End of W Inter 2015 Sport Literate ISSN-1082-3247
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End of Winter 2015 Winter End of End of Winter 2015 Featuring sporty, yet literary, reflections in poetry and prose from End of Winter 2015 Volume 9 Issue 1 HONEST REFLECTIONS ON LIFE’S LEISURELY DIVERSIONS Gayle Brandeis William Meiners Robert Claps Alessandra Nolan Jacob Collins-Wilson Scott F. Parker Dave Essinger Mark Pearson Rachel Furey Keith Raether Penny Guisinger Thomas Reynolds Stacy E. Holden April Salzano William Huhn Frank Soos Rachel Luria Peter Stine Patrick Mainelli Holly Wendt Sport Literate Best American Kudos Two writers from our last issue caught the attention of editors in two of the Best American series. Dave Essinger was recognized in The Best American Sports Writing 2014 for his contest- winning essay, “Hallucinating in Suburbia: John Cheever, Buddha and the Unabomber on the Urban Ultramarathon.” Katie Cortese received a nod in The Best American Essays 2014 for “Winning Like a Girl.” Thanks to both for sharing your work with us. ISSN-1082-3247 U.S. $12.00 Canada: $14.00 In memory of Meghan Leigh Strole May 17, 1980 - January 1, 2015 End of Winter 2015 1 Of Discontented Winters Both baseball essays in this collection hit home Foreword William Meiners with me. Keith Raether rom Thanksgiving through nearly Easter, it’s hard to think much beyond win- writes about the 1965 World Fter here. Mid-Michigan—sweet freezing Jesus—in a midlife crisis. Even the Series—one I may have Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, a February staple reminding males everywhere only heard from the womb. of their ordinary lives, chills in the solitary confinement of the mailbox. As hot as Funny, though, in the time- those photographed women are, the glossy magazine arrives cold to the touch. At less baseball sense how least we put ours in a protective yellow envelope. Sandy Koufax’s perfor- This was supposed to be Sport Literate’s 2014 edition. But real life often mance compares to Madison trumps reflections on life’s leisurely diversions. So we’re stepping on the toes of Bumgarner’s in the most what will be our 20th anniversary issue. If you’ve been with us from the start, recent fall classic. which probably means you’re related to me, can you believe friggin’ it? I use Beyond Koufax, “frig,” of course, in place of a harsher f-word modifier. Raether is writing about his Life friggin’ flies. Twenty years for us is pure survival. Like Mickey Rooney father’s pitching advice and getting some sort of lifetime achievement award. We’ve just hung around long watchful eyes as he recalls enough without having the least bit of business sense. We also hung out the his Little League days. shingle for good sports writing and came across some pretty good examples of Peter Stine pens a poem it over the last two decades. We’ll lament more on that fast passage in the next about a similar father and issue—late in 2015. Bank on it. son battery that speaks to To follow is a bulky collection featuring the work of six poets and 12 writ- cyclical nature of baseball. ers. Counting Mark Pearson’s thoughtful short essay on judging the contest, You might tear up with that that’s a baker’s dozen. If you’re scoring at home (and I certainly hope you are) one. And Nolan channels her there are eight women authors in the mix. I’m not sure why that would surprise own father, as well as Michael Jordan’s. anyone. Maybe I shouldn’t even bring it up. Some of our best writing comes I would have never started Sport Literate if it weren’t for my dad. It’s why from a feminine perspective. In a close call, Pearson chose Ali Nolan’s essay, his picture is in each issue. Sport stories have been one of the markers of his life. “Channeling Mr. Jordan,” as his personal favorite. I know it’s given me chills in And I’ve heard every one of his a dozen times. three or four readings now. And that’s not another winter allusion; I first read it In spite of the T-shirt sales, life isn’t always good. It beats the hell out of last spring. the alternative. But some of my favorite stories, a few of which you’ll find in This is a year of milestones. I’ll turn 50 in November, ever regretful of not these pages, are about those survival instincts that allow us to reach winter. And making more money in my half century. I could have treated my body better, maybe even dream of spring. too, but I didn’t think it would hold out this long. My father—that’s him in the William Meiners is editor-in-chief of Sport Literate. Now a fulltime freelance writer, he lives “Life is Good” photo—is tentatively scheduled to reach 90 in May. One of those in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, with his wife, blended family, and dog George. In 2015, he birthdays where you don’t want to buy the cake too early. hopes to explore the narrative possibilities of Rock Steady Boxing — an Indianapolis-based For him and the rest of you, we’ve got all sorts of honest reflections here— gym that provides boxing training for people with Parkinson’s disease. For more information from runners to a rugby insider, a hiker and former hoopster, an ice skater, a trav- on him, visit www.williammeiners.com. eler, and literate fans. Poetry to boot! We continue to publish what we simply like. Potential writers would do well to read us and figure out what that might be. 2 Sport Literate End of Winter 2015 3 Support YOUR NAME HERE Volume 9, Issue 1 Thanks to everyone who has supported Sport Literate over the years. Published under the umbrella of Pint-Size Publications, an Illinois nonprofit, Sport Literate stays in print because of grants from the Illinois Arts Council, William Meiners Nicholas Reading along with subscribers and supporters like you. Please consider joining our Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor team with a tax-deductible donation. Frank Van Zant Erin Ingram Poetry Editor Graphic Designer Franchise Players ($500) Pinch Hitters ($100) Glenn Guth Lafayette Printing Bench Warmers ($66) Mouthpiece Printer Kathleen Cook, Kathleen Guth Karl Malone Illinois Arts Council Franchise Players Sport Literate™ (ISSN 1080-3247) is a literary journal published by Pint- Jay and Alison Archer, Frank and Tricia Fisher, Patrick and Size Publications, a nonprofit corporation. We feature creative nonfiction, Beth Gavaghan, John Girardi, Glenn and Kathleen Guth, poetry, photo essays, and interviews. Individual subscription rates are Doug and Courtney Howie, Karl and Barb Meyer, Bob and $20 for two issues, domestic; $30 for two issues, foreign; and $30 for two Lisa Meiners, Dave and Ann Thurston issues, libraries and institutions. We now publish one issue per year. If Pinch Hitters you’re a subscriber moving, please alert us by mail or email at www.sportliterate.org. Send subscriptions, queries, and other stuff to: Michael and Autumn Cardinale, Colleen Gavaghan, Old Bob Meiners and Dixie (see page 3), Virginia Mend Sport Literate Bench Warmers 2248 West Belmont #20 Note: If you’re also a loyal reader of the fine print in the last issue, you Chicago, IL 60618 can see we’ve cleared the decks of supporters for the start of Volume 9. www.sportliterate.org Sport Literate falls under the umbrella of Pint-Size Publications, a nonprofit Writers, we welcome poetry and all types of creative nonfiction (personal corporation. Checks, made payable to Sport Literate, can be sent to: 2248 West Belmont #20 essays, literary journalism, travel pieces, etc.) that fall within our broad Chicago, IL 60618 definition of sport. Query, too, with interview and photo essay ideas. Most of our submissions come online through Submittable. Check it out on Subscribe, donate, or peruse online at www.sportliterate.org. our website. Read this issue, and any back issues if you like (available online), and send something good our way. 4 Sport Literate End of Winter 2015 5 8 60 70 112 Table of Contents Winter 2015 Volume 9, Issue 1 Who’s on First 60 Alessandra Nolan Winning essay: Channeling Mr. Jordan 8 Patrick Mainelli Old Moves 68 Robert Claps Winning poem: Playing Defense, Long Jumper Essays 18 Gayle Brandeis IceTown Essays 26 Rachel Furey Beautiful Strength 70 Rachel Luria The Rush Gives Warmth Enough 78 Stacy E. Holden Football Elegy to My Father 82 Dave Essinger Negative Splits Poetry 30 April Salzano I Will Die on This Treadmill, From Age This Renovation, From Anger Basketball This Adrenaline 92 Frank Soos Glamour and Romance 33 Penny Guisinger A Man’s Game 100 Thomas Reynolds Bus Driver Wanderers Baseball 34 Scott F. Parker Nature: Free and Easy Wandering on the 102 Holly M. Wendt Ghostie on Third Pacic Coast Trail 110 Jacob Collins-Wilson Hung Out to Dry 50 William Huhn Travel: The Meat and the Glove 112 Keith Raether Innocence in Rerun: Lessons from Little League 124 Peter Stine Poem to My Father on His 75th Birthday, Contest After Baseball 58 Mark Pearson Referee’s Decision 6 Sport Literate End of Winter 2015 7 Old Moves I was a thing from the earth, and wherever I moved, I was home. And because I wanted this—wanted to belong, wanted to disappear, wanted for Who’s On First Patrick Mainelli once to not blindly ruin every delicate thing sewn across my path—I held onto the idea, let my sweat stink with it. But it was not the nakedness that had done this.