Comments on: Marathon - Richard Harteis http://www.fitness4sports.com/marathon-richard-harteis.html Sun, 23 Nov 2008 10:14:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Rob http://www.fitness4sports.com/marathon-richard-harteis.html#comment-18891 Rob Fri, 04 Jan 2008 12:17:44 +0000 http://www.fitness4sports.com/marathon-richard-harteis.html#comment-18891 The best first-person marathon story ever published anywhere? Hmmmm... Now that is tricky, because there really aren't that many. My personal favorite running book is Ultramarathon Man by Dean Karnazes, but that isn't a marathon story. Clarence Demar's book Marathon is more a lifetime autobiography, and talks about many marathons. So I am not sure if that would count. Same with Don Kardong's Thirty Phonebooths To Boston and Hal Higdon's On The Run From Dogs And People. Also Joan Benoit's Running Tide. But if I were having to name a "best first-person marathon story ever published anywhere", I might name The Looniness Of The Long Distance Runner by Russell Taylor. If fiction counts, I might name The Long Road To Boston by Bruce Tuckman (actually flipping through it again, I guess this one is not really written in the first person, but I liked it anyway). I am assuming you have read all of these. But what the heck do I know. I am just your average reader and buyer of books. The best first-person marathon story ever published anywhere? Hmmmm… Now that is tricky, because there really aren’t that many. My personal favorite running book is Ultramarathon Man by Dean Karnazes, but that isn’t a marathon story. Clarence Demar’s book Marathon is more a lifetime autobiography, and talks about many marathons. So I am not sure if that would count. Same with Don Kardong’s Thirty Phonebooths To Boston and Hal Higdon’s On The Run From Dogs And People. Also Joan Benoit’s Running Tide. But if I were having to name a “best first-person marathon story ever published anywhere”, I might name The Looniness Of The Long Distance Runner by Russell Taylor. If fiction counts, I might name The Long Road To Boston by Bruce Tuckman (actually flipping through it again, I guess this one is not really written in the first person, but I liked it anyway). I am assuming you have read all of these. But what the heck do I know. I am just your average reader and buyer of books.

]]> By: Richard Harteis http://www.fitness4sports.com/marathon-richard-harteis.html#comment-18881 Richard Harteis Fri, 04 Jan 2008 02:07:34 +0000 http://www.fitness4sports.com/marathon-richard-harteis.html#comment-18881 This is how I have replied to Rob's comment which I include here only because he posted his response to me. I wonder if anyone reads this stuff except me and Rob which is why it is better to keep such commentary personal anyway? What can I say. Kurt Vonnegut has described the book as, "A delightful literary rarity: a book which accords body and soul exactly equal respectability." And Amby Burfoot, Executive Editor of Runner's World where it was excepted calls it, "The best first-person marathon story ever published anywhere.” It will become a full length film in 2008. Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Kirkus all gave it rave reviews as did Johnny Kelley, our famous southeastern runner son. I can’t remember a single graphic sex scene in my book. And as for your distaste for poetry, this tells me a lot about you. I hope you find pleasure in this art form some day. Thanks for writing, but let’s not take each other’s time this way in the future. Good luck in your training and love of sport. Richard Harteis This is how I have replied to Rob’s comment which I include here only because he posted his response to me. I wonder if anyone reads this stuff except me and Rob which is why it is better to keep such commentary personal anyway?

What can I say. Kurt Vonnegut has described the book as, “A delightful literary rarity: a book which accords body and soul exactly equal respectability.” And Amby Burfoot, Executive Editor of Runner’s World where it was excepted calls it, “The best first-person marathon story ever published anywhere.” It will become a full length film in 2008. Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Kirkus all gave it rave reviews as did Johnny Kelley, our famous southeastern runner son. I can’t remember a single graphic sex scene in my book. And as for your distaste for poetry, this tells me a lot about you. I hope you find pleasure in this art form some day. Thanks for writing, but let’s not take each other’s time this way in the future. Good luck in your training and love of sport. Richard Harteis

]]> By: Rob http://www.fitness4sports.com/marathon-richard-harteis.html#comment-18869 Rob Wed, 02 Jan 2008 21:43:15 +0000 http://www.fitness4sports.com/marathon-richard-harteis.html#comment-18869 Mr. Harteis, I am sorry to hear about your friend passing away. No, I am not homophobic. And I never said I hated the book. But with a book titled MARATHON, I would have liked to have had a larger portion be about running. Sorry, I have never had any interest in poetry. Mr. Harteis, I am sorry to hear about your friend passing away. No, I am not homophobic. And I never said I hated the book. But with a book titled MARATHON, I would have liked to have had a larger portion be about running.
Sorry, I have never had any interest in poetry.

]]> By: Richard Harteis http://www.fitness4sports.com/marathon-richard-harteis.html#comment-18863 Richard Harteis Wed, 02 Jan 2008 16:55:45 +0000 http://www.fitness4sports.com/marathon-richard-harteis.html#comment-18863 Ain't life funny? I assume Rob is homophobic. If you hated MARATHON, Rob, you're gonna really have fun with LEGACY which recounts intimate details of my gay life with my gay friend who finally died this past May. You might look at his poetry in the book that won the National Book Award, EFFORT AT SPEECH, or the previous book, PARTIAL ACCOUNTS which won the Pulitzer Prize. They might expand you horizons. Hope you are still running and clearing your head. Richard Harteis Ain’t life funny? I assume Rob is homophobic. If you hated MARATHON, Rob, you’re gonna really have fun with LEGACY which recounts intimate details of my gay life with my gay friend who finally died this past May. You might look at his poetry in the book that won the National Book Award, EFFORT AT SPEECH, or the previous book, PARTIAL ACCOUNTS which won the Pulitzer Prize. They might expand you horizons. Hope you are still running and clearing your head. Richard Harteis

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