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About Maya's First Rose
Product Description When Kosins first met Maya in a pet store, he didn't even want a dog. But 18 years later, when she died in his arms, Martin knew their relationship was and always would be the most significant of his life. This wonderfully moving chronicle of Martin's and Maya's ever-deepening bond touches a chord in anyone who has ever known grief at the loss of a treasured animal friend. Illustrations. This is the only source for new copies of the author's original printing from Open Sky Books. Review Two small garments-a plaid winter jacket and a khaki raincoat-sit neatly folded on a white pedestal in the dining room of Martin Scot Kosins' home in Huntington Woods outside of Detroit. Nearby is a framed sketch of Maya, the female boxer-shepherd that once wore the coats. In the living room, several partially chewed dog toys are lined up in front of the fireplace. And on a small buffet table, a photograph of Maya sits framed next to one of Kosins' mother. Everything is how it was when Maya died, says Kosins. I've been reluctant to change anything. Six years after the death of his beloved dog, Kosins, a pianist and composer whose work has been performed by Sir Neville Marriner conducting the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, remains devoted to her memory. And the soulful tribute he penned to Maya in the months after her death has become a surprise hit. Titled Maya's First Rose (a reference to the flower he placed on her blanket the day after she died) the book was first published when Kosins and Maya illustrator, Howard Fridson, put up $25,000 of their own savings to print 3,000 copies. They hand-delivered them to several Detroit bookstores, and within two months, it had become a local best-seller. Then in July MAYA was picked up by New York based Villard Books. "All the love I felt for Maya I tried to put into the book," says Kosins. "People suffer the loss of their pets in silence. When they read this book, they feel like someone is telling them You have a right to cry." Kosins wasn't always a dog lover. He had a dog as a youngster, but wasn't attached to her. His first love was the piano. At 14 he formed a band with friends and played weddings and bar mitzvahs in the Detroit area. He graduated from Wayne State University and married Linda Katz, a fellow student. When she suggested they get a dog, Kosins objected. "I was working in clubs, going for my masters degree; I just didn't want a dog. But his wife prevailed, and Kosins found himself plunking down $8 for a boxer-shepherd puppy. "She had one foot in a bowl of water. My reaction to her was automatic." Maya, whose name means illusion in Hindi, outlasted the Kosins' marriage. When they divorced, he insisted on keeping the dog. --PEOPLE weekly-Susan Reed, Fannie Weinstein About the Author Martin Scot Kosins began his composing career in 1971 with the encouragement of famed cellest Gregor Piatigorsky. Since then, his music has been performed by Sir Neville Marriner, Laurindo Almeida, Bud Shank and The Detroit Symphony Orchestra. He has composed for numerous chamber music groups and ballet, and is a recipient of the ASCAP Composers Award. As a record producer, Martin has headed projects by John Carradine, Loretta Swit, Keith Carradine, The Ink Spots, Al Hibbler, and Count Basie Alumni, and has also produced for CBS Records. His commercial credits include music for BMW and Gund. As a writer, Martin Scot Kosins has authored many articles for newspapers and periodicals. MAYA'S FIRST ROSE is his first published book. Since Maya's passing, Martin is reemerging as one of the foremost cafe pianists and entertainers.
