I certainly have enjoyed him as a sportswriter going back to his time in KC. (Man, there was a ton of writing talent in the sports pages of the Star back then. Sometimes I miss the heyday of newspapers)
As an avid reader, I plan to get to his book and some of the other suggestions. But sometimes I forget what they are by the time I get done with the things I am currently reading. While I know I can go back and try to find the articles, might I suggest a link to a list of previous winners up top at the heading, so that when I get to it I can just run through them all?
I'm sure that Thompson's book is wonderful and the topic is both important and timely ... but I won't be reading it. My professional life deals often enough with deeply troubling issues that, at times, can be heartbreaking. Then there is the constant drumbeat of external news, rarely of the uplifting variety. When I do get some downtime, I want fluff and silliness - entertainment, not education or introspection.
It is why I subscribe here, where Joe has an ability to look for the best in his (non-Yankee, non-CLE QB) subjects and to write about the Joy of Life, the Universe and Everything. I don't begrudge anyone diving deeply into the tragedy of Emmett Till, or the upcoming tragi-comedy that the person who successfully prosecuted the Birmingham Church bombing of the same era is about to lose to someone who believes that our pilots are closeted furries. But I need a little space for happiness and decompression.
This is a great book. It is hard to read but worth it because the topic is so important. It’s also one of the best lessons you will find about a society’s collective ability to suppress memories and construct alternate histories around painful and shameful events.
Beyond its profound subject matter, the other heartbreaking thing about a book like this is that the people who choose to read it are, on the whole, not the people who most need to.
I certainly have enjoyed him as a sportswriter going back to his time in KC. (Man, there was a ton of writing talent in the sports pages of the Star back then. Sometimes I miss the heyday of newspapers)
As an avid reader, I plan to get to his book and some of the other suggestions. But sometimes I forget what they are by the time I get done with the things I am currently reading. While I know I can go back and try to find the articles, might I suggest a link to a list of previous winners up top at the heading, so that when I get to it I can just run through them all?
I'm sure that Thompson's book is wonderful and the topic is both important and timely ... but I won't be reading it. My professional life deals often enough with deeply troubling issues that, at times, can be heartbreaking. Then there is the constant drumbeat of external news, rarely of the uplifting variety. When I do get some downtime, I want fluff and silliness - entertainment, not education or introspection.
It is why I subscribe here, where Joe has an ability to look for the best in his (non-Yankee, non-CLE QB) subjects and to write about the Joy of Life, the Universe and Everything. I don't begrudge anyone diving deeply into the tragedy of Emmett Till, or the upcoming tragi-comedy that the person who successfully prosecuted the Birmingham Church bombing of the same era is about to lose to someone who believes that our pilots are closeted furries. But I need a little space for happiness and decompression.
This is a great book. It is hard to read but worth it because the topic is so important. It’s also one of the best lessons you will find about a society’s collective ability to suppress memories and construct alternate histories around painful and shameful events.
A must-read by a great writer!
Beyond its profound subject matter, the other heartbreaking thing about a book like this is that the people who choose to read it are, on the whole, not the people who most need to.
Cannot recommend this book enough.