On 28/1/05 6:09 PM, "Andrew Burke" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Well, my earlier pseudo-bohemian distaste for sport contributed to dulling
> my mind - I now believe a fit writer is more likely to succeeed
> (aesthetically, I mean) than a couch potato.
Proust must be the ultimate couch potato, so it doesn't work always. Though
it's really true about walking, I reckon: that great comment of Mandelstam,
when he asks how many pairs of sandals Dante wore out walking the hills of
Florence, when he was writing the Divine Comedy -
But yes, absolutely: all those clichés about endurance, courage &c really
can apply, past the hype, and be inspiring. I am the ultimate dilettante
sports spectator, but in my own shallow way can be quite dedicated. I watch
Le Tour every year, always amazed what people are capable of and, let's face
it, there's a poetry in it -
And actually, that's one of the things that bothers me about LL. For all
his virtues, he doesn't seem to have a notion of the game that goes beyond
merely winning. Of course they all want to win, but the athletes I end up
admiring most want something else as well.
Best
A
Alison Croggon
Blog: http://theatrenotes.blogspot.com
Editor, Masthead: http://masthead.net.au
Home page: http://alisoncroggon.com
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