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The Beauty of Writing and Sports

The handsome gentleman at right is Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Todd Jones. Mr. Jones writes a terrific weekly column for Sporting News called “The Closer”, a reference to a consistent pitcher who is brought in to finish a game, usually in close situations. As devoted fans of baseball, my husband and I have season tickets for the Minnesota Twins, and being in the same division, Detroit and the Twins play one another frequently. For the Tigers last visit in early May, I’d made a sign letting Mr. Jones know how much I enjoy reading “The Closer”. He responded with not just an autograph, but an autographed baseball. Naturally, I was thrilled.  

Writing comes in countless shapes, colors, sizes, and professions. What’s so unique about Todd Jones is that he writes a column that gives the ordinary baseball fan an insider’s view of what it’s like to play professional baseball. Jones turned 40 this year, so his days as a major league pitcher are probably drawing to close, but he’s written eloquently on everything from how a pitcher unknowingly tips his hand to losing the World Series. Each column also reflects Jones’ love and appreciation of the game. When he’s thrown that last pitch, I hope Jones seriously considers writing as his next career move. Having had many athletes as students during my years as a college instructor, I know from experience that far too many can’t write well. Fewer still possess Jones’ gift of melding sports and words into a fascinating narrative that teaches as much as it tells about the sport.

Sporting News itself is a writer’s dream. It’s the kind of writing that’s informative but so vivid readers are put right at a story’s center. Take this description of the Billy Goat Tavern and the perennial curse on the Chicago Cubs: “It’s not difficult to imagine one of the most powerful hexes known to sports fans emanating from this place, squatting so inconspicuously below the bright and perfumed department stores on Michigan Avenue in Chicago. It’s a dark tavern, and there’s not telling summer from winter. Even with indoor smoking outlawed, the air hangs with a haze of bygone stogies, leftover traces of since-drunk gin and swore upon stories that were probably not true.” I’ve come to enjoy the writing in Sporting News so much, my husband has to pry the newest issue from my grip. Writing as an art doesn’t come easy.  

Speaking of writing as art, I’m taking a second fiction writing class through the Gotham Writers’ Workshop. Writing good fiction is tough, critiquing even harder. The quality of the work is better this time around, with a number of classmates who have published previously, but it’s been long enough that they want to scrub off the rust and get moving again. It definitely gets the ideas flowing again.  

I recently launched a Squidoo page (or "Lens" rather) dedicated to the book. What's so cool about Squidoo is the tools it provider "lens masters" in constructing their pages. Added to the Squidoo lens include discussion questions on the various films discussed, targeted towards college classes and book groups, and a survey requesting opinions on the image of Catholic women in film. Survey and discussion questions will change over time. Please note that due to the books full title and the fact that some of the films included are rated R, the site has been rated as containing "adult content", and gives users this warning before proceeding. The Squidoo lens can be accessed at: http://www.squidoo.com/hollywoodandcatholicwomen

New additions to the Resources page include Cool Stuff 4 Writers developed by Sandy and Sean Young. The site offers a monthly newsletter, author interviews, articles, and lots of great resources. To get your creative juices flowing, every month brings the Cool Contest Challenge. Authors are given a topic, maximum word count, and deadline to complete the challenge. Winning entries are posted on the site.

After what seems to be an endless winter (even for someone who loves the snow and cold) spring might finally be in bloom. Any season is always a good time to pick up on your writing endeavors.

Kathryn Schleich

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Hollywood and Catholic Women

Part of the curriculum for the University of South Carolina's "Religious Women in Film" course

BOOK EXCERPT
Hollywood and Catholic Women provides an intriguing look into the portrayal of Catholic women in American film. Click here to read an excerpt.

HOLLYWOOD Q&A
Q: Hollywood and Catholic Women: Virgins, Whores, Mothers and Other Images has aroused interest just with its provocative title. What’s the meaning behind it?
A: The title refers to several aspects of feminist theory discussed in the book. First, there’s the idea that for Hollywood actresses in general they are often relegated to three primary roles – that of the virgin, whore, or mother. Click here for interview.

BOOK REVIEWS
"Kathryn Schleich's well-researched and highly readable analysis of how Catholic women are portrayed in film should be a requirement for any serious student of either women's issues or film or even the role of religion as it relates to society. It contains a wealth of information and insight and draws a very interesting relationship between the static patriarchy of the Catholic church and the male-dominated Hollywood production system." Click for reviews.

PORTFOLIO
You’ve got approximately 30 seconds to attract a potential client’s interest (and that’s if you’re lucky). That’s just the first step. The second is even harder - keeping that interest and moving that prospective client or customer to action. Will your printed materials and web site get the results your business is looking for, or will prospective customers move on? Click here for portfolio.