This recalled Mary Karr's own troubled lifelines to her parents, across her memoirs. To her mother, it was literature (poems). To her father, it was lie-laced stories for an audience. (For what it's worth, my own to my father is Michigan football and our Christian faith.)
Yes -- Karr and Tobias Wolff both influenced the way I wrote this essay. I suppose we all try to keep the channels of commonality open with family, especially when other differences push us apart.
Ah, thanks for the suggestion! It's going on my summer list :). Another excellent one is David James Duncan's The Brothers K. I loved it as a teen -- now I need to see if it holds up thirty years later.
Kansas -- I didn't know that you had Midwestern roots! I don't know any sport that stresses perfectionism while perpetually frustrating it more than baseball. Golf, perhaps, maybe basketball, too. But football was such a different experience, much more of a team effort, where I could sacrifice myself on behalf of a teammate. No one can shoot the ball for you in basketball, but they can set a pick or whip a perfect pass your way. Baseball is a much looser kind of collaboration -- for much of it, you are truly on your own.
Do you remember Renae Carlson? That was one of her favorite books and I've been meaning to read it forever!
I do remember Renae! Good taste. I think. I still need to reread it, but it really resonated when I was a teenager.
This recalled Mary Karr's own troubled lifelines to her parents, across her memoirs. To her mother, it was literature (poems). To her father, it was lie-laced stories for an audience. (For what it's worth, my own to my father is Michigan football and our Christian faith.)
Yes -- Karr and Tobias Wolff both influenced the way I wrote this essay. I suppose we all try to keep the channels of commonality open with family, especially when other differences push us apart.
Lovely essay! I bet you'd love The Fireballer by Mark Stevens. Such a beautiful baseball book!
Ah, thanks for the suggestion! It's going on my summer list :). Another excellent one is David James Duncan's The Brothers K. I loved it as a teen -- now I need to see if it holds up thirty years later.
Kansas -- I didn't know that you had Midwestern roots! I don't know any sport that stresses perfectionism while perpetually frustrating it more than baseball. Golf, perhaps, maybe basketball, too. But football was such a different experience, much more of a team effort, where I could sacrifice myself on behalf of a teammate. No one can shoot the ball for you in basketball, but they can set a pick or whip a perfect pass your way. Baseball is a much looser kind of collaboration -- for much of it, you are truly on your own.