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Slowly reading [books]
Aug. 11th, 2021 10:42 amI only brought two physical books with me to Arizona, and towards the end of the trip got pretty worried about whether I'd even manage to finish the first one, My Olympic Life, by Anita DeFrantz. But then, towards the end of the trip, I did! It's a memoir about her experiences being on the very first women's Olympic rowing team, and subsequent involvement and leadership in the Olympic Movement at large.
I picked it up thinking it might be a good candidate for a rowing book club, but after I started to read it I wound up deciding that it might be a little too much for a book club book. DeFrantz is clear, articulate, and direct about her story and perspective, including recognizing the many occasions where substantial disagreements arose (for one, she was one of the biggest figures arguing for US participation in the boycotted 1980's Olympics in Russia). But it's a little on the heavy and dense side for a starter book for a book club, methinks.
On the other hand, it was helpful on a certain deep level for me personally to read DeFrantz's memoir as I step back into the horrible personal quagmire known as being in charge of a small rowing club. While I tear my hair out over all of the things that go wrong, I can picture DeFrantz moving through different aspects of her life, facing even larger and more complicated challenges, remaining calm and reminding herself of her fundamental principles and beliefs.
And I can think about whatever stories I accumulate over the course of my own life experience as fodder for a memoir, which is at least some miniscule comfort in the face of obnoxious, anxiety-provoking, and depressing events and circumstances.
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So now I am reading Galileo's Middle Finger, given to me as a gift. Have you read it or heard about it? So far I find its approach and arguments convincing, but it is about several interconnected, sensitive, and hot-button topics, so that's about all I'm going to say about it for the moment.
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Perhaps if rowing drama makes me miserable enough, I will look upon the writing projects I need to work on with more eagerness.
That's how that works, right?
I picked it up thinking it might be a good candidate for a rowing book club, but after I started to read it I wound up deciding that it might be a little too much for a book club book. DeFrantz is clear, articulate, and direct about her story and perspective, including recognizing the many occasions where substantial disagreements arose (for one, she was one of the biggest figures arguing for US participation in the boycotted 1980's Olympics in Russia). But it's a little on the heavy and dense side for a starter book for a book club, methinks.
On the other hand, it was helpful on a certain deep level for me personally to read DeFrantz's memoir as I step back into the horrible personal quagmire known as being in charge of a small rowing club. While I tear my hair out over all of the things that go wrong, I can picture DeFrantz moving through different aspects of her life, facing even larger and more complicated challenges, remaining calm and reminding herself of her fundamental principles and beliefs.
And I can think about whatever stories I accumulate over the course of my own life experience as fodder for a memoir, which is at least some miniscule comfort in the face of obnoxious, anxiety-provoking, and depressing events and circumstances.
-
So now I am reading Galileo's Middle Finger, given to me as a gift. Have you read it or heard about it? So far I find its approach and arguments convincing, but it is about several interconnected, sensitive, and hot-button topics, so that's about all I'm going to say about it for the moment.
-
Perhaps if rowing drama makes me miserable enough, I will look upon the writing projects I need to work on with more eagerness.
That's how that works, right?
