Three great pieces of recent sports writing were from the last few issues of Sports Illustrated with features by S.L. Price and Tim Layden and a book excerpt from Seth Davis.
From Price was "The writer and the puzzle: Richard Ben Cramer couldn't crack A-Rod" and it was a a remarkable story about the late writer and his attempt to write about Alex Rodriguez. It makes sense that I'd be drawn to a story about a sports writer and his writing, but boy does Price ever write it well.
By Tim Layden was "There's A Story Behind Knowshon Moreno's Tears" on the Denver Broncos running back and in the story Layden does the trick that I love to see in writing of showing compelling detail (often with humor) and making me interested in someone that I wouldn't have otherwise thought of.
From the same SI issue with the Layden story was an excerpt from the recently released Seth Davis book Wooden: A Coach's Life. "The Wizard And The Giant" has some excellent detail on some of what made John Wooden such a great man as he adapted during his coaching career to changing times and players.
Showing posts with label Richard Ben Cramer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Richard Ben Cramer. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Friday, February 22, 2013
Best writing linked to in 2012
Rather than repeat the lateness of my post that went up on Jan 7th, 2013 titled "Best Writing Linked to in 2011", I'm noting here my favorite writing linked to in 2012 less than two months after the year over! With that preamble...
Best writing on writing linked to in 2012
"Writing" by Scott Raab for his personal blog. Written on and linked to in Jan 2012.
"Some thoughts and musings about making things for the web" by Matthew Inman for his site The Oatmeal. Written on and linked to in Nov 2012.
Best writing on adventure linked to in 2012
"The Ballad of Johnny France" by Richard Ben Cramer for Esquire and reposted to the site Alex Belth's Bronx Banter. Written on and linked to in Jan 2012.
"Why Noah Went Into the Woods" by Mark Sundeen for Outside Magazine. Written on and linked to in Apr 2012.
"The Devil on Paradise Road" by Bruce Barcott for Outside Magazine. Written on and linked to in Sept 2012.
"Snow Fall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek" by John Branch for the New York Times. Written on and linked to in Dec 2012.
Best writing on sports linked to in 2012
"Mourning Glory" by Chris Ballard for Sports Illustrated. Written on and linked to in Oct 2012.
"Stand Up, Speak Out" by Gary Smith for Sports Illustrated. Written on and linked to in Dec 2012.
Best other writing (longform) linked to in 2012
"How One Response to a Reddit Query Became a Big-Budget Flick" by Jason Fagone for Wired Magazine. Written on and linked to in Mar 2012.
"The Hazards of Growing Up Painlessly" by Justin Heckert for the New York Times Magazine. Written on and linked to in Nov 2012.
Best other writing (short) linked to in 2012
"John Hickenlooper's Long, Hot Summer" by Robert Sanchez for Esquire. Posted on and linked to (along with an excellent Elon Musk profile by Tom Junod) in Dec 2012.
"Are You John Lennon?" by Jimmy Breslin for the New York Daily News and reposted to the blog Ralrika. Written on and linked to in Dec 2012.
"Running and Hoping to Find a Child Safe" by Jim Dwyer for the New York Times. Written on and linked to in Dec 2012.
So much great writing linked to last year and there was of course a ton of excellent pieces I've overlooked, but these stood out as particularly well-written and ones that seem worthy of this (highly arbitrary) "Best Writing" designation.
Best writing on writing linked to in 2012
"Writing" by Scott Raab for his personal blog. Written on and linked to in Jan 2012.
"Some thoughts and musings about making things for the web" by Matthew Inman for his site The Oatmeal. Written on and linked to in Nov 2012.
Best writing on adventure linked to in 2012
"The Ballad of Johnny France" by Richard Ben Cramer for Esquire and reposted to the site Alex Belth's Bronx Banter. Written on and linked to in Jan 2012.
"Why Noah Went Into the Woods" by Mark Sundeen for Outside Magazine. Written on and linked to in Apr 2012.
"The Devil on Paradise Road" by Bruce Barcott for Outside Magazine. Written on and linked to in Sept 2012.
"Snow Fall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek" by John Branch for the New York Times. Written on and linked to in Dec 2012.
Best writing on sports linked to in 2012
"Mourning Glory" by Chris Ballard for Sports Illustrated. Written on and linked to in Oct 2012.
"Stand Up, Speak Out" by Gary Smith for Sports Illustrated. Written on and linked to in Dec 2012.
Best other writing (longform) linked to in 2012
"How One Response to a Reddit Query Became a Big-Budget Flick" by Jason Fagone for Wired Magazine. Written on and linked to in Mar 2012.
"The Hazards of Growing Up Painlessly" by Justin Heckert for the New York Times Magazine. Written on and linked to in Nov 2012.
Best other writing (short) linked to in 2012
"John Hickenlooper's Long, Hot Summer" by Robert Sanchez for Esquire. Posted on and linked to (along with an excellent Elon Musk profile by Tom Junod) in Dec 2012.
"Are You John Lennon?" by Jimmy Breslin for the New York Daily News and reposted to the blog Ralrika. Written on and linked to in Dec 2012.
"Running and Hoping to Find a Child Safe" by Jim Dwyer for the New York Times. Written on and linked to in Dec 2012.
So much great writing linked to last year and there was of course a ton of excellent pieces I've overlooked, but these stood out as particularly well-written and ones that seem worthy of this (highly arbitrary) "Best Writing" designation.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Richard Ben Cramer Appreciations - by Alex Belth, Ryan McGee, Joe Posnanski & Tom Junod
Last week Nonfiction writer Richard Ben Cramer passed away and there was some really remarkable writing done by people appreciating his work. Cramer's most well known books were What it Takes: The Way to the White House and Joe DiMaggio: The Hero's Life and he was also a longtime newspaper and magazine writer.
The appreciation pieces done last week most frequently referenced two Cramer works, What it Takes and "What Do You Think of Ted Williams Now?" from Esquire and included in the magazine's list of seven greatest stories published. While The Williams piece is certainly a remarkable one, I was struck even more by what I believe was the first story of his I saw, "The Ballad of Johnny France" for Esquire and which I posted on back in Jan 2012.
In terms of the appreciation pieces, there was varying levels of personal connection to Cramer, but each writer was very much impacted by his work and that definitely comes across in the pieces written.
For Esquire, Tom Junod wrote "What Do You Think of Richard Ben Cramer Now?" and most striking for me were sentences Junod quoted from the Ted Williams piece including the opening "Few men try for best ever, and Ted Williams is one of those." The second quote (which Junod noted as being on "Williams's simultaneous need for fame and distaste of celebrity") was Cramer's observation "this is a bitch of a line to draw in America's dust."
The second appreciation piece to mention here was by Joe Posnanski on his personal blog with the simply titled "Richard Ben Cramer." What I particularly liked about this piece was the quoting of passages from Cramer and Posnanski's commentary on how he felt about the writing.
Another noteworthy piece of writing on Cramer was done by Ryan McGee for ESPN. "Richard Ben Cramer: A Hero Missed" was about McGee's experience working with and becoming friends with Cramer. Just some really cool stuff contained within about the writing process and thoughts on it that Cramer passed along to McGee.
The last piece to note here was not so much an appreciation piece, but rather a great story about Cramer told by his Esquire editor, David Hirshey. "What it Takes" was reprinted on the site Alex Belth's Bronx Banter (which is the same place I found "The Ballad of Johnny France") and it's on Cramer's subterfuge employed to get the 1986 Ted Williams profile published at his 15,000 words written rather than the 13,500 allotted to it by Esquire. Perhaps it's not a story that would happen today, but it's entertaining and enlightening about Cramer and how he felt about his work.
The appreciation pieces done last week most frequently referenced two Cramer works, What it Takes and "What Do You Think of Ted Williams Now?" from Esquire and included in the magazine's list of seven greatest stories published. While The Williams piece is certainly a remarkable one, I was struck even more by what I believe was the first story of his I saw, "The Ballad of Johnny France" for Esquire and which I posted on back in Jan 2012.
In terms of the appreciation pieces, there was varying levels of personal connection to Cramer, but each writer was very much impacted by his work and that definitely comes across in the pieces written.
For Esquire, Tom Junod wrote "What Do You Think of Richard Ben Cramer Now?" and most striking for me were sentences Junod quoted from the Ted Williams piece including the opening "Few men try for best ever, and Ted Williams is one of those." The second quote (which Junod noted as being on "Williams's simultaneous need for fame and distaste of celebrity") was Cramer's observation "this is a bitch of a line to draw in America's dust."
The second appreciation piece to mention here was by Joe Posnanski on his personal blog with the simply titled "Richard Ben Cramer." What I particularly liked about this piece was the quoting of passages from Cramer and Posnanski's commentary on how he felt about the writing.
Another noteworthy piece of writing on Cramer was done by Ryan McGee for ESPN. "Richard Ben Cramer: A Hero Missed" was about McGee's experience working with and becoming friends with Cramer. Just some really cool stuff contained within about the writing process and thoughts on it that Cramer passed along to McGee.
The last piece to note here was not so much an appreciation piece, but rather a great story about Cramer told by his Esquire editor, David Hirshey. "What it Takes" was reprinted on the site Alex Belth's Bronx Banter (which is the same place I found "The Ballad of Johnny France") and it's on Cramer's subterfuge employed to get the 1986 Ted Williams profile published at his 15,000 words written rather than the 13,500 allotted to it by Esquire. Perhaps it's not a story that would happen today, but it's entertaining and enlightening about Cramer and how he felt about his work.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Writing On Lives Outside of Normal
One of the hallmarks of good writing is it conveys a story outside the life experience of the reader and there's been a number of pieces I've come across lately that fit this bill. Subjects of the various works cross a wide spectrum of the population and how they became story subjects varies from decisions made, life circumstance or simple chance.
Two of the pieces stood out in detailing people whose lives are so far outside of my own to have them almost seem from a different species. The Ballad of Johnny France is a Richard Ben Cramer story from a 1985 issue of Esquire and reprinted with author permission on the blog Alex Belth's Bronx Banter. It's the ridiculously fascinating story of Montana Sheriff Johnny France and fugitive mountain-men Don and Don Nichols. After kidnapping (apparently in a twisted bid for female companionship) biathlete Kari Swenson, the elder of the father-son duo wound up shooting and killing a would-be rescuer and then they disappeared into the wilderness. Cramer's is a long and multi-faceted feature which not only portrays people living far outside the norm, but which utilizes language in the story as a way to drive home the difference.
Other piece in this different life than mine category was much shorter and remarkable not as much for the writing, but for the choice made by the subject of the story. Gang tattoo leads to a murder conviction is by Robert Faturechi for the L.A. Times and introduces gangmember Paco Rivera, who tattooed on his chest details of the unsolved murder he committed.
Lest this post descend into a quagmire of the twisted and bizarre, two other stories I've seen lately cover people who faced (or continue to face) great hardship and show how to carry through it. Strength From Weakness is an ESPN E:60 feature on former MLB player Ben Petrick and his battles with young-onset Parkinson's. Written by Steve Wulf, the piece reveals how someone cheated of his potential athletic greatness seems to have created a form of greatness with the life circumstances he now has.
Additional piece of feel-good inspirational value is Cary Williams overcame abuse and anguish on way to NFL by Kevin Van Valkenburg. Written for the Baltimore Sun, the profile on Williams details his hardscrabble early childhood, abuse suffered at the hands of his single dad and then being taken in and lovingly raised by extended family. Out of this, Williams then followed a fairly rocky path to his current position as a starting cornerback for the Ravens.
Two of the pieces stood out in detailing people whose lives are so far outside of my own to have them almost seem from a different species. The Ballad of Johnny France is a Richard Ben Cramer story from a 1985 issue of Esquire and reprinted with author permission on the blog Alex Belth's Bronx Banter. It's the ridiculously fascinating story of Montana Sheriff Johnny France and fugitive mountain-men Don and Don Nichols. After kidnapping (apparently in a twisted bid for female companionship) biathlete Kari Swenson, the elder of the father-son duo wound up shooting and killing a would-be rescuer and then they disappeared into the wilderness. Cramer's is a long and multi-faceted feature which not only portrays people living far outside the norm, but which utilizes language in the story as a way to drive home the difference.
Other piece in this different life than mine category was much shorter and remarkable not as much for the writing, but for the choice made by the subject of the story. Gang tattoo leads to a murder conviction is by Robert Faturechi for the L.A. Times and introduces gangmember Paco Rivera, who tattooed on his chest details of the unsolved murder he committed.
Lest this post descend into a quagmire of the twisted and bizarre, two other stories I've seen lately cover people who faced (or continue to face) great hardship and show how to carry through it. Strength From Weakness is an ESPN E:60 feature on former MLB player Ben Petrick and his battles with young-onset Parkinson's. Written by Steve Wulf, the piece reveals how someone cheated of his potential athletic greatness seems to have created a form of greatness with the life circumstances he now has.
Additional piece of feel-good inspirational value is Cary Williams overcame abuse and anguish on way to NFL by Kevin Van Valkenburg. Written for the Baltimore Sun, the profile on Williams details his hardscrabble early childhood, abuse suffered at the hands of his single dad and then being taken in and lovingly raised by extended family. Out of this, Williams then followed a fairly rocky path to his current position as a starting cornerback for the Ravens.
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