I had the considerable pleasure to interview the great baseball writer Roger Angell in 2006. Below, I reprint a Q and A I made in 2008 from the original interview. New York Times obituary here.
How to write like an Angell
April 29, 2008 | Orange County Register, The: Blogs (Santa Ana, CA)
Author/Byline: Timothy Mangan; music critic | Section: The Arts Blog
1278 Words | Readability: Lexile: 1030, grade level(s): 6 7 8
I spoke with longtime New Yorker baseball writer Roger Angell back in 2006 upon the publication of his eloquent memoir, “Let Me Finish.” It struck me that his baseball writing was nothing but criticism in another form, and I’ve learned a lot from reading him (for instance, it’s important to be a fan of the artform you’re writing about, and allow the reader to know it). Here’s just part of the interview I had with him, put in the form of a Q and A. Writers take note: you might learn something.
TM: What’s going on with your baseball writing?
RA: Well, I’m not doing much but I’ll be doing some more. It’s hard for any writers to get close to the players now, because there’s so much media around them and they’re so media attuned that its hard to get stuff out of them that really feels fresh. But I share that problem, it’s not just because I’m old. But also I am old and they look at me and they call me sir, which is a big disadvantage.
TM: But you’re still going to games?
classical life 