Siesta Key Author Robert J. Kowalski draws on nature, spirituality and serendipity in his writing
By Jennifer Amato
Robert and Kristen Kowalski traveled to Portugal in September 2015. He, a history buff and storyteller, and she, a sommelier, chose to visit Bussaco Palace because of its storied history. While there, Robert Kowalski befriended a stray dog, walking the gardens and feeding him dinner every night. “It broke my heart when I had to leave him,” he said.
When he returned home to St. Paul, Minnesota, a poignant moment struck him. While visiting a dog park with his son Jake, Jake’s Great Pyrenees, Birka, kept circling the outside of the fence — an instinctual, evolutionary habit used by Pyrenees dogs to herd sheep, but one that seemed like he was searching for something he couldn’t find.
The two situations melded in Kowalski’s creative mind. He decided to write a book about a dog lost in a storm — brave, wanting to be seen and loved, and seeking its forever home. Separately in the story, a young girl named Maggie, who is teased for her curly hair, has just moved schools and feels left out, so she goes to a dog park to escape. The “dog angels” bring them together, and they both find the companion they are so desperately searching for.
The theme is simple: We all want a forever home, and we should all learn to love as dogs do — unconditionally.
Kowalski named the dog Busco after the area of Bussaco. Calling it a moment of serendipity, Kowalski later discovered that the Portuguese word “buscar” means to fetch, to search for or to look for — an apropos name for his lead canine character. He also noted that Bussaco is a fairytale castle located in an enchanted forest, where many stories are said to have been written — another fitting connection.
Since publishing “Busco: We’re All Just Mutts After All” four years ago, Kowalski has donated roughly 3,000 books to animal shelters, schools and hospitals so others can enjoy the story of inspiration and love. He has traveled to Los Angeles and New York for outreach to readers and has given Sunshine & Sand Hidden Treasures exclusive selling rights on Siesta Key to help with the rebuilding of the owners’ store and home following hurricanes Milton and Helene.
He even had “Busco” displayed for one day in 2022 on a 50-foot billboard in Times Square, above the Disney Store. An industry representative had seen the book and reached out to Kowalski. “It was quite a feeling to go from nothing … to looking up in Times Square in all of the busyness,” he said. He also has a photo with the Statue of Liberty, Cookie Monster and Spider-Man Times Square characters holding a copy of the book.
Kowalski has been writing as a hobby since eighth grade. Writing about a hypothetical 13th task of Hercules — the published Labors of Hercules only include 12 — he won a school contest. He continued to write poems and short stories.
The title character of another published book, “Jaycee: A Heroine’s Journey,” had an unexpected and unconventional birth on the side of the road in Serenity, Minnesota, on Christmas morning. Feeling like she didn’t fit in, she goes through the motions of life, questioning everything. The book follows her story of origin and her connection to something bigger than herself.
Both “Jaycee” and “Busco” are currently listed among the Top 5 BookTok recommended reads (Nos. 2 and 5, respectively).
An important part of Kowalski’s life story — and his influence on writing — is his profound connection to nature. He grew up along the banks of the Mississippi River. “I would ride my bike down to the river and play all day on the rocks by myself, for hours, and I always felt akin and attached.”
He also felt a connection to Native American spirituality early on. He befriended Bear, a Mdewakanton tribal elder, when he was 30. Bear introduced Kowalski to practices such as sweat lodges (ceremonial steam bathing) and tobacco ceremonies, where the smoke is believed to carry prayers to heaven. Kowalski was raised in a devout Catholic household by his mother, Betty, and attended 12 years of private Catholic education. He says, lovingly, it was eight years too many, leading him to explore other faiths and philosophies. He appreciates Native American traditions for their emphasis on living with the land, respecting all creatures and embracing freedom.
Bear was so important to his life that when Kowalski opened a restaurant called Sage in a sacred, historical area, Bear came to smudge the building for good fortune.
Kowalski was a commercial real estate broker in Minnesota and worked for 25 years at his family’s Law family grocery store. Yet, because of the spiritual nature of his life, he recalls a friend once saying he is “a shaman disguised as a businessperson.”
This perspective also shaped his views on death. His two brothers died in tragic accidents, but Kowalski came to live by the Lakota mantra hoka hey: “It’s a good day to die.” To him, that means doing your best every day, living life fully and feeling fulfilled.
“I’ve had an eye for life — or truth, or observation at a distance — since I can remember,” he said.
Kowalski said he has a wolf totem and a bear totem. Aside from wrestling a bear at the circus when he was 30, he also recounted encountering a wolf in the woods. While living near White Bear Lake, a wolf bred in captivity escaped, alarming neighbors. During a blizzard, while walking his Samoyed, Nikita, Kowalski said the wolf brushed against his leg, and he felt a sense of communication — as if the wolf were saying, “We’re the last of a dying breed, you and I.” The next day, animal control found and killed the wolf. “It affirmed the wolf is who I am,” he said.
Expanding on that theme, Kowalski’s newest book, “The Winter Wolf: Poetic Life of Robert J. Kowalski,” is set to be published this summer. After moving from Minnesota to Siesta Key, he discovered two boxes of writing — totaling 40 years of work. The middle child of seven, his sisters often told him he was raised by wolves.
Other future goals include adapting “Busco” into animation and finding a sponsor for 2,500 books paired with a matching plush puppy.
Since moving to Siesta Key about a year and a half ago, after years of vacationing there, Kowalski has not yet brought home another dog, but he and Kristen did rescue two cats from a kill shelter. They enjoy boating and spending time in nature. Kristen also started a home wine-tasting business, Siesta Somm. More information is available at www.siestasomm.com.
Recently turning 75, Kowalski said he continues to challenge and reinvent himself. He hopes to shed light on the world through his writing, especially during what he describes as a dark and divisive time.
“Busco” can be purchased at Sunshine & Sand Hidden Treasures (6635 Midnight Pass Road), as well as on Amazon and through Barnes & Noble.
For more information on Robert J. Kowalski, visit www.meetrkowalski.com.
