They eat lunch together around a communal table in the center of the room, and have become friends. “It’s that very simple model,” Salati said, whispering to avoid disturbing his studio mates. In an earlier version, Salati said, Hot Dog ran away, but Watkins questioned the plot twist. “What kind of dog does that?” Salati remembered him saying. That conversation helped Salati make the book more about the relationship between Hot Dog and his person, a lady with a floppy hat and big glasses, rather than just about the dachshund himself.

---

Persons: “, ” Salati, Watkins, Salati Locations: New York City