Catch: A Discovery of America - Hardcover

Hartshorn, Nick

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1878448714 ISBN 13: 9781878448712

Publisher: MacMurray & Beck, Denver/Aspen, 1996

Synopsis

American men and women from all walks of life reveal their dreams, values and concerns while engaged in a game of catch with the author

About this title

From Publishers Weekly

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.

From Booklist

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

About this edition

• Publisher: MacMurray & Beck, Denver/Aspen
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 1878448714
• ISBN 13: 9781878448712
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 254