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The Reading Life with Ron Swoboda and Derby Gisclair

This week on The Reading Life: We take you out to the ball game! Susan talks with Ron Swoboda, author of “Here’s the Catch: A Memoir of the Miracle Mets and More,” and Derby Gisclair, author of The Olympic Club of New Orleans: Epicenter of Professional Boxing, 1883-1897” and “Early Baseball in New Orleans.”

Web Extras

Swoboda_OutTake_CallingPlay_01.mp3
Ron Swoboda (re)calls his famous catch from the 1969 World Series.
Swoboda_OutTake_Reads_01.mp3
Ron Swoboda reads from his book, "Here's the Catch."
Derby_outtake_club_boxing_raw_01.mp3
Derby Gisclair talks about Louisiana politics role in boxing in the late 1900s.
Derby_outtake_baseball_01.mp3
Derby Gisclair recounts some of the stories in his book, "Early Baseball in New Orleans."

Here’s what’s on tap in the literary life this week in New Orleans:

  • Bar Redux presents Writer's Gumbo: A Celebration & Sharing of Words, hosted by James Germain, with featured writers Jonathan Penton, Briana Augustus, Joaquin Emiliano, Kathleen Conlon, Christopher Hefferman, Nicole Eiden, Russell Mercado and others, Sunday, June 9, at 8 p.m. at 801 Poland.
  • Ron Swoboda discusses and signs "Here’s the Catch: A Memoir of the Miracle Mets and More,Tuesday, June 11, at 6 p.m. at Octavia Books, Wednesday June 12, at 7 p.m. at Barnes & Noble Metairie, and again Thursday, June 13, at 6 p.m. at Garden District Books.
  • The second quarterly reading of Why There Are Words takes place Wednesday, June 12, at 6 p.m., curated and emceed by Liz Green. Featured writers include poet and essayist Nordette Adams, fiction writer Tom Andes, creative nonfiction writers Jessie Morgan Owens and Josie Scanlan, and poets Brad Richard and Rodrigo Toscano.
  • Kristen Arnett celebrates the release of her debut novel, “Mostly Dead Things, “ with Room 220, Wednesday, June 12, at 7 p.m. at the Saturn Bar, 3067 St. Claude Ave. Readings by Jami Attenberg, Ann Giavano, Kristina Kay Robinson, and Maurice Carlos Ruffin.
  • Derby Gisclair discusses “The Olympic Club of New Orleans: Epicenter of Professional Boxing, 1883-1897,” and “Early Baseball in New Orleans: A History of 19th Century Play.” Thursday, June 13, at 6 p.m. as part of the Second Thursday Series lecture sponsored by the Friends of the Cabildo at the Jazz Museum in the Old Mint.
  • The Octavia Books Book Club discusses “A Gentleman in Moscow,” by Amor Towles, Saturday, June 15, at 10:30 a.m. at Octavia Books.
  • Coming up: Bloomsday returns Sunday, June 16, at 11 a.m. at various venues around town. This annual reading of James Joyce’s Ulysses is looking for those who like to read aloud. Check out the Facebook page, Bloom’s Day New Orleans 2019 for more information. Things get underway at 11 a.m. at Crescent City Books.
  • Also on June 16: The Maple Leaf Bar celebrates the 40th anniversary of the longest running poetry reading in the South on one of the most famous patios in New Orleans. John Travis’s Portals Press issues a new anthology of work from Maple Leaf Poets. Reading and signing Sunday at 3:30 p.m. at the Maple Leaf.
The Reading Life in 2010, Susan Larson was the book editor for The New Orleans Times-Picayune from 1988-2009. She has served on the boards of the Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival and the New Orleans Public Library. She is the founder of the New Orleans chapter of the Women's National Book Association, which presents the annual Diana Pinckley Prizes for Crime Fiction.. In 2007, she received the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities lifetime achievement award for her contributions to the literary community. She is also the author of The Booklover's Guide to New Orleans. If you run into her in a local bookstore or library, she'll be happy to suggest something you should read. She thinks New Orleans is the best literary town in the world, and she reads about a book a day.