Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu ~ John Updike

Subject: Non-fiction/sports/baseball
Publisher: Library of America
64 pages
ISBN: 9781598530711
Source: Blue Elephant Book Shop

Both the sports nut and the avid literature fan in me hesitate to write this post. I suppose, every now and then, I should open myself up to a little bit of friendly confession, though. The confession is as follows.

On December 31st, my son and I went to visit The Blue Elephant Bookshop. Fabulous little place where I usually find a good philosophy book or new novel. On the last day of 2010, however, while paying for a Biscuit book for Kai, I spotted something on the display shelf at the front counter that I had never seen before.

It was a teensy, tiny little volume by John Updike on Ted Williams. Updike has long been one of my favorite modern writers and, let’s just say, I once ran the New York Marathon, head to toe in Red Sox gear. I also have this:

…”this” being our nearly seven year old whippet mix, Teddy. Oh, yes, that sure is Teddy for Ted Williams.

I had no idea what to expect having read absolutely none of Updike’s nonfiction. I did not, however, expect it to be terrible. For once, I managed to assume correctly, and loved it wholeheartedly. I won’t go into the nitty gritty details of why “The Kid” is so great because I gather that my target readership isn’t all that interested in a complete rehashing of John’s statistics.

I will say that this is a terrifically beautiful ode to one of my hometown heroes like nothing I’ve ever read. Of course, it’s put together by one of my home country‘s most celebrated and prolific writers so I shouldn’t be too stunned by the eloquence or detail in the tiny book. If you are from New England, enjoy sports or like Updike, you’ll be pleased on any of the above accounts.