Today's media-saturated, Attention Deficit Disorder plagued, news bit driven culture has several chilling effects; not the least of which is the downfall of the poetic rhythm of yesteryear's sports writing. Where displays of cadence and intellect once stood as the mark all great writing, today humor, brevity, and the pluralization of audience advances writing in a climate of news commerce rather than civil society reporting.
I came across this great Bobby Jones Article yesterday, written in 1924 by Grantland Rice.
My favorite passage:
"Perfect weather featured the week, blue skies, sunshine and a great course in perfect condition. Just how so many stars broke so badly is merely another mystery added to the many mysteries of this baffling game. There is a new régime on the way and many of them have arrived. And in the same among some of the star veterans we have come to the twilight of the gods."
We can only aspire to produce a passage with such grace, such mystery, and such humanity.
Be inspired,
-Michael
1 comment:
They are not easy to find but articles and books on golf by Herbert Warren Wind are exceptional.
"The Story of American Golf" (1948, updated in 1956 to include Hogan's comeback after the car/bus accident) is a must read.
"The Complete Golfer" (1954) is a compilation of essays/articles by a variety of writers. They include: Bernard Darwin, Bobby Jones, Grantland Rice, Walter Hagen and Bobby Locke on putting.
Ideal books to page through - then pause to read a chapter - on a cold Midwestern evening.
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