I don't read the newspaper, I don't watch the news on television nor do I listen to the radio for concern that I will encounter some depressing situation. Saturday mornings, however, I break my rule so that I can enjoy the heart-felt, down-home humor of "Only a Game" on National Public Radio. If you're a sports fan (especially baseball) you owe it to yourself to give it a listen at 7am EST some Saturday morning. I am not a sports fan, but my Saturday isn't complete without "Only a Game."
W.C. Heinz, a celebrated sports writer, died in March of 2008. This past Saturday, host Bill Littlefield had a very nostalgic conversation with Jeff MacGreggor (who profiled Heinz for Sports Illustrated) about the work and life of the writer who truly left his mark on sports, and on writing.
During an intimate interview with Heinz, MacGreggor ask him a simple question that would typically warrant an intricate response. "Mr. Heinz, just how do you do it? What is it that makes your writings convey such vivid mental pictures...words that make a page live? And why are you so different from most other writers of today and many of the past?" The question was answered simply:
"You know, Jeff, I'm always thinking about what I want to convey to readers. And I feel like I've been delivered a gift...the gift to precisely put on paper the vision I have in my mind. Or maybe it's not a gift...it's probably because I just think about it throughout each day. And I think that other writers of today are conforming to what they think other people want to read; therefore, once their words lie on paper, their vision turns to ashes."
A powerful statement...and a concept worth a little reflection, don't you think?
Share your thoughts...
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