Items related to Catch
Synopsis
A couple of years ago Nick Hartshorn tossed three baseball gloves (one a lefty), two cases of ramen noodle dinners, and a tape recorder into his hatchback and set out to talk with everyone willing to play a game of Catch. Through the summer months, he travelled seven major highways and beautiful web of country roads, introducing himself to the diversity of America and searching out the values that hold us together. From Post, Texas, and Langlois, Oregon, through Almena, Kansas, and Hot Rock, Tennessee, to Brooklyn, Rochester, and Cherryfield, Maine, the conversations he had took on the rhythms of the ball and the mitt. And Nick got to know a great many good people personally -- people of every age, colour, and calling. In this book he records for us the voices of a vast nation telling us who they are, what they believe in, and why they live where they do.
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Reviews
Two years ago, freelance journalist Hartshorn drove across the country and invited men and women from all backgrounds and walks of life that he met along the way to converse with him while they engaged in a game of catch. The 29 tape-recorded conversations reproduced here are heartfelt and thought-provoking, and reveal both the common outlooks and diverse viewpoints of ordinary citizens. Within the context of a ball being tossed back and forth, a sound and motion Hartshorn vividly describes, he draws out each playing partner with questions designed to get conversation rolling: "What is it that you need to get through this world?" "What would you like to be remembered for?" Hartshorn has the knack of letting his interviewee speak casually for a while before redirecting the conversation, in a seemingly effortless manner, to reveal that person's values and concerns. Although most of the interviews are with average people, several conversations are with well-known figures, including filmmaker Spike Lee and sportscaster Bob Costas. An engaging look at the American national character. Photos.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Journalist Hartshorn tossed some baseball mitts and a couple of balls into his car and headed off across America in search of a game of catch and some conversation. From Oregon to Brooklyn, he would hang out a bit, then ask someone to play a little catch. His peculiar odyssey recalls William Least Heat Moon's Blue Highways. Kids playing catch in the 1950s usually limited their chatter to Mickey Mantle versus Willie Mays, but Hartshorn's partners discuss their hopes, their disappointments, and their personal philosophies. He plays catch with a barber from Post, Texas, who's been manning the scissors for 30 years, an investment analyst in San Francisco going through a career change at 40, and a former street hustler trying to go straight in New York. There are interviews with sportscaster Bob Costas and filmmaker Spike Lee, but this is a book about regular folk, some who achieve their dreams, some who settle for less, but all who extract what pleasure they can from the daily chore of living--like a game of catch with a stranger. A special book. Wes Lukowsky
A little over two years ago, journalist Hartshorn set out on a journey of discovery. Armed with only three baseball gloves, several balls, camping equipment, and two cases of Ramen noodles, he drove across the country and played catch with anyone who would agree when asked. The result is a fascinating American portrait. Hartshorn is a sort of de Tocqueville of the diamond as he plays catch with, and interviews, a true cross-section of Americans?grandparents, gang members, a janitor, a college professor, a sheriff, NBC sportscaster Bob Costas, and filmmaker Spike Lee. All share spontaneous views concerning their beliefs, their personal histories, and what it means to be an American at the close of the 20th century. Above all, the author strives to reveal that "people are the undying miracle of this land." Recommended for popular reading collections.?Robert J. Favini, Bentley Coll. Lib., Waltham, Mass.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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