Throughout the history of literature, authors have given dogs the power to speak. What motivates this interspecies ventriloquism, and how does the talking dog manifest itself across cultures and through the ages? This is the focus of my current research, with particular attention to the talking-dog stories of Cervantes, E.T.A. Hoffmann, Gogol, Bulgakov and Kafka.

The Seattle People Podcast Project is a community-based, participatory podcast dedicated to the art of the conversation and the craft of interviewing. Join the project by being interviewed about a topic related to your interests and passions, and then continue the chain by interviewing at least one other person. It's that simple!

Read more about the Seattle People Podcast Project, and take part in this experiment in collaborative communication. You'll connect with the people around you in a whole new way.

Ivan Schneider moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2006 and established his own writing practice, pursuing interests in foreign languages, literature and culture.

A New Jersey native, Ivan studied information and decision systems at Carnegie Mellon University and then worked as a database developer.

After earning an MBA at Vanderbilt, he began his second career as an editor with TechWeb’s Bank Systems and Technology.

His company, Tael¥en® LLC, develops case studies, whitepapers, newsletters, and multimedia presentation materials for global technology firms serving the financial services industry.