From Booklist
The literature of horse racing is the richest in all of sport, or at least it seems so after reading this collection of 20 short works of fiction and nonfiction. Most numerous are the short stories featuring degenerate gamblers and the myriad ways in which their betting coups can go wrong. Bill Barich's Irish punter is undone by an illegible betting slip. Jason Starr's bettor loses the score of a lifetime when a fake security guard mugs him on the way to his car. There is more to horse racing than hard-luck lowlifes, however, as demonstrated by Laura Hillenbrand in her history of the Kentucky Derby and Steven Crist in his analysis of the overwhelming popularity of Smarty Jones. Best of all is William Nack's reminiscence of the summer of 1959, when he was a lowly groom in a powerhouse stable and was torn between the track and college. He chose college and the life of a writer, but he was always drawn back to the track, as were most of the authors in this irresistible collection. It is easy to see why. Dennis Dodge
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Product Description
From provocative peeks into the lives of jockeys, trainers, owners, and breeders, to the down and dirty doings of bookies and gamblers, here is a literary tribute to a favorite national pastime. Editors Maggie Estep (Diary of an Emotional Idiot; Flamethrower) and Jason Starr (Twisted City; Lights Out) have brought together original fiction and nonfiction from some of our most beloved writers. Lee Child heads off the collection with a thrilling story about a hit man hired to knock off a horse mid-race. Laura Lippman contributes a vivid tale about a young man who makes money selling parking places at the Preakness and the intriguing woman he meets. Here is Bill Barich on the misfortunes of an Irish gambler, Joe R. Lansdale on one man’s ambition to win a mule race in east Texas, Laura Hillenbrand on the Kentucky Derby, and James Surowiecki on the wisdom of horse-racing crowds. Jonathan Ames adds his unique theory of horse love, Meghan O’Rourke shares her touching recollections of going to Saratoga as a child, and Jane Smiley tells of her experiences raising thoroughbreds. This standout collection on horse-racing featuring twenty authors, from national bestsellers to Pulitzer Prize winners, is as page-turning as it is diverse.
Also includes pieces by Ken Bruen, Steven Crist, Maggie Estep, William Nack, Scott Phillips, John Schaefer, Jerry Stahl, Jason Starr, Charlie Stella, Wallace Stroby, and Daniel Woodrell.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
Also includes pieces by Ken Bruen, Steven Crist, Maggie Estep, William Nack, Scott Phillips, John Schaefer, Jerry Stahl, Jason Starr, Charlie Stella, Wallace Stroby, and Daniel Woodrell.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
