Description
Book SynopsisRing Lardner’s influence on American letters is arguably greater than that of any other American writer in the early part of the twentieth century. Ron Rapoport has gathered the best of Lardner’s journalism from his earliest days at the
South Bend Times through his years at the
Chicago Tribune and his weekly column for the Bell Syndicate.
Trade Review"It's good to have the lost treasure of Ring Lardner the journalist back with us again. At long last."—Patrick T. Reardon,
Chicago Tribune"A godsend."—Steve Donoghue,
Open Letters Monthly"[
The Lost Journalism of Ring Lardner] should be required reading for sports journalists who want to know the roots of their profession."—Ed Sherman,
Poynter“This book is an absolute jewel. I not only want to read all of it again; I want to take it on a car date. Ron Rapoport has contributed a masterful collection to the world of sports and literature.”—Dan Jenkins
“Ring Lardner was brilliant—a great newspaper columnist and an even greater short story writer. If you know his work, you’ll love this anthology; if you don’t know his work, prepare to be entertained by one of the funniest, most original voices America has ever produced.”—Dave Barry
“It’s always great to have more Lardner, and here is a fine new trove of him.”—Roy Blount Jr.
“This book is a boon to fans and scholars of Lardner's work alike. I applaud the smart, well-informed introductions and the careful scholarship throughout. Then there is the genius of Lardner himself to savor. This is an important contribution to Lardner studies.”—Richard Layman, author, publisher, and coeditor of
Ring W. Lardner: A Bibliography Table of ContentsForeword by James Lardner
Introduction
A Note to Readers
Ring Lardner Tells His Sad, Sad Story to the World
1. Getting Started
South Bend Has Cause to Be Proud of Athletic Record the Past Year
Memoirs of a Baseball Scribe (Part 1)
Memoirs of a Baseball Scribe (Part 2)
Twenty-Six Cubs Will Be Taken on Southern Journey
The Peerless Leader Takes Charge
Record Crowd Opens Forbes Field
P.L.’s Team Leads Arabella to the Altar
Pullman Pastimes: Frank Schulte Is His Own Entertainer
Pullman Pastimes: Dawson’s Reform Credited to Two Cubs
The Rustlers Go Marching Through Georgia
2. Baseball
The First Game
Ring’s All-Stars
Peaches Graham: Nine Men in One
Ty Cobb’s Inside Baseball
Ping Bodie’s Monologue
Matty
Mordecai Brown: The Reporter’s Friend
Noisy John Kling
Casting Stones with Rollie Zeider
Casey in the Field
How to Pitch to Babe Ruth
Baseball Poems
The World Serious
1909
Exhausted Tigers Extend Series
1912
The Tears of Christy Mathewson
1915
A Plea for Help
A Rainy Day in Philadelphia
1916
Your Correspondent Sizes Up the Series
Lardner Story Starts as Verse, Turns to Prose as Fattens Purse
Inning by Inning with the Red Sox and Robins
Nothing Happened
1917
Report from Behind Enemy Lines
The Modern Voltaire
1918
18 Holes
1919
A Hot Tip from the Umpire
Kid’s Strategy Goes Amuck as Jake Doesn’t Die
A Dirty Finger on the Ball
1920
No Need to Bribe Brooklyn
Ring Splits Double-Header
1921
Lardner Hitting 1., Peaved at Weatherman
Scribes Saved from Overflow of Brains
1922
The Most Important World Series in History
The Fur Coat Is Already Bought
Mr. Lardner Corrects a Wrong Impression
It Looks Bad for the Three Little Lardner Kittens
Yanks Lose, But Lardner Kittens Spared
1923
Fans Agrog as Series Opens
Only One Team Could Lose that Game
1925
Blizzards and Politics Hit Pirate Punch
1927
Ring Hears the Game He Is Seeing
Some Final Thoughts on the Game
Oddities of Bleacher Bugs
Kill the Umpire
Why Ring Stopped Covering Baseball
Br’er Rabbit Ball
3. Ring Goes to War
A War Ballad
Why I Can’t Fight
A Free Trip to Europe
A Message to Sec. Baker
Daddy’s Alibi
Ring Hears Government Plans to Scare Mexico
Serve Your Country with a Minimum of Effort
A Good Tip to Friend Al
E’en War So Grim Refuses to Dim Humor of Him
A Ball Game in France
Setting Out for the Front
On Being Bombed
A Letter to Home
Back in Les Etats Unis
What’s the Matter with Kaiser Bill?
Wake Travel Guide (European Branch)
The Do-Without Club
Ring Can’t Smile at War’s End
4. Football
The Perils of Being a Football Writer
Michigan vs. Harvard: A Personal Odyssey
A Letter
How I’ll Get That Story
A Persunal Appeal
A Friend Indeed
Perseverance Wins
He Has It All Planned Out
A Fresh Guy
Where There’s Real Sport
Please Don’t Go and Ruin It All
Blue Monday at Michigan
Wolverines Off for East Today; Big Squad to Go
Yost’s Squad Loses Outfit; Railroad Fails to Drop Off Baggage, Handicapping Workout
Yost’s Cripples Meet Harvard in East Today
Luck Favors Harvard in Beating Michigan
5. Politics
If You Don’t Know What He Writes About You Have Nothing on Him
Ring Takes the “Pomp” Out of Pompey
Key-Noting with Lardner
The United States of Old Glory
Ring Is Through with Conventions But Fielder Jones is O.K.
Me for Mayor
A Taxing Situation
Starve with Hoover or Feast with Lardner
Ring May Run with Debs on Prison Ticket
Ring Says the Race Is Between Himself and Cobb
It Looks Like a Stampede to Lardner
Vice=Presidency
Dressing for the Inauguration Is Some Job
Simplicity Reigns in Washington
Harding Inaugural Is Simps’ Delight
Presidential Golf
Ring Organizes the Ku Klux Klan
No Navy=No Fight
War With Japan May Have to Be Fought with Postcards
Coolidge Awaits Word of Landslide
Lodge Nearly Achieves Acquaintance with Ring
Double-Header in Cleveland Finds Gaps in Bleachers
Ring Will Run Under One Condition
Women Held to Blame for Long Session
Ring Defends His Socks
Ring Wants Bryan Lured Away
Democrats Are Out to Set New World Record
Ring Knew It All Along
Ring’s New Tax Bill to Include Congressmen
Why I Will Vote Socialist
6. Boxing
An Evening Accumulating Culture
Dempsey vs. Willard
Jess’ Stomach Shouldn’t Be Worried
Ring’s Funny Stories Make the Operators Sick
Lardner Hears Peace Trio Will Officiate at Bout
After Seeing Jess in the Movies, Ring Wonders How Jack Can Win
Lardner Won on Allies and Picks Willard Now
When I Picked Jess to Win I Thought He’d Have Two Eyes to See With
Dempsey vs. Carpentier
Getting to Know Geos.
Ring Will Bear Up No Matter Who Wins
Ring Gives Dry Statistics on Preparations for Fight
Ring Uses Strategy to Buzz Frenchman
Lots of “Trebles” at Carpentier’s Ringside
Everything Goes When You Hit Dempsey’s Camp
A Surprise Party for Jack
Ring Sizes Up Critics from Europe
How to Overcome the Shock of Battle
Ring Is Glad He Wasn’t in the Ring
Dempsey vs. Firpo
They Ought to Spell It Furpo
Theys No Doubt Wild Bull Can Hit If Jack Lets Him
No More Salutes from Firpo to Sid
Lardner Sees the Wild Bull
Firpo Takes the Day Off
Ring Discovers What’s Wrong with His Feet
Ring Gives Dempsey Some Advice
Lardner in Great Shape for Wordy Battle
A Word from Bernard Shaw
It Was a FIGHT
Dempsey vs. Tunney
Monosyllables to Jack’s Jaw
Best Fight of Tunney’s Career Found Dempsey at His Worst
7. The Noble Experiment
1919
Prohibition Blues
Some Recipes with Kicks
An Ounce of Prevention
The Benefits of Prohibition
Oh, Shoot!
8. The America’s Cup and Other Sports
Ring Can’t Stand the Excitement of Yacht Racing
Yachts Sail like a Snail with Paralysis
The Closest Race We’ve Slept Though Yet
The Race Is Between a Snail and a Hearse
Too Slow to Give a Kick
Learn to Play Lip Golf
Ring Reviews His Golf Season
A Perfect Day at Saratoga
Tips on Horses
Ring Discovers Polo
How to Stork Big Game
How Winners Quit Winners
Why It’s Called a Dog’s Life
Ring’s Sensitive Nature Recoils at Hockey
With Rod and Gun
9. Family Life
Family Poems
The New Plaything
To the New One
To the Latest
Help Wanted
The Eternal Question
Exit Madge
A Mysterious Antipathy
Parting
Exalted Above His Fellows
Declaration of Independence
Welcome to Spring
The Youngest One Breaks In
Moving to the East
Why Not a Husbands’ Union?
It’s a Good Thing Birthdays Don’t Come Oftener
Got a Radio in Your Home?
Ring Loves His New Radio
Ring’s Long Island Estate Opens to Visitors
Ring’s Water Bill Is $1,643—and Nobody Drinks It
The Latest Dope from Great Neck
Ring Confused with Thunder Shower by Radio Fans
Carpenter’s Concert Mars Ring’s Speech
10. On Journalism
Journalism Poems
Monday
Come On, You Roseate Day
West Town Storm
This Afternoon
To the Man Higher Up
First Aid
Valentines
Dreaming
A Plea for Mercy
Another Plea for Mercy
Office Secrets
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Conquering a Bad Habit
Ring Wants a Day Off
Voice of the People
Mister Toastmaster and Gentlemen
On the Scarcity of Paper for Newspapers
A New System for Running Newspapers
Going Back to Work
11. People, Places, and Pieces of Ring’s Mind
Fifteen Cents Worth
Starring in the Movies with Billie Burke
Marry a Man or Caddy for Him
Keep the Reform Fires Burning
Automatic Writing
Some Cigars Would Cure Any Smoker
Have a Spelling Bee of Your Own
Try Love Letters on Your Creditors
Ring Observes the Miami Mermaids
Ring Discloses His Beauty Secrets
If You Ain’t in the Monday Opera Club, You Don’t Belong
Ring Denies He Owes Chicago $50
A Cordial Greeting from Pola
Swimming the Transit Channels
Christmas Card
From a Bottle Found in the Ocean
With Rope and Gum
12. Parodies and Reviews
Cubist Baseball
The Spoon
Rigoletto
Lilac Time
Mary MacLane and Her Passionate Male Quartette
Madam Butterfly Was Some Insect
Cinderella
Ring Tells the Story of Snow White
A Dog’s Tale
Fifteen Rounds with Shakespeare and Tunney
Your Broadway, Beau, and You Can Have It
Heavy Da-Dee-Dough Boys
Lyricists Strike Pay Dirt
We’re All Sisters Under the Hide of Me
13. Buried Treasure and Night Letters
Buried Treasure
Night Letters
Acknowledgments
Notes
Selected Bibliography
