Boxing In Literature

Martin Sosa Cameron · Post by **Martin Sosa Cameron** » 21 Sep 2006, 15:18

The great French poet and writer Jean Cocteau, was in Paris protector of Panamá Al Brown; thanks to his attentions, Al Brown takes revenge from Baltasar Sangchilli and KO'ed Valentin Angelmann

Eric the Viking · Post by **Eric the Viking** » 21 Sep 2006, 15:38

Hemingway, "Fifty Grand."

Martin Sosa Cameron · Post by **Martin Sosa Cameron** » 21 Sep 2006, 15:48

Eric the Viking wrote:Hemingway, "Fifty Grand."

Eric, Thanks!

Seamus · Post by **Seamus** » 21 Sep 2006, 20:38

Maurice Walsh's The Quiet Man has a boxing theme, though it's less pronounced than in the outstanding John Ford movie of the same name. Walsh who was a big boxing fan actually named his main character Shawn Kelvin, not Sean Thornton and he's quite different than the fellow depicted by John Wayne.

In 1986 Shane McGowan of the Pogues wrote a song called "The Body Of An American" that was partially based on the Ford movie. In the song however the Irishman who immigrates to America as a boy and becomes a top boxer is called Big Jim Dwyer. Dwyer vows to return to Ireland all his life, and in a delightfully morbid Irish twist of humor, Dwyer finally returns in a coffin.

Here's a photo of Walsh with the gloves on http://www.waterfordcountyimages.org/ex ... T7abfFgbFQ

Martin Sosa Cameron · Post by **Martin Sosa Cameron** » 07 Oct 2006, 11:36

In 1915, Eduardo Mallea (born in 1903) sent to the daily La nueva provincia of Bahía Blanca, BA, Argentina, a little work over Georges Carpentier signed with the pseudonymous "Lord Algy". I finded this fact any hours ago, looking Victoria Ocampo, Diálogo con Mallea, Editorial Sur, Buenos Aires, CF, Argentina, 1969, page 27

Martin Sosa Cameron · Post by **Martin Sosa Cameron** » 07 Oct 2006, 11:50

Terence,

it's very good all you say!

Martin Sosa Cameron · Post by **Martin Sosa Cameron** » 07 Oct 2006, 11:53

There is also a poetic account of a famous bare-knuckle prize fight. I will track it down and throw it up.

Who is the author? Thanks!

:)

Martin Sosa Cameron · Post by **Martin Sosa Cameron** » 09 Oct 2006, 07:32

Terence wrote:
Martin Sosa Cameron wrote:There is also a poetic account of a famous bare-knuckle prize fight. I will track it down and throw it up.

Who is the author? Thanks!

:)
I will track it down when I am back in work. I listed it as a part of something so need to find the listing.

Here is a sample of Pindar, if you like it I can transcribe the full thing once I get access to my E-books on Monday, can you hang on until then?

Basically Greek Olympic boxers who died brought great honour to their family, they reached a similar level as the gods, or the Titans at the least, there are many Pythian odes, I can reprint a few as well as a famous passage from The Republic where boxing is mentioned in a very favourable light (paraphrasing Socrates says "...a (good) philosopher should be a like a (good) boxer, proficient in defence and attack."

I will track some stuff down, I also had some stuff from very old journal articles but I was unfortunate to lose a lot of research

Here is a fragment, if you like it I can produce more (this is a fairly poor translation I think):

For Olympian victors,

such acclaim,

is laid in store,

without limit,

and I am eager to tend it with my song.

For a man flourishes

in wise understanding,

as in all things,

through a god's favor,

Know now,

son of Archestratos (father of) Hagesidamos,

because of your boxing victory,

(you honour your family)

Terence, this is excellent!

Martin Sosa Cameron · Post by **Martin Sosa Cameron** » 21 Oct 2006, 05:34

Augusto Monterroso, an outstanding narrator, in his story Las ilusiones perdidas (The lost hopes), wrote: (...) "Entre estos compañeros de bebida y proyectos se encontraban: Dan Kreisberg, originario de Karlsruhe, Alemania, admirador fanático de Max Schmeling y a esas alturas un hombre ya viejo, pues tenía veintinueve años y veintinueve años son muchos para un boxeador profesional que ha perdido once peleas, seis de ellas por knock out, y ganado tres, y hace sus rounds de sombra en la cantina en vez del gimnasio" (... "Between this drink and projects companions were: Dan Kreisberg, arising Karlsruhe, Germany, fan of Max Schmeling and at that time an old man, since he was 29 years old and 29 years old are so much for a pro fighter who had lost 11 battles, 6 of this by K.O., and win 3, and doing his shadow rounds in the saloon instead of the gym". This great man was another illustrious boxing admirer

Seamus · Post by **Seamus** » 07 Dec 2006, 18:29

You were right Expug. Nelson Algren's City On The Make has passing references to several boxers. They are, King Levinsky, Billy Petrolle, Battling Nelson, Barney Ross, Willie Joyce, Tony Zale, Tuffy Griffiths, Milt Aron, Billy Marquart and Davey Day.

harrygreb · Post by **harrygreb** » 10 Sep 2007, 07:41

brilliant thread

granberry · Post by **granberry** » 10 Sep 2007, 15:05

Thanks for that, Seamus.

Did you know that in a preface (written in 1938) to the entire Trilogy,

Farrell said one purpose in writing the while thing was to show the effect that the first stage of the prohibition era had on those who lived through it.

"All generations drink more or less in the period of young manhood .
But all generations do not drink the kind of bootleg liquor which Studs Lonigan and his companions drank. The health of Studs and many of his friends is impaired and permanently ruined in this story. That very loss of health has, it can be seen now, a social character."

granberry · Post by **granberry** » 10 Sep 2007, 15:07

Jack London:

A PIECE OF STEAK

(short story)

granberry · Post by **granberry** » 10 Sep 2007, 15:10

Best of all is

THE SETUP

by Joseph Moncure March

Seamus · Post by **Seamus** » 10 Sep 2007, 15:49

Thanks Granberry. I didn't know about the 1938 preface, but you can just count the characters in the book who die at a young age from alcoholism beginning with Paulie Haggerty (Paulie Harrington). Near the beginning of Judgement Day their are several listed.

What amazes me about Farrell is that he seemed to spare no one, not even himself. Almost everything and everyone he wrote about is largely based on fact. He wrote about his, and Studs Lonigan's (Studs Cunningham) sexual thoughts about there own sisters, about his uncle patronizing prostitutes, his aunt's affair with an older married businessman, the child they had, her alcoholism and thoughts of commiting suicide. And in No Star Is Lost (the Danny O'Neill series) he takes around 20 pages to give a vivid description of the death of his youngest brother from diptheria.

I can't confirm whether it's true or not, but a professor of literature at Northwestern told me that after Studs Lonigan came out, the rather unflattering accounts of Studs led members of the Cunningham family to once attempt an assault on Farrell at Comiskey Park.

granberry · Post by **granberry** » 10 Sep 2007, 16:29

Seamus,

The 1938 preface by Farrell is eight pages long.

With your interest in this, you should really make a point to get a copy of it.

I do not have a scanner or I would send it to you.

My copy of the trilogy containing that is put out by

THE MODERN LIBRARY Random House 1938

theone · Post by **theone** » 10 Sep 2007, 16:58

Best of all is

THE SETUP

by Joseph Moncure March

Great pick Granberry! It was also made into a pretty good movie starring Robert Ryan. In fact, I remember as a kid, maybe five years old, it being one of the first "grown up" movies I ever watched in its entirety.

granberry · Post by **granberry** » 10 Sep 2007, 17:12

theone wrote:
Best of all is

THE SETUP

by Joseph Moncure March
Great pick Granberry! It was also made into a pretty good movie starring Robert Ryan. In fact, I remember as a kid, maybe five years old, it being one of the first "grown up" movies I ever watched in its entirety.

The movie is good on its own, but has little to do with the original.

The Setup is a poem--of all things--written in a short, terse. brutal style.

It is about a black fighter, Pansy, who just got out of prison and is given a fight on the condition he loses.

The author, Joseph Moncure March, knew a surprising amount about boxing (from a fighter's point of view).

I can only remember one of the brutal rhymes from the poem.

It is where they are waiting in the broken down arena dressing room to be called out to fight.

The toilet is on the fritz.

If you don't like it,

go to the Ritz.

bollox · Post by **bollox** » 10 Sep 2007, 17:28

Charles Bukowski (writer of poetry, prose, short stories, novels drunk, street fighter) referred a lot to fights and fighters in his writing. On his gravestone there's a depiction of a fighter's torso in classic fighting stance

But the inscription reads "don't try"

granberry · Post by **granberry** » 10 Sep 2007, 17:39

bollox wrote:Charles Bukowski (writer of poetry, prose, short stories, novels drunk, street fighter) referred a lot to fights and fighters in his writing. On his gravestone there's a depiction of a fighter's torso in classic fighting stance But the inscription reads "don't try"

bollox,

That inscription is great.

Reminds me of some signs I saw:

TRESPASSERS WILL BE SHOT.
SURVIVORS WILL BE SHOT AGAIN

ANYONE FOUND HERE AT NIGHT

WILL BE FOUND HERE IN THE MORNING

theone · Post by **theone** » 10 Sep 2007, 17:41

The movie is good on its own, but has little to do with the original.

I just read on IMDB that there is a remake in the works starring Benjiman Bratt, James Galdolfini and Hallie Berry. Since the poem's character was black; the original movie's character was white, I guess the producers are splitting the difference by making him Hispanic now.

theone · Post by **theone** » 10 Sep 2007, 17:43

TRESPASSERS WILL BE SHOT.
SURVIVORS WILL BE SHOT AGAIN

ANYONE FOUND HERE AT NIGHT

WILL BE FOUND HERE IN THE MORNING

Those are awesome. I like the old one, "fornicate the dog, beware of owner."

granberry · Post by **granberry** » 10 Sep 2007, 17:47

theone wrote:
The movie is good on its own, but has little to do with the original.
I just read on IMDB that there is a remake in the works starring Benjiman Bratt, James Galdolfini and Hallie Berry. Since the poem's character was black; the original movie's character was white, I guess the producers are splitting the difference by making him Hispanic now.

There is no female in the original.

Hollywood movies on boxing are pathetic.

One good one I saw (there was little actual boxing in it)
was HOMEBOY with Mickey Rourke.

granberry · Post by **granberry** » 10 Sep 2007, 17:51

another

IS THERE LIFE AFTER DEATH?

Trespass Here and Find Out.

theone · Post by **theone** » 10 Sep 2007, 18:04

There is no female in the original.

Hollywood movies on boxing are pathetic.

One good one I saw (there was little actual boxing in it)
was HOMEBOY with Mickey Rourke.

Did you ever see "The Harder they fall' and "Requiem for a heavyweight"? I thought they were both fantastic. The latter had many great cameo appearances, like Dempsey, Pep and your "favorite" Cassius Clay!

Boxing In Literature

Re: Boxing In Literature