17 pages • 34 minutes read
Taylor MaliHow Falling in Love is like Owning a Dog
Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 2002A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Further Reading & Resources
Related Poems
“Silver-Lined Heart” by Taylor Mali (2009)
This poem first appeared in Mali’s collection of poetry The Last Time As We Are (2009), and the full poem is also available on his personal website. “Silver-Lined Heart” is a gratitude list of sorts, detailing the small joys Mali deems worth celebrating in his everyday life. The poem is written with the same specificity as “How Falling in Love is like Owning a Dog,” combining whimsical imagery with a light and humorous tone to explore themes of love and optimism.
“Love Hungry For Itself” by Taylor Mali (2009)
This poem also appears in the collection The Last Time As We Are (2009). “Love Hungry For Itself” explores the development and maintenance required within a romantic relationship and uses sexual imagery to discuss the imperfections found in long-term partnership. Unlike the abstractions found within “How Falling in Love is like Owning a Dog,” the open and honest tone of “Love Hungry For Itself” explores how desire changes throughout the course of a relationship.
“Undivided Attention” by Taylor Mali (2002)
“Undivided Attention” appears in the same collection as “How Falling in Love is like Owning a Dog,” published in Mali’s first book of poetry, What Learning Leaves (2002). Through clever imagery and characteristic humorous verse, Mali wishes to mesmerize his students with his teaching as much as a crane moving a grand piano out of an eighth-floor window in New York City, and the first snow.
Further Literary Resources
“Slam Poetry: Ambivalence, Gender, and Black Authenticity in ‘Slam’” by Susan B. A. Somers-Willett (2001)
Author and scholar Susan B. A. Somers-Willett utilizes performance and critical race theories in her essay, “Slam Poetry: Ambivalence, Gender, and Black Authenticity in ‘Slam’” to discuss the history of contemporary poetry slams as it relates to identity politics. Somers-Willett provides a comprehensive outline of the American slam movement, tracing the practice to its roots in ancient oral traditions as well its more modern ties to Black grassroots art. This essay provides readers with the necessary context to understand where Mali’s work is situated within the slam movement, and how, as a white man, his identity played a role in his success in the spoken word scene.
“When Love Arrives" by Sarah Kay and Phil Kaye (2012)
Contemporary spoken word poets, Sarah Kay and Phil Kaye, wrote and performed the poem “When Love Arrives” in the style of Taylor Mali, one of their mutual poetic inspirations. “When Love Arrives” grapples with the expectations of falling in love verses the reality of what romantic partnership is actually like as a person matures. Kay and Kaye use the same figurative language that Mali employs in “How Falling in Love is Like Owning a Dog,” personifying their partners as “Love” consistently throughout the piece. The poem is a conversation, made much more dynamic in performance as each poet recites a line aloud. As Kay and Kaye mature, so too does the poem, detailing the specifics of what love looks like after a breakup or divorce, after life becomes less simple than it was in the seventh grade. “When Love Arrives” is a contemporary companion to “How Falling in Love is like Owning a Dog,” highlighting the theme of love and its idiosyncrasies, and ending on an optimistic note, alluding to Mali’s distinct style.
“Taylor Mali on Page Meets Stage" by the Editors of Poets & Writers magazine in conversation with Taylor Mali (2018)
The editors of Poets & Writers magazine, a nonprofit organization serving creative writers, sit down with Taylor Mali to discuss his project, the Page Meets Stage reading series for the Bowery Poetry Club. Mali details his inspiration for the spoken word program, his mentors, and the diverse writing community that take part in the events he hosts in New York City. This interview gives readers a more nuanced perspective of Mali as a writer and educator from his own unique voice.
Listen to Poem
Brooklyn-based poet and educator Taylor Mali performs his poem “How Falling in Love is like Owning a Dog,” at the Bowery Poetry Club in New York City (November 2010).
