“He understood what they were thinking and saying: Old man that he is, what’s to become of him?”
These are the opening lines of To Dance with the White Dog, a novel by Terry Kay that, against all odds, became a literary phenomenon. Kay himself was initially hesitant to write the story, and it faced rejection from over 20 major publishers. Yet, upon its release in 1990, the book resonated deeply with readers worldwide, eventually being translated into more than 20 languages and achieving a level of recognition that surpassed even its author’s name. Twenty-five years later, the simple tale of an old man and a mysterious white dog continues to captivate, prompting reflection on the enduring power of myth, the search for dignity in aging, and the unexpected sources of comfort in life’s later years.
Evocative illustration by Harriet Lee-Merrion for 'To Dance with the White Dog', capturing the novel's themes of aging and companionship.The Unlikely Success of “To Dance with the White Dog”
The enduring appeal of To Dance with the White Dog is a subject of much contemplation, both for author Terry Kay and those close to him. The story’s premise is deceptively simple: after the death of his beloved wife Cora, elderly Sam Peek finds solace and companionship in a stray white dog that appears as if from nowhere. This seemingly mystical arrival leads to questions about whether the dog embodies the spirit of Cora, returned to comfort her grieving husband. While the narrative unfolds with gentle grace, its impact on readers has been profound and far-reaching.
Kay himself has pondered the reasons for the book’s extraordinary connection with readers. He suggests that in the Southern context, where myth holds a powerful place, the story taps into something deeply resonant. Perhaps, he muses, myth in the South functions almost as a form of religion, offering comfort and meaning in the face of life’s mysteries. The white dog, emerging from the woods like an apparition, becomes a symbol of this mythic quality, inviting readers to consider possibilities beyond the purely rational.
Exploring the Themes: Dignity in Aging and Universal Search
Beyond its mythic undertones, the novel’s success may also stem from its exploration of universal themes, particularly the search for dignity in aging. As readers, and indeed as Terry Kay and his contemporaries have themselves grown older, the narrative takes on new layers of meaning. Sam Peek’s struggles with the limitations of aging – the inability to maintain his farm, to tend his land as he once did – resonate deeply with anyone who has faced the realities of growing older.
The frustration and despair Sam experiences are not merely personal; they reflect a profound question that many grapple with: when does youth transition into old age? To Dance with the White Dog confronts this question with sensitivity and honesty, portraying Sam’s yearning for his lost capabilities and his quiet struggle to redefine his sense of self in the face of physical decline. This poignant portrayal of aging, coupled with the unexpected comfort offered by the white dog, strikes a chord with readers navigating their own experiences with time and change.
The Real-Life Inspiration: T.H. Kay and the White Dog
The genesis of To Dance with the White Dog lies in Terry Kay’s own family history. Sam Peek, the protagonist, is inspired by Kay’s father, T.H. Kay. Years before the novel, Terry penned a eulogy for his father in Atlanta Weekly, a magazine then edited by Lee Walburn. This piece, celebrating “T.H. Kay, Proprietor,” captured the essence of his father’s life and character. During the celebratory lunch after their collaboration, Terry casually mentioned a peculiar detail: a stray white dog that had mysteriously appeared during his father’s final days.
He recounted a true story of a skittish white dog that seemed to offer comfort to his grieving father, who was convinced the animal was the embodiment of his departed wife. The dog would place its paws on T.H. Kay’s walker, and they would, in a gentle, symbolic way, “dance.” This poignant image, initially almost an aside, became the seed for a subsequent magazine article, aptly titled “The Strange Dance of the White Dog,” published three years later after persistent encouragement from Walburn.
Overcoming Reluctance and Creative Fog
Despite the compelling nature of the story, Terry Kay initially resisted expanding it into a novel. His reluctance stemmed, in part, from the shadow of his friend, Pat Conroy, a literary success known for his emotionally charged family narratives. Kay worried that a book based on his own father might invite comparisons and place him within a genre he felt uneasy about.
Furthermore, Kay was grappling with a period of creative stagnation. While he had published three novels prior to To Dance with the White Dog (The Year the Lights Came On, After Eli, and Dark Thirty), his primary income came from freelance work and a demanding public relations role at Oglethorpe Power Corporation. This corporate job drained his creative energy, leaving him feeling lost in a “creative fog.” Desperate to escape this fog and rediscover his writing passion, Kay made a courageous decision: he resigned from his job.
With three years of savings, he retreated to a modest motel room on Buford Highway, determined to write. Despite his reservations about the story’s potential reception, particularly the fear that a Southern story lacking “epic family dysfunction” might be dismissed, he pressed forward. With no other clear path, he began writing the story of his father and the white dog, completing the first draft in an intense two-month period, without revisions.
From Rejection to Bestseller: The Publication Journey
The initial response from New York publishers confirmed Kay’s anxieties. He received a series of polite rejection letters, praising the story but expressing doubts about its commercial viability. However, his agent, Harvey Klinger, decided to approach Peachtree Publishers, a smaller, Atlanta-based publishing house led by Margaret Quinlin.
Quinlin recognized the story’s potential immediately. She offered Kay a contract with unusual speed, sending it by taxi with the hope of an immediate signature. Despite initial hesitation, Kay ultimately decided that Peachtree offered the best chance for his book to reach readers. This decision proved pivotal.
The novel’s release was met with an unexpectedly enthusiastic response. At the first book signing at Oxford Books, Kay was astonished by the turnout. The bookstore manager remarked on the exceptionally long line, and the first person in line purchased ten copies, declaring them her entire Christmas gift budget. Word-of-mouth spread rapidly, and To Dance with the White Dog began its journey towards becoming a bestseller.
Global Phenomenon: Japan and Beyond
The success of To Dance with the White Dog transcended geographical boundaries, reaching a global audience. A key turning point occurred in Japan. Kazuo Kinoshita, a bookstore manager in Narashino City, was deeply moved by the Japanese translation. His personal recommendation led to an initial surge in sales, which then caught the attention of Yuri Iwasaki, a sales representative for the Japanese publishing company Shinchosha.
Iwasaki championed the book, persuading the company to launch a larger advertising campaign. The results were remarkable. Within a year, bookstore orders in Japan soared to over 1.5 million copies. To Dance with the White Dog became a cultural phenomenon in Japan, inspiring a children’s book adaptation and a movie that played in 125 theaters. Kay believes that the book’s resonance in Japan is linked to the Japanese culture’s deep respect for the elderly, a theme central to the novel.
The Aftermath of Success and Creative Block
The overwhelming success of To Dance with the White Dog brought both immense rewards and new challenges for Terry Kay. The pressure to replicate this success led to a severe creative block and a period of deep depression. He struggled to write, feeling the weight of expectation. His friend, Pat Conroy, recognizing his distress, offered support and encouragement.
Conroy’s suggestion of a new theme, based on Kay’s summer job as a busboy in the Catskills, eventually helped Kay break through his creative paralysis. This idea evolved into Shadow Song, a novel that earned Kay a significant book contract and further solidified his career. While Shadow Song and subsequent books were successful, Kay acknowledges that To Dance with the White Dog was the book that “gave me a name and a marketable craft.” Furthermore, a Hallmark Hall of Fame television movie adaptation starring Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronyn in 1993 reignited book sales, further cementing its place in popular culture.
Legacy of “To Dance with the White Dog”
Terry Kay continued to write prolifically, publishing a total of 16 novels to date, including The Book of Marie and Song of the Vagabond Bird. He has been inducted into the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame, a testament to his significant contribution to literature. While he considers The Book of Marie to be potentially a “better” novel, it is To Dance with the White Dog that remains his most beloved and enduring work.
This simple story of an old man and a mystical dog continues to be passed from reader to reader, loved one to loved one. It is the book that secured Terry Kay’s literary legacy, a testament to the power of a story born from personal experience, nurtured through persistence, and resonating with universal human emotions. To Dance with the White Dog stands as a reminder that sometimes, the most profound stories are found in the quiet corners of life, where myth and reality intertwine, and where unexpected grace can appear in the form of a stray white dog.
