tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3458341.post250203250746993388..comments2024-01-06T10:36:04.084-05:00Comments on A Commonplace Blog: Five Books of boxingD. G. Myershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659136455045567825noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3458341.post-40492173009540970332009-06-28T19:30:19.494-04:002009-06-28T19:30:19.494-04:00I forgot the writings of John Lardner (Ring's ...I forgot the writings of John Lardner (Ring's son) who died young in the late 1950s and is my pick for the greatest sports writer ever. <br /><br />He wrote a lot about the 'fight dodge' as he called it and wrote this immortal lead, “Stanley Ketchel was 24 years old when he was fatally shot in the back by the common-law husband of the lady who was cooking his breakfast.” <br /><br />Any of his sportswriting or war correspondance is recommended but especially, "White Hopes and Other Tigers" which is long oop but well worth tracking down.David K.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3458341.post-50085036253550743312009-06-28T19:24:58.456-04:002009-06-28T19:24:58.456-04:00Mark Kram's "Ghosts of Manila." It&#...Mark Kram's "Ghosts of Manila." It's not a novel but it is a fantastic account of the Ali/Frazier fight in Manila and it's aftermath.<br /><br />Like the recent HBO documentary "Thrilla in Manila" (but much deeper and better), it punctures some of the myths surrounding Ali and shows him for what he was. <br /><br />In addition to the book I would suggest Kram's account of the fight for Sports Illustrated ("Lawdy Lawdy He's Great) which may be the greatest sports article ever written on deadline.<br />Here is a link to the full version:<br />http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1005750/index.htmDavid K.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3458341.post-89221656665956094622009-06-24T16:45:42.404-04:002009-06-24T16:45:42.404-04:00I would offer David Remnick's book about Mr. A...I would offer David Remnick's book about Mr. Ali, King of the World. I have long been an admirer of Remnick's writing (and regret that his editing job overshadows it.)ProfessorBSnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3458341.post-80716104036507448252009-06-24T10:30:27.406-04:002009-06-24T10:30:27.406-04:00Thanks for the follow up insights on Cohn and TSAR...Thanks for the follow up insights on Cohn and TSAR. H. R. Stoneback has a terrific book (READING HEMINGWAY'S The Sun Also Rises: GLOSSARY AND COMMENTARY - published by The Kent State UP) in which he clears up many of the allusions and confusions in TSAR. Sorry . . . I know that this diverges sharply from the premise of your original post, but TSAR remains one of my favorite novels, and I never get tired of including it in literature courses (though students become so preoccupied with the marathon alcohol consumption and Brett's personality that they need frequent course-corrections so that they also focus in on Hemingway's theme of pilgrimage--among many others). Now, I'm off to read about your shlimil perspective; however, doesn't shlimil suggest good-hearted innocence and incompetence (which I think does not quite embrace Cohn's personality though I withhold further comment until I read your analysis).R/Thttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07791522136032565027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3458341.post-46062551149362188032009-06-24T01:49:46.995-04:002009-06-24T01:49:46.995-04:00Are you familiar with Pinckney Benedict's &quo...Are you familiar with Pinckney Benedict's "Dogs of God".<br /><br />I'm not making extravagant claims for the novel - I thought it spiraled out of control after the first hundred pages - but, there are some reasonably decent sections about training and backwoods cash-money boxing in it.<br /><br />Finally, and out of curiosity, where do you place the writing of F.X. Toole in your consideration of boxing fiction?Jonathannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3458341.post-14760803449910564782009-06-23T23:16:57.724-04:002009-06-23T23:16:57.724-04:00See my blog-essay on the shlimil for another view ...See my blog-essay on the <a href="http://dgmyers.blogspot.com/2009/05/literary-shlimil.html" rel="nofollow"><i>shlimil</i></a> for another view of Cohn and <i>The Sun Also Rises</i>. Don’t forget how Bill talks about the African-American boxer he sees in Paris, whom he refers to repeatedly as the n----r. <br /><br />Finally, there is the “good fight” between Charles Ledoux and Kid Francis that opens Chapter IX. Jake says that it took place on “the night of the 20th of June.” In actuality, Francis beat Ledoux on points in twelve rounds on June 9, 1925, at the Cirque de Paris. My small contribution to the correction of literary history.D. G. Myershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10659136455045567825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3458341.post-22999554185925849752009-06-23T21:24:03.147-04:002009-06-23T21:24:03.147-04:00Breaking the rules a bit since this is not a novel...Breaking the rules a bit since this is not a novel about boxing but includes a boxer as a character, I would nominate Robert Cohn and THE SUN ALSO RISES as a noteworthy tale in which boxing figures prominently on the margins of the plot. Hemingway's interest in boxing comes through clearly as does his disgust with the posturing Cohn.R/Thttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07791522136032565027noreply@blogger.com