George plimpton and archie moore returned to their cubicles and a mob filled the cramped space. George plimpton, the original master of none literary hub. Plimpton s similar match with archie moore, set up by sports illustrated, was that mr. Mitch albom must break curse of george plimpton vexing. He was an actor and writer, known for good will hunting 1997, nixon 1995 and l. Apr 26, 2016 there is a fine latenight row to be had over which of george plimptons sports books ranks as his most daring. George plimpton reissues books that took us inside the game.
For most of the book, however, plimpton follows muhammed ali through some of the most significant events of his career. May 11, 2016 plimpton didnt step into the ring against archie moore shadow box so george plimpton could feel what it was like to be punched by archie moore, but so he could better understand what it was. George plimpton seemed to be everywhere, doing everything, just at the right moment. Jan 26, 2010 stepping into the ring against lightheavyweight champion archie moore, george plimpton pauses to wonder what ever induced him to became a participatory journalist. Plimpton began his quest by having his nose broken by archie. George plimpton biography life, family, children, wife. Plimpton sparred for three rounds with boxing greats archie moore and sugar ray robinson while on assignment for sports illustrated. The name of george plimpton is probably familiar even to americans who have not read his books, partly because of his unusual involvements in professional sports, and partly because his life story is one that could have been invented. Instead, i went on to tell him how i had come to work for plimpton when i first moved to new york and that of all of his storied exploits, i considered his stint as the triangle player with the new york philharmonic and his threeround fight with lightheavyweight archie moore to be my favorites. Girl model for sale by barbara kenn vintage erotica novel. On the heartbreaking difficulty of getting rid of books. Confessions of a laststring quarterback, and more on. Mona abboud remembers george plimpton chicago tribune. George plimpton books list of books by author george plimpton.
In plimpton s case it could mean having your face bloodied by archie moore. He was married to sara whitehead dudley and freddy medora espy. Bloodied but unbowed, he holds his own in the bout and lives to tell, in this timeless book on boxing and its devotees, among them ali, joe frazier, ernest hemingway, and norman. The old mongoose agreed to meet george in the ring at stillmans gym in new york city. The trainer george brown thought learning to fight by reading a book was the most ridiculous thing he ever heard, so he agreed to teach plimpton. There is a fine latenight row to be had over which of george plimpton s sports books ranks as his most daring. Apr 23, 2016 george plimpton reissues books that took us inside the game seven of the the late george plimpton s sports books are being rereleased. Sep 25, 2017 george orwell went to wigan pier and then catalonia. Nprs scott simon talks with sportscaster bob costas about. Among the topics plimpton writes about is his exhibition bout with thenlight heavyweight champion archie moore. American writers have always been fascinated by the ringby the primal contest inside the ropes and the crazy carnival world outside them.
George plimpton was born on march 18, 1927 in new york city, new york, usa as george ames plimpton. His record at the time of plimpton s challenge was 171229 123 kos. Apr 26, 2016 in which george plimpton recognizes, and accepts, the possibility of dying while playing goal for the boston bruins. George brown thought learning to fight by reading a book was the most. Plimpton was alson known by the nickname the prince of cameos for the amount of work he did in films, playing small parts and screenwriting. I first read shadow box in 1977 while i was still active in the ring.
Bloodied but unbowed, he holds his own in the boutand lives to tell, in this timeless book on boxing and its devotees, among them ali, joe frazier, ernest hemingway, and norman. Today in literary history march 18, 1927 professional. George plimpton george plimpton biography and career. Climbing into the ring with former light heavyweight champion archie moore. Stepping into the ring against lightheavyweight champion archie moore, george plimpton pauses to wonder what ever induced him to become a participatory journalist.
Plimpton didnt step into the ring against archie moore shadow box so george plimpton could feel what it was like to be punched by archie moore, but. As he wrote, i suffer from a condition which the medical profession refers to as sympathetic response, which means that when i am hit or cuffed around, i weep. Apr 14, 2005 george plimpton and archie moore returned to their cubicles and a mob filled the cramped space. When that arrangement failed to materialize he moved down a weight class and sought out light heavyweight champion archie moore. The word has gone around the area that archie moore was up in stillmans, and the fight bars down the avenue had emptied. Others would agitate for open neta perilous venture into the world of pro hockeyand still more, paper lion, which culminates with plimpton. Do, write george plimpton has made a career throwing. His first foray is an exercise in participatory journalism, in which he organizes a fight between himself and archie moore, then light heavyweight champion of the world. Oct, 2016 quite visible are the effects archie moore left on the authors nose, plimpton writes in shadow box, what would have been described in the jaunty style of the midnineteenth century as follows. May 22, 2009 in 1959 george plimpton challenged the old mongoose, archie moore, to three rounds of sparring. Mitch albom should have broken the curse of george plimpton thats vexing detroit lions.
Sep 27, 2003 george ames plimpton was born on march 18, 1927, in new york, the son of francis t. In a league of his own george plimpton fought archie moore, pitched to willie mays and quarterbacked the lions. George plimpton, right, after a boxing match with archie moore at stillmans gym, new york city, 1959. Brown as part of a delightful set of the sports books by george plimpton. George plimptons gridiron nightmare excerpt in book after book, he was the everyman who donned a uniform and played against the pros, never. The book also includes plimptons writing on the history of boxing, the muhammad aligeorge foreman fight in zaire, as. George plimpton, author and editor, is dead at 76 the new. George plimpton, who died suddenly on the last thursday of september at the age of 76, led by all measures a brilliant life. Apr 26, 2016 george plimpton makes his riskiest foray into participatory journalism stepping into the ring against a champion boxer in shadow box, repackaged and including neverbeforeseen content from the plimpton archives. George plimpton, who has died aged 76, became a bestselling author by not only writing about sporting heroes but by participating in those sports as well. Published for the first time in the uk, george plimpton s masterpiece on boxing, shadow box from the author of paper lion stepping into the ring against lightheavyweight champion archie moore, george plimpton pauses to wonder what ever induced him to become a participatory journalist.
He was also famous for participatory journalism which included competing in professional sporting events, acting in a western, performing a comedy act at. That injustice is borne out in the words of former light heavyweight champion archie moore. He boxed with world champion archie moore and lived to write the story. Plimpton enjoyed a lifetime of making literature out of nonliterary pursuits. He was also famous for participatory journalism which included competing in professional sporting events. These experiences served as the basis of another football book, mad ducks and bears.
Shadow box by george plimpton goodreads share book. Sep 26, 2003 george plimpton, the new york aristocrat and literary journalist, died yesterday at his home in manhattan. George ames plimpton march 18, 1927 september 25, 2003 was an american journalist, writer, literary editor, actor, and occasional amateur sportsman. Archie dropped a hutun on georges sneezer which shook his ivories and turned the tap on. An amateur in the ring, is plimpton s 1977 book about boxing, which includes his own brief 1959 bout with then lightheavyweight champ, archie moore, in which plimpton received a bloodied nose for his efforts. From backalley gyms and smokefilled arenas to starstudded casinos and exotic locales, they have chronicled unforgettable stories about determination and dissipation, great champions and punchdrunk hasbeens, colorful entourages and outrageous. Shadow box by george plimpton overdrive rakuten overdrive. The documentary by tom bean and luke poling features the late writereditor george plimpton s. Starring george plimpton as himself shows plimpton as a kennedy confidant, talking to the first lady, left, while watching the americas cup race in 1962. Bloodied but unbowed, he holds his own in the bout and brings back this timeless book on boxing and its devotees, among them ali, joe frazier, ernest hemingway, and norman mailer. Moore was light heavyweight champ from 19521962 and a cunning ring presence.
Shadow box george plimpton 9780316326643 netgalley. His record at the time of plimptons challenge was 171229 123 kos. Shadow box by george plimpton penguin books australia. In which george plimpton packs an underinflated football to go practice with the detroit lions. Crazy about bad old movies, nostalgic for comic books.
Bush, perform with the ny philharmonic under leonard bernstein or do standup at caesars palace. His first choice of opponent was heavyweight champion floyd patterson. Plimpton was a writerraconteur and dilettante in the best sense of the word. American writer and editor george plimpton was best known by the american public for his nonfiction books and articles that were the result of what he termed participatory journalism. Plimpton s similar match with archie moore, set up by. Plenty would nominate shadow box, in which our slender hero gets his nose flattened by light heavyweight champion archie moore. For most of the book, however, plimpton follows muhammed ali through some of. Quite visible are the effects archie moore left on the authors nose, plimpton writes in shadow box, what would have been described in the jaunty style of the midnineteenth century as follows. Plimpton takes us into the ring with him hilarious chapter on his bout with middleweight knockout artist archie moore, and to the ring side and training camps with ali from preliston times to the parkinson days and his entourage. Witty, engaging and humorous storytelling disguised as reporting.
Back in the fall of 1999, in preparation for my one and only boxing match, i read george plimpton s great book, shadow box, where he recounted his foray into the world of. In which george plimpton confesses that all of his curveballs are hanging curves from the 1958 mlb allstar game. Archie moore baseball boston bruins boxing detroit lions dream jobs football george plimpton golf hockey journalism little brown new journalism participatory journalism sports. This title is one of seven in the group, and it is a wonderful read. The writer george plimpton pitched a baseball to willie mays. George plimpton, author and editor, is dead at 76 the. George plimpton, a participatory journalist and professional amateur as well as a generous and important literary editor, was born in new york city on march 18, 1927. An earlier generation of american writers had to test themselves not against bart starr and archie moore, but the spanish civil war and the moscow trials. A graduate of harvard university and kings college, cambridge, plimpton was.
George plimpton reissues books that took us inside the. He died on september 26, 2003 in manhattan, new york city. One of the things plimpton was best known for, after all, was a form of participatory journalism where he directly experienced what he wanted to write about. He wrote regularly for such magazines as sports illustrated and esquire, and he appeared numerous times in films and on television. George plimpton makes his riskiest foray into participatory journalism stepping into the ring against a champion boxer in shadow box, repackaged and including neverbeforeseen content from the plimpton archives. He was educated first at phillips exeter academy in new hampshire, and then spent four years at harvard majoring in english and editing the harvard lampoon, followed by two at kings college, cambridge. George plimpton, the new york aristocrat and literary journalist, died yesterday at his home in manhattan. One day, i fear, we will be put down as a trivial, peripheral bunch.
He is famous for his selfdeprecatory books about his immersion in elite professions pitching half of a major league baseball game, training as quarterback with the detroit. The character of the crowd had begun to change, plimpton wrote. George plimpton boston celtics the pop history dig. This is not meant to be an attack on plimpton, but on all of us, plimptons generation and mine. If plimptons fight with moore was akin to a tourist taking a. The books by george plimpton are published by yellow jersey press. George plimpton, after his boxing match with archie moore. He was an actor and writer, known for good will hunting 1997. Did you ever wonder what it would be like to play quarterback for the detroit lions, pitch for the ny yankees, go three rounds with light heavyweight champion archie moore, play horseshoes at kennebunkport with george h. George plimpton, one of the greatest sportswriters of all time, put a hex on the detroit lions in 1966. Stepping into the ring against the lightheavyweight champion archie moore, plimpton pauses to wonder why he ever became a participatory journalist. Sep 29, 2003 george plimpton, who has died aged 76, became a bestselling author by not only writing about sporting heroes but by participating in those sports as well.
An amateur in the ring, which contains an uproarious account of his bout with archie moore, appeared in 1977but plimpton eventually found. Much as i enjoyed plimpton s book, i cant help feeling guilty, like having been to a movie on a fine summers afternoon. Through the course of a long and distinguished career in letters, george plimpton has crafted an art form from participatory journalism, and paper lion is his big. George plimpton, at his best, takes on champion boxer archie moore, to his own. An amateur in the ring first published in 1977 and now reissued by little brown as part of a delightful set of the sports books by george plimpton. George ames plimpton march 18, 1927 september 25, 2003 was an american journalist. Why mad ducks and bears is plimptons best sports book. Jan 29, 2020 he recounted his session with moore in shadow box. An amateur in the ring, is plimptons 1977 book about boxing, which includes his own brief 1959 bout with then lightheavyweight champ, archie moore, in which plimpton received a bloodied nose for his efforts. He pitched to willie mays, suited up for the celtics, stepped into the ring with archie moore and even took a few snaps as quarterback for the detroit lions. When george plimpton met the best bartender in brooklyn. The book also includes plimpton s writing on the history of boxing, the muhammad ali george foreman fight in zaire, as. George ames plimpton march 18, 1927 september 25, 2003 was an american journalist, writer, literary editor, actor and occasional amateur sportsman.
Written in the mid1960s when professional football was only 40 years old and football organizations operated more loosely, paper lion is the story of george plimpton s excursion into the world of. Ezra bowen, the sports illustrated editor who acted as referee, is at left. George plimpton reissues books that took us inside the game seven of the the late george plimpton s sports books are being rereleased. So it went in late 1960 at one of george plimpton s legendary soirees at 541 e. Plimptons similar match with archie moore, set up by sports illustrated, was that mr. Stepping into the ring against lightheavyweight champion archie moore, george plimpton pauses to wonder what ever induced him to become.
Clay did this miserable victory stomparchie on his knees trying to get up, he. Plimpton s experience in the ring led to his book, shadow box. In 1959 george plimpton challenged the old mongoose, archie moore, to three rounds of sparring. George plimpton project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. In order to research his books and articles, he quarterbacked in a preseason nfl game, pitched to several allstars retiring willie mays and richie ashburn in an exhibition prior to baseballs 1959 allstar game, performed as a trapeze artist for the clyde beattycole brothers circus, and fought boxers archie moore and sugar ray robinson. Stepping into the ring against lightheavyweight champion archie moore, george plimpton pauses to wonder what ever induced him to became a participatory journalist. All told, plimpton authored more than fifteen books, including paper lion, out of my league. Shadow box is one of george plimpton s most engaging looks at professional sport through the eyes of an amateur. See all books authored by george plimpton, including edie. The christian science monitor is an international news organization that delivers thoughtful, global coverage via its website, weekly magazine, online daily edition, and email newsletters. George plimpton, who died last week at his town house, on east seventysecond street near the river, was a serious man of serious accomplishments who just happened to have more fun than a van full. Prior to paper lion, plimpton had pitched to major league baseball players and sparred with boxing great archie moore, but the success of this book, which was later adapted into a 1968 film starring alan alda as plimpton, helped launch a kind of second career for.
Koestler came out of spain with his spanish testament. Plimpton wonders, even now, why he embarked on some of his schemes, especially his three rounds in the ring with archie moore, who bloodied and possibly broke his nose. In 1959 george plimpton challenged the old mongoose, archie moore, to three. Born george ames plimpton, march 18, 1927, in new york, ny.