I’m humbled and thrilled to have a review published in The Common Reader, A Journal of the Essay. The digital journal is published by Washington University in St. Louis and edited by Gerald Early. Its stated purpose is to “further the intellectual reputation of Washington University in St. Louis as an international thought leader.” Just to be clear: that has never been my stated purpose.
The subject is a review of Andrea Williams’s “Baseball’s Leading Lady: Effa Manley and the Rise and Fall of the Negro Leagues.” Effa is the ONLY woman enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and the book is written for a young adult audience. The book is necessary for this age group, which needs to see someone who looks like them in any sport’s corridors of power. Other than that: Sorry, no spoilers. You’ll have to read the review.
I wrote this piece more than 15 months ago and assumed that it had been tacitly and politely rejected. Only when a friend messaged me a congratulatory note did I learn of its publication.
Seriously, I’m humbled that it was worthy of appearing in print.
knelsonmedia.com 