Lovers of cats and poetry, prepare to be amazed and entertained! A Carnival of Cats features sixty-three poems and twelve watercolor paintings that explore the author’s love for and admiration of cats—their beauty, grace, and inscrutable character—and his bemused surmises as to what motivates their puzzling, distinctive, often delightful behaviors. This engaging book tells stories of cats the author has known and cherished—pets, strays, those who are a little of both, and some met only for one special moment. Characterizing unique and memorable individuals from both human and cat perspectives, the poet conceives of cats as enigmas, orphans, gods, spies, cheating mistresses, predators, muses and, best of all, companions and comforters. In A Carnival of Cats , the humanity of cats and the animality of humans blur together in both rhyming and free-verse poems. Exploring what cats mean to us and what we might mean to them, the poems can be humorous or serious, and sometimes heartrending. If you are drawn to cats, some of these poems will make you laugh and others will haunt you. Even if you are a dedicated dog person, you're bound to love A Carnival of Cats . About the Author Dan Liberthson, PhD (English), is a well-published poet with six books to his credit and poems in journals and anthologies. His latest poetry book, A Carnival of Cats , evolved out of his love of cats and celebrates those he has lived with and known. Previous books include A Family Album , poems about the challenges growing up in a perfectionistic Jewish family with a mentally ill sister; The Pitch is on the Way—Poems About Baseball and Life , in which he captures his love of the game in poems about position players, batters, auxiliary figures like umpires and groundskeepers, and fans; Animal Songs , poetry about pets and other animals he has known or crossed paths with; and A Poetry of Birds , in which professional photos of birds are accompanied by his poems about each species. Dan has won prizes in the William Stafford Memorial, Maine Poets Society, and Poetry Society of Texas poetry contests, and honorable mentions in many other competitions. His poem “Child’s Play” was read by Garrison Keillor on his weekly radio broadcast The Writer’s Almanac . Dan has served as secretary of the Oregon Poetry Association and as a judge for the National Federation of State Poetry Societies’ annual contests. He is also the author of a spy novel, The Bluejay Contrivance , and a middle grade fantasy novel, The Golden Spider . Now retired from careers as a college English teacher and medical writer, Dan lives with his wife, two cats, and a dog in San Francisco, California and Cottage Grove, Oregon. Book Review 1: "TS Eliot wrote of practical cats, but Dan Liberthson’s cats are quixotic individuals he describes variously as enigmas, gods, spies, cheating mistresses, freedom fighters, muses and much else. In both rhyming and free-verse poems, Dan tells stories of cats he has known and loved. Humanity and felinity overlap as he explores what cats mean to us and what we might mean to them. Along the way are lots of fun and many serious moments. If you love cats, some of these poems will haunt you, but you don’t need to be a cat fan to love this book." —Dave Mehler, editor of Triggerfish Critical Review, author of "Bad Is Bent Good" Book Review 2: "A Carnival of Cats is witty, profound, and as beautiful as a cat’s eyes. I enjoyed it immensely!" —Nancy Etchemendy, award-winning novelist, poet, and author of the "Odd Company" Substack