. "Fitting in" is also an issue at home, living with an older brother who is autistic, a younger sister who has challenges of her own as she tries to find her place in the world, a demanding father who expects him to maintain his grades and win a state title to help him land a scholarship at a good college, and a mother who converses with the family dog Rosie -- the genesis for the book's title.

Nancy May brings an interesting background to her first novel. She earned a degree in journalism from the University of South Carolina. Her career took her to New York City, where she sold advertising, and worked in the publishing industry.

Despite writing a novel in which the main character is a high school wrestler, May readily admits her roots are not in wrestling country. "I'm from South Carolina. I didn't grow up with it. I've tried to make the sport approachable for people like me ... I've been going to wrestling matches since my son was in second grade, and there are still things I don't understand."

Son Daniel just won the 138-pound title at the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association wrestling tournament in Richmond last weekend, along with Wrestler of the Year honors. He will continue his education and mat career at the Merchant Marine Academy. Her husband Larry had a long wrestling career himself. With two wrestlers in the house, May made it clear during the InterMat interview that Daniel is NOT Benjamin, saying, "Benjamin is a composite, a fictional character."

May sees the sport of wrestling as a metaphor for life itself, and a universal element that all can relate to, even if they've never actually stepped onto the mat. "Wrestling is so personal. It's something we all do. We wrestle with demons, with personal issues."

Daniel May

"Dogs Don't Talk" is written in first-person, with Benjamin the wrestler telling his story, in his own words. When asked why she wrote her first novel using the "I" perspective, May said, "It came organically. It started from writing the opening sentence of the book: 'I think my mother likes the dog better than me, even though I've never pooped on her Oriental carpet, dragged her facedown on a leash because I couldn't resist sniffing the dog's butt that just went by, or even left bales of dog hair all over the house for her to vacuum up.'"

As May pointed out, using first-person voice of Benjamin "has him talk like a 16-year-old, tells the reader what he's thinking. He's there to fit in with the team, get a hot girlfriend. In other words, a typical teen-aged boy. It helps us get into the mind of a teenager and a wrestler ... It takes us into Ben's psyche. For example, how Ben wishes he could touch his autistic brother, or the other dynamics within his family ... I could not have written it any other way."

As an author, Nancy May made other choices as she wrote "Dogs Don't Talk" ... for example, making Benjamin a scholar-athlete. "I wanted to make Ben cerebral, with his reading, playing chess. Wrestling is very much like a chess match -- move, counter-move. I liked the idea of having the main character be a boy who likes to read."

Even the choice of sport was carefully considered. "Ben is introduced to wrestling by his wrestler dad to help fend off those who bully his autistic older brother. Wrestling is a good sport for a boy growing up. It gives him confidence. It reinforces independence and individual growth because it's an individual sport."

Nancy May

"I wanted to get rid of some people's misconceptions about wrestling. There's the scene where Benjamin invites his new girlfriend Emily to one of his wrestling events. She's reluctant, saying she doesn't like violence. Ben has to convince her that what he does has nothing to do with pro wrestling."

Even with Nancy May's love of wrestling, she has been careful to craft a book with appeal beyond wrestlers and their parents. "'Dogs Don't Talk' doesn't hit the reader over the head with wrestling. The main character thinks about other things, like girls, his grades, his family."

"I get feedback from girls who enjoyed the book because of the dog," May continued. "'Dogs Don't Talk' will have a lot of girls reading it. I think the dog angle gets the girls."

"I think there are also elements to appeal to older readers, too, not just the traditional YA (Young Adult) reader. For instance, when the autistic brother sings Beatles song lyrics, that's for more mature readers."

"I intended 'Dogs Don't Talk' as a crossover book, to appeal to both boys and girls, and to readers of all ages," said May. "People who don't know wrestling will enjoy it. A good read for those who are familiar with that sport ... Besides, everybody loves a dog book."

May has crafted a book that provides a positive portrayal of high school wrestling, that doesn't require the reader to be knowledgeable about the intricacies of the sport to enjoy it. Although written specifically for young adults, "Dogs Don't Talk" addresses universal issues beyond wrestling that readers of all ages can appreciate and understand.

"Dogs Don't Talk" is available for purchase at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and iUniverse.com websites.

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