A Love Story in Words and Pictures

And that's how page one ends, with a nice little push to keep reading.

Some small details in that copy illustrate how the words you use to tell a story can close the distance between subject and reader. More than just a dog, Rhubarb is written about like family. He "defied all medical predictions." Medical, not veterinary. He was "a hospice case." Rhubarb "decided" not to die, and he "wanted" very emotional things — to cuddle with caregivers, see his friends, and be independent and not a burden. This wasn't about more doggie-like wants such as to chase squirrels, bark at the mailman, dig holes in the yard or roll around in stinky, disgusting stuff.