Tomie was a contributor to THE CAT ON MY SHOULDER: WRITERS AND THEIR CATS, edited by Lisa Angowski Rogak, Longmeadow Press, 1993. Among the eclectic group of 44 contributors were: Alice Adams, Helen Gurley Brown, Edward Gorey, Sue Grafton, Kitty Kelley, Joyce Carol Oates, Cokie Roberts, and Charles Simic. Tomie wrote (seriously abridged), “…I’ve had about eight cats… Once people own an Abyssinian, they’re spoiled for life… They’re beautiful, very affectionate and friendly, and they don’t meow — just a little ee… I think my cats have had a lot of influence in my artwork, but not so much my writing. You live with a cat like the Abby, and you have a good moving design around you all the time. I’m always so aware of the ways my cats will arrange themselves in the perfect way, and they never sit on anything that doesn’t complement their color… I think that just having this beautiful living object around really does keep me visually aware… It sure would be a cushy life to come back as an indoor cat.” (Bob) Pray for Peace, Justice, and Equality
