Finally, I see myself represented in a Nobel-winner (Pamuk at Right)
Orhan Pamuk was raised in Istanbul and continues to revel in the city to this day. It is for him what New York is for Woody Allen or Dublin is for James Joyce This makes sense as his family has long standing ties to the city and the mixture of aunts, uncles, cousins and neighbors influenced his life from early childhood and deeply inform his choices as a writer. Also…it probably made it easier for him to be a goof as the picture of young Orhan suggests.
Though he spent some time in the United States and elsewhere, Istanbul has long remained his base of operations and his muse. As Turkey modernized, struggled with modernization, questioned its place and reiterated itself, Pamuk has felt the same tumultuous relationships himself. When he won the Nobel Prize in 2006 it was with clear consideration for his unique view of local melancholy (huzun), challenges to identity, parallel lives, and alienation. Or to put it in the more succinct words of the Swedish Academy: in the quest for the melancholic soul of his native city[, Pamuk] has discovered new symbols for the clash and interlacing of cultures”.
Works
The germs of this project started twenty years ago, when Pamuk won the Nobel Prize and I picked up Snow from the high school library the same day. While I didn’t fully understand the fluid and digressive writing at the time, I couldn’t help but be impressed by the conflict between and within people trapped in a blizzard and a world outside of their control. This summer, I read Silent House: a much earlier novel with a more blunt style that again captured rival political views within people struggling against their perceived confinement.
“In a brutal country like ours, where human life is ‘cheap’, it’s stupid to destroy yourself for the sake of your beliefs. Beliefs? High ideas? Only people in rich countries can enjoy such luxuries.” —Snow
“We’re not stupid! We’re just poor! And we have a right to insist on this distinction” —Snow
Pamuk’s Silent House is fictional, but this feels about right
““You can’t start out again in life, that’s a carriage ride you only take once, but with a book in your hand, no matter how confusing and perplexing it might be, once you’ve finished it, you can always go back to the beginning; if you like, you can read it through again, in order to figure out what you couldn’t understand before, in order to understand life.” —Silent House
“That passion for listening to stories leads us astray every time, dragging us off to a world of fantasy, even as we continue to live in one of flesh and blood”. —Silent House
Message
While Pamuk’s writing style is in keeping with other 21st century winners (to wit: long complex sentences that reflect consciousness), the content of those sentences feels less dreamlike and more defensive. Things never go very deep, and only memory and history pull us away from reacting to what’s in front of us. Be ready, any moment could challenge your very soul.
Position: #5 Center Back
I often put more aggressive writers up in the attack, but the role of memory, personal history, and the stolid steadiness of Pamuk’s Istanbul existence makes me think of him much more as someone in the defensive line. It also fits with the style I sense, constant vigilance and regular preparation to leap into action. Also given that Pamuk is someone who, by his own admission, imagined his childhood glory as being an 89th minute substitute, I like the idea that, after spending most of the game clearing the ball away, he would join a final box crash in the hope of heading in a goal.
(Sidenote: I drew that idea of his fantasy from a fabulous interview Pamuk gave to Der Speigel in 2008 talking about how soccer also matches these battles for the game and the supporters. It’s an excellent read and clearly indicates how firmly his fandom resides in his mind.)
Next Time–October means DOUBLE NOBEL FC!
First–I’ll post my Pre-Announcement Predictions
Then–Half-way through the month I’ll post thoughts on Knut Hamsen (while rapidly reading the work of this year’s laureate)
Soyinka was the first African writer to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, which is both awesome for him and fairly embarrassing for an award 85 years into its history. He was born in Abeokuta, a smaller community in Nigeria’s delta region that has an impressive reputation for churning out influential figures in Nigeria’s history (including politicians and the culturally emphatic Afrobeat Icon Fela Kuti). But he chose to turn his attention to literature, studying it first in Nigeria, then in England, and becoming a part of the staff at the Royal Court Theater in London.
Soyinka’s own literary career exploded when he returned to Nigeria as he found ways to use familiar western theatrical structures to tell stories that captured the native lived experience, and used native culture to amplify the western theatrical structures that many expected. While his plays were the most eye catching work and built him an audience around the world, he also wrote poetry and prose. In 1986 he was cited by the Nobel committee as someone “who in a wide cultural perspective and with poetic overtones fashions the drama of existence.” Since he was awarded the prize at age 52, he has gone on to a long and impressive career after the citation with more great plays and other works to go along with widely being seen as a grand old man of African Literature.
Works
I went a bit down a rabbit hole with Soyinka. I already had read and discussed his play Death and the King’s Horseman. But, I listened to the audiobook of his most recent output Chronicles from the Land of the Happiest People on Earth, I reviewed a poem I had taught before (“Your Logic Frightens Me, Mandela”), and I enjoyed a YouTubed copy of Guyana’s national theater’s version of Lion and the Jewel…with all that in mind you probably won’t be surprised to hear that I liked his work.
“Doves metamorphosed in milk-white talons? Not for you the olive branch that sprouts Gun muzzles, barbed-wire garlands, tangled thorns To wreathe the brows of black, unwilling Christs… Are you now the crossword puzzle expert? Chess? Ah, no! Subversion lurks among Chess pieces. Structured clash of black and white, Equal ranged and paced? An equal board? No! Not on Robben Island.”
–“Your Logic Frightens Me Mandela”
Sidi shoves her sparkling Jewel self past Lakunle
Lakunle: You could wear something. Most modest women do. But you, no. You must run around naked in the streets. Does it not worry you… the bad names, The lewd jokes, the tongue-licking noises Which girls, uncovered like you, Draw after them?
Sidi: …Is it Sidi who makes the men choke In their cups, or you, with your big loud words And no meaning?
–The Lion and the Jewel
Dr. Menka: “The hypocrisy we all live. And the nightmares. No, no, no, this is not an accusation flung at anyone here, no. I have no grounds for that. But you see, this club is not the entire world. It is not even the real world. … Narrator: “All was not lost. What these colleagues—and strangers—were admitting, despite their discomfort, resentment, and even outrage, indeed on that very account, was that, [Manners Makyth the Man] notwithstanding, some deeds stood outside even moral outrage.”
–Chronicles from the Land of the Happiest People on Earth
Message
Soyinka could be a global institution, if he didn’t so clearly dislike institutions of all kinds He often writes with the authority of an empowered traditional Nigerian (male, prosperous, educated) and a marginalized westerner (Black, foreign, politically radical). With such a wide and expansive view of the world he is in an ideal position to satirize the flaws and failings of both the dominant West and the dominant local communities within his native Nigeria. My big takeaway: The power people wield would be terrifying…if they weren’t so stupid.
Position: #10 Attacking Midfield
I found an interview with Soyinka where he explains that he was the last choice left winger of his University team in England, and took stock at half time to realize he wasn’t going to be a player. I respect that self-awareness, but if he played football like he wrote, the wing would be too far afield for him.
Like many playwrights, I think he fits more naturally in the center of the field, and his energy, pace, drive, and attacking mentality put him in an altogether different class of player. He’s not as mecurial or obtuse as John-Paul Sartre (who I said would be creative, inventive and always in the moment–if perhaps impossible to coach), he has a singular focus, obsessive, brutal and at times charming and funny. To me, Soyinka is the closest thing we have to a Diego Maradona in this project.
Louise Gluck is (as of this writing) the most recent American Nobel Laureate (U-S-A! U-S-A!). She spent her childhood as a second generation American from Jewish immigrant families on Long Island in New York City. The more suburban life reflected her family’s comfort and education (and the now famous factoid that her uncle invented the Xacto Knife, and her dad helped sell it). While she was a gifted student, her own struggles with mental health and anorexia led her to pursue only the classes she wanted (rather than a formal degree program) at Sarah Lawrence and Columbia University.
Those courses clearly worked for her as she soon saw her work published in a host of popular American magazines throughout the 70s and 80s before starting to release poetry collections. Much of her work reflected the darkness of her experiences and mental health needs, but always in ways that amplified some connections to universal questions and experiences. The Swedish Academy felt the same way giving her the 2020 Nobel Prize “for her unmistakable poetic voice that with austere beauty makes individual existence universal.”
Works
I set up a Fable Book club to read one of Gluck’s more recent collections with 2014’s Faithful and Virtuous Night (a play on words with those noble k-nights…get it?), and while it was mostly me shouting into the void (you know, for a change of pace), there were some solid pieces I took away with me.
Midnight
Speak to me, aching heart: what Ridiculous errand are you inventing for yourself Weeping in the dark garage With your sack of garbage: it is not your job To take out the garbage, it is your job To empty the dishwasher. You are showing off Again, Exactly as you did in childhood–where Is your sporting side, your famous Ironic detachment? A little moonlight hits The broken window, a little summer moonlight, Tender Murmurs from the earth with its ready Sweetnesses– Is this the way you communicate With your husband, not answering When he calls, or is this the way the heart Behaves when it grieves: it wants to be Alone with the garbage? If I were you, I’d think ahead. After fifteen years, His voice could be getting tired; some night If you don’t answer, someone else will answer.
A Work of Fiction
As I turned over the last page, after many nights, a wave of sorrow envel- oped me. Where had they all gone, these people who had seemed so real? To distract myself, I walked out into the night; instinctively, I lit a cigarette. In the dark, the cigarette glowed, like a fire lit by a survivor. But who would see this light, this small dot among the infinite stars? I stood a while in the dark, the cigarette glowing and growing small, each breath patiently de- stroying me. How small it was, how brief. Brief, brief, but inside me now, which the stars could never be.
Message
Gluck’s work is often grounded in slice of life observations, little banal moments that might otherwise pass you by but contain within them the kernel or nugget of deeper understanding. Her tendency is not to simply say it, but instead to present it, consider it, question it and leave it to the reader to ponder further. You can find meaning through reflection during life’s little moments.
Position: #2 Right Back
Like Hermann Hesse (who I read around the same time), I felt pretty nonplussed about Gluck’s work. There were moments sure, but nothing that really grabbed me or stood out. She seemed to constantly be asking questions that sometimes connected, but most of the time…didn’t.
This all reminds me of nothing so much as a wing player who makes frequent hopeful crosses and attempts only to find nobody at home on the other end (I had tickets to watch Adrian Heath era Minnesota United…if you know, you know). By asking the questions again and again, there’s a little hope that maybe, just maybe, one will connect and hit home…but it’s much more of a law of large numbers issue than supreme talent. I decided to put Gluck back in the formation because her style strikes me as far more traditional than innovative, and I’m not sure she would have the mentality to cut in like an attacker might. So like Romaine Metanire of old…I’m putting her in at Right Back.
Maybe this is too harsh, as ever I’m open to other interpretations.
Next Time: 1986 Honoree–Wole Soyinka (the first–and so far only–west African winner)
Born Shmuel Yosef Halevi Czaczkes, the other half of the 1966 Laureate duo started out in a religious family in what was then the Austro-Hungarian empire (and now is Ukraine). With a rabbinically trained (but non-clerical) father, and a home-schooled mindset, Shmuel was surrounded by images and lessons of faith and folktales that clearly drove his writing.
His writing career kicked off in what was then Palestine (where he changed his last name to “Agnon” to match his first published story), and his family began in Germany. After a fire forced him to move with his wife and kids back to Jerusalem, another fire (this one a result of anti-Jewish riots) cost him his library. Given these challenges, the anti-semitic attitudes that pervaded the Europe of his youth, and the Holocaust to come, it’s impressive that Agnon held on to his faith and optimism.
Works:
I read a few of the stories in the 1970 collection 21 Stories (though not all 21, so feel free to come at me Agnon scholars). In all of them I was impressed by the breezy folktale style structure that made it feel very much like the kind of thing your grandparents might sit you down and tell you at bed time. “Tale of the Scribe” touched on a scribe of the Torah coping with loss; “The Fable of the Goat” handled a father and son’s separation; “Ferenheim” followed a soldier who returns from war to discover that the world moved on without him; and “The Lady and the Peddler” set the stage for pretty much all the psycho-sexual thrillers of modern airport literature (didn’t see that last one coming did ya?).
“[The scribe who copies the Torah but omits the name of God] may thus be likened to a crafstman making a crown for a king; does he not first make the crown and then set into it the diamonds and other precious stones”
–Tale of the Scribe
“At first he shuddered, when he saw her wring the head of a bird, then he ate and even sucked the bones, in the manner of frivilous people who in the beginning do not intend to commit any offense and then commit every offense in the world with pleasure.”…
“while she spoke, she embraced him with all her might and put her lips on his lips and sucked and said, “I never imagined that the flesh of a Jew is so sweet. Kiss me my raven. Kiss me, my eagle, your kisses are sweeter than all the kisses in the World.”
–Lady and the Peddler
“Happiness is a wonderful thing: even when it is not intended for you, you bask in its light”…
Not only the happy ones stand beyond time, but the unfortunate too. All times are ripe for misfortune
–Ferenheim
Message
Agnon is a master of combining folklore with modernism and the result is a whole heap of parables. As is often the case there’s a brief moral warning in parables and fables of all types and Agnon’s no different. The stories I found all seemed to tie into the simple belief that faith in the face of horror and tragedy nurtures the soul.
Position: #1 Goalkeeper
Agnon’s penchant for the parable made me think of a lonely goalkeeper watching the world pass by and considering what exactly it all means. When the pressure rises and they have to step up, that keeper believes in their skill to see them through, and if not…well, just let it go and bring your best effort to the next outing. He may not be the most dominant or exciting keeper you can imagine, but he has his days, and more importantly, he has the right perspective.
Where would you put a parable loving player? The wing? Midfield? Somewhere where he can surreptitiously punch anti-semite Wladyslaw Reymont?
Next Time (Let’s wrap up our recent winners) 2020 Honoree–Louise Gluck
Nelly Sachs started out as the daughter of a prosperous family in Berlin, Germany. Then perhaps the greatest shroud of the 20th century, Nazi power, stretched out and covered her world with darkness.
Fortunately, poetry saved her…literally actually. Having developed an appreciation for and then correspondence with the first female Nobel Literature Laureate (Selma Lagerlof, 1909), she was able to emigrate to Sweden with her mother and avoid the reign of terror imposed by Hitler and the Nazi regime. Once there she continued to grow her skills as a writer, translating a tonnage of Swedish correspondence and poetry, while still making room for her own work processing the traumatic reality of seeing your homeland attack you and your family.
Though Sachs’ mental health was permanently affected by her trauma, the writing that she said captured the “tragedy of the Jewish people” was integral in winning the Nobel in 1966 “for her outstanding lyrical and dramatic writing, which interprets Israel’s destiny with touching strength”
Works
O the chimneys
“O the chimneys Oh the ingeniously devised habitations of death When Israel’s body drifted as smoke Through the air We welcomed by a star, a chimney sweep, A star that turned black Or was it the a ray of sun.”
Someone will take the ball
Someone will take the ball from the hands that play the game of terror.
Please note that the image that partners “Someone Will Take the Ball” is intentionally the dumbest possible illustration for a very serious subject…because humor is a defense mechanism.
from Eli “the murderers sowed my people in the earth. O may its seed be full of stars …. I was only half sown, lying already in the grave, knew already how warmth leaves the flesh– how motion leaves the bones– heard already the language of the bones when corruption sets in– language of the blood when it congeals– language of the dust striving anew after love.”
Message
Sachs greatest challenges and greatest successes were born out of the tragedy she and her fellow jewish German citizens endured: the Holocaust and the associated displacement of all involved. Unsurprisingly this difficult experience anchors everything she writes, and while it is strange, unnerving, and sometimes absurd, it is also a call to action and an act of defiance. You find strength through pain.
Position: #5 Center Back
With a theme like that, there’s really no doubt in my mind: Sachs is an enforcer of the first order. She would be the kind of player who would cut you in half and dare you to get up again. She’s so focused on these skills that she’s not about to threaten to score herself. But the defensive intensity is enough that any goals scored against her would be coupled with shoves and elbows from then on (just imagining her battling Hermann Hesse makes me smile). With an attitude that fierce and a temprament to boot, she very clearly lines up in my mind with the “‘the hell you lookin’ at?!?” defensiveness of Montanans I grew up with.
Honestly, part of me is feeling a little awkward taking Sachs pain and running it through this bizarre exercise, so if you feel like I should apologize, let me know.
Next Time–Time for the other half of the ’66 Winners: Shmuel Yosef Agnon whose writing Sachs said offered a more hopeful counterpoint to the tragedy in her work.
Hermann Hesse was born to a devout family in a small village nestled near Germany’s Black Forest. Thanks to his family emphasizing the role of art, literature, and music in nurturing strong discussions and faith, Hesse remained deeply immersed in intellectual pursuits. From an early age he was open to new ideas and different cultures. Ever the iconoclast, he celebrated becoming a father by leaving his young children to explore Sri Lanka and Indonesia. On his return, he enlisted to support for the German side in the First World War, by overtly encouraging understanding and compassion for the prisoners of war he served. He did all this through a carefully developed detachment from personal feelings in dealings with the world that drove others to strong emotional reactions. It might make him aloof and aggravating, but it was certainly a fixture in his view of the right way to live.
While he received the Nobel Prize shortly after the end of the Second World War, he really rose to prominence from the free spirited movement of the 1960s. The countercultural spirit and seeking of truth while releasing attachment spoke deeply to many, and soon young students came to agree with the old fuddy-duddies at the Swedish academy about “his inspired writings, which while growing in boldness and penetration, exemplify the classical humanitarian ideals and high qualities of style”
Works
“Nothing on earth is more disgusting, more contemptible than borders. They’re like cannons, like generals: as long as peace, loving kindness and peace go on, nobody pays any attention to them–but as soon as war and insanity appear, they become urgent and sacred”
“You should not take old people who are already dead so seriously. It does them injustice. We immortals do not like things to be taken seriously. We like joking. Seriousness young man is an accident of time. It consists, I don’t mind telling you in putting too high a value on time. I too, once put too high a value on time. For that reason, I wished to be 100 years old. In eternity however, there is no time you see. Eternity is a mere moment, just long enough for a joke.”
“What is called history at school, and all we learn by heart there about heroes and geniuses and great deeds and fine emotions, is all nothing but a swindle invented by the school masters for educational reasons to keep children occupied for a given number of years. It has always been so, and always will be. Time and the world, money and power belong to the small people and shallow people. To the rest, to real men belongs nothing, nothing but death.
–Steppenwolf (trans. Basil Creighton)
Message
Obviously, there’s a clear link between what Hesse would call radical detachment and what appealed so much to the counter-cultural cohort that adopted him as one of their own. But there’s never just one message, and from what I read, I think there’s one thing that Hesse is attached to: himself and being the fullest version of himself regardless of what others thought. So I would posit his primary theme as a belief that: the road to personal fulfillment is arduous and alienating, but also man’s highest calling.
Position: #9 Striker…with a caveat…
Hesse has some moments of staggering brilliance, individual quotes that can linger for a long time afterward, rather like a goal poacher who strikes and creates a memorable thrill in the crowd. BUT, most of the time people approach him as a genius, and I don’t. I see a rather self-important navel-gazer who has a better rep than he deserves.
To put this in soccer terms, I think of Hermann Hesse as a low budget Ruud van Nistlerooy. But, given the idolization of him, I think he’d probably end up miscast in the #10 role like Leo Messi–someone everyone expects to be a threat to score who can ALSO create amazing goals and support a team towards greatness…only…he never does.
I don’t think I’m a man for “Hot takes” either in sports or in literature, but this might be my hottest one. So let this fire up the comment section (please)
Next Time 1966 was a split prize year! So we’ll do a double in June! First we’ll look at Nelly Sachs!
I spend a lot of time trying to find valuable lessons within soccer for you all, but this time I’m going to try something different. On a recent walk to see the Loons play we began discussing tactics, and Alex realized that his love of soccer mirrors his love of a real hobby (and fictional sport) Bey Blades. I’ll let his words take it from here:
Alex: “I think there are a couple things you can do, if you’re a beyblade or a soccer team. You can be an attack type where you go all out for goal and try to knock the other team out with big shots. You could be a defensive type where you just try to stop the attacks and then surprise them with a goal of your own. You could be a stamina type where you try to outlast your opponent and just let them get tired out…then, in soccer, you can get it in the goal. Or you could be a balance type and do all of them.”
Dear Kids,
Me: “I think balance sounds good.”
Alex: “Yeah, but also you’re just good at each thing and not great at any of them. That can make it easier for teams that do any of the other things to get you.
Me: “I see, what style do you think the Loons are?”
Alex: “Probably a defensive or balance type…but it’s harder to do without Dayne.”
Me: “What style do you like best?”
Alex: “Definitely attack type! They’re the most exciting…but I can see why you’d do something else if you really want to win the game.“
So there you have it. It’s a very solid broad strokes game theory…and I’m happy to say congratulations Dayne St. Clair…you are the Obsidian Shell of soccer…or Obsidian Shell is the you of Beyblades…either way, good company.
Results & Notable Players
Part 1: The Hard Times
If April is the cruelest month, then our teams in Legon seem to be trapped in an endless April from which there is no escape. Chris Junior Narh’s attempted jail breaks from the back line of the Royals to knock in two goals (half of the whole club’s total), only mustered a few points and left the team still anchored to the bottom of the table.
Meanwhile other troubles have befallen Alebrijes mostly of the between season lull variety. Once again the Oaxacans were limited in attack and exposed in defense until they finished their spring season well shy of the playoffs. Israel Garcia and Julio Cruz did help the team get the most points in two years (four campaigns), so we can only hope this is a step in the right direction.
W 1 – D 0 – L 2 ; GF: 4 / GA: 5
But in the Alps there seem to be nothing but missteps for Grenoble, particularly as the Men slide perilously close to the relegation zone. The usually stout defensive line seems to be well shy of its full strength with Gaetean Paquiez and Loris Mouyokolo the most steadfast defenders, but they can’t stop it all. Nor can Jessy Benet be the only functioning piston in the offensive engine (though goodness knows he will try). The silver lining is that the Women’s side has secured a spot in the second division again next year, again, like Alebrijes, looking to make slow and steady progress towards the ultimate goal. Their recent 4-0 win over Nice was (don’tdoit, don’tdoit, don’tdoit, don’tdadjokeinwriting) nice! (sigh…I’m not proud of myself) Kudos to Melanie Chabrier on her double (and sorry to put you in such proximity to such bad writing.
Hommes: W # – D 3 – L 1 ; GF: 5 / GA: 6
Femmes: W 1 – D 1- L # ; GF: 4 / GA: 0
Part II. Hanging Tough
It’s hard to acknowledge that you often have to take the good with the bad, and should expect both for moments of triumph and hours of disappointment. So it is with our next set of teams.
Ross County came in at the bottom of the league, and they’re still there with only one game to play, but a few vital results (including a 4-0 thumping of Greenock Morton) have given them a lifeline if they can only grab it (while their rivals stumble) Alex Iacovitti’s big winner against Ayr and Ryan Duncan’s tremendous game has lifted their spirits…but they may come crashing down again on Friday. Unfortunately, their good showing has come at the same time that the Lasses slip (two straight losses by a total of 8-0).
It’s been a similarly mixed bag for Emelec with the men’s squad stepping up through a superb resurgence of Goalkeeper Pedro Ortiz. He’s had to be excellent while the defense leaks attacks, but there may be hope ahead with 16 year old Luis Fragozo becoming a regular and netting the winner against LDU Quito at the end of the month. If Ortiz is winding down his career, perhaps he can spend some time with the Electricas, who shipped a total of 15 goals over their three defeats in the month (cue jokes about the power going out for Emelec)
Masculinos: W 2 – D 1 – L 3; GF 4/GA: 8
Femininas: W 0 – D 0 – L 3; GF 1/GA: 15
The final club I want to talk about it in this bracket is Rosenborg. It was baffling to find them at the bottom of the March table, but it was the only place for them after failing to garner a win during the opening weeks’ of the Norwegian seasons. They now have wins to their names…but are still playing catch up: a rare place for the most decorated men’s side and most consistent women’s team in the country. Eivor Ulvand ran the show from the striker spot to help the women beat Honefoss, but they squandered that same momentum against Aalesund. Meanwhile, Ole Kristian Selnaes has been an immediate impact player for the men after missing the first few games….unfortunately he’s only one of eleven, so there’s still more to do.
Kvinner W 1 – D # – L 1; GF 2/GA: 1
Menner: W 1 – D 2 – L 1; GF: 3/GA: 4
Part II. Flying
Then there are the teams that are on strong runs of form and looking for all the world like, you know, professional soccer teams. You could make a case that Freiburg have actually just been solid, but the fact that Julian Schuster shepherded his team to two cup semis (both Europa League and the Pokal) can’t be ignored. The offense beyond Vincenzo Grifo is developing nicely as Igor Manatovic has been clinical, Yuito Suzuki is a lightning bolt and Johan Manzambi is poised for a massive breakout. Plus I’m growing especially fond of Jan Niklas Beste’s cult figure status as Europa League whisperer. (The women were largely idle this month)
Herren: W 4 – D 0 – L 3 ; GF: 12/ GA: 11
Frauen: W 0 – D 0 – L 1 ; GF: 1/ GA: 4
Meanwhile, the team that topped our table last month (Punjab) have continued to show plenty of strength, thanks in large part to the stoutest defense in all of the subcontinent. Despite saying farewell to club legend Luka Macjen, Nigerian Nsungusi Effiong is quickly writing his own name in the history booksz. But defense remains the hallmark of the Indian team members with Bijoy Vargehse and Khaimintang Lhungdim forming the strongest part of the line while benefitting greatly from two way player Manglengthang Kipgen.
W 2 – D 0 – L 1; GF: 8 / GA: 4
Closer to home, Minnesota clearly made a big bet on bringing in a South American sensation to capture the hearts and minds of cold midwesterners. The trick is, it isn’t Golden Ball winning James Rodriguez, but veteran winger Thomas Chancalay (though to be fair veteran of Los Loon like stalwart defender Nicholas Romero and leader creator Jaoquin Pereya have been impressive contenders too).
I was a little wary when James finally started and played a majority of a game against LAFC last weekend, but he showed staggering array of skills for a man older and less comfortable than most of the more consistent players. Try as he might, he just could not get a goal or carry teammates into a position to deliver the same. The bigger question now is can the team find some way to fill up the pitch with all their most talented players? (And please…give Bongi some more playing time)
W 4 – D 1 – L 1 ; GF: 7/ GA: 3
The final team to talk about is the one with the most at stake: FK Vozdovac. After a tepid run in after the winter break, you might have seen a clear limp in the Dragon’s gait as they began the Championship Round (against the other top 6 teams). That was certainly apparent in an opening loss to Loznica. With only four matches left and no room for error, they came out like a house on fire during the last week of April. It started with a thumping of Jedinstvo Ob (5-1) and was shortly followed with a drubbing of Zemun (3-0). Jasin Rasljanin came away with three goals over those two games and Nenad Lukic with two more. It’s unclear to me if the promoted teams are the top 2 from this set of 5 matches, or for the season as a whole. But either way, a match Friday against Macva Saba (their direct competition for promotion) will be seismic.
W 3 – D 0 – L 1; GF: 10/ GA: 3
Looking Ahead
It’s getting down to squeaky bum time, so let’s consider the leagues that will wrap up before our next post.
In Ghana, it’s all over but the crying, each and every Legon player is doomed to the drop.
Things are pulse-pounding in Scotland, as County needs a win on the final day and an Airdreones loss or draw to sneak out of the trap door and buy themselves another bit of life (A super big win against a stout Raith Rovers and they could even slip past Greenock Morton to avoid the playoffs for relegation.)
Vozdovac has two games left to seal their return to the top flight, but they’ll be playing against some heavy hitters and has to face two teams they haven’t beaten this season. Freiburg has a lot to do in a short span of time, but they might want to get a move on if they want to make it to Europe (either by passing Frankfurt for a top 7 spot, or by winning the Europa League and going up to the Champions League). And then there’s the wildness of India’s pell mell competition, where Punjab who have to go out and play 5 matches in three weeks.
Grenoble needs at least one result to save themselves from the drop. With multiple teams withdrawn or in forfeit mode I think the Electricas should be okay…but I have no certainy about the final out comes.
While 9 teams will be done for the summer soon, Minnesota Aurora kicks off their season in the middle of May
Standings
A very rare occurrence where the Loons and the Dragons have the exact same standings.
Because, apparently, any aspiring writer needs “a brand” these days, and since my natural “brand”–is sports/book nerd, I took a little time to put writing into visual form with a Mock Draft for the Nobel Prize featuring a round table discussion of who could be the pick in October.
I’d write more about that, but it would defeat the point of making a video of it in the first place. I hope you enjoy.
The 16th and most recent (for now) French Nobelist is one of the oldest winners for the Nobel, which makes sense as a she plumbs the depths of her personal experience for her writing. Her works frequently cover her own lived experiences as auto-socio-biographical or memoir-style composition. Her childhood in Normandy was marked by a young girl’s stressful and shameful agonies of post-war trauma in a misogynist patriarchy. Her adulthood, as a teacher and author, has been marked by stressful and shameful agonies of a modernizing world that retains many old power structures.
Why Ernaux’s work stays fresh…
As the patriarchy remains dominant (if a little more discrete) she has had plenty of fodder for her writing. Covering everything from traditional families and romance to assault and marginalization, her works were specially marked “for the courage and clinical acuity with which she uncovers the roots, estrangements and collective restraints of personal memory”.
Works
With as short and direct as Ernaux’s prose is, I’ve been able to listen to a couple of her works Happening, and Shame. Her writing is often blunt plain, one of her books includes the explanation: “my writing is still confined to the language of the past. I shall never experience the pleasure of juggling with metaphor or indulging in stylistic play.” Still, her writing has an honest beauty.
“I realize this account may exasperate or repel some readers. It may also be branded as distasteful. I believe that any experience, whatever its nature, has the inalienable right to be chronicled. There is no such thing as a ‘lesser truth.'”
“Among all the social and psychological reasons that may account for my past, of one I am certain: these things happened to me so that I might recount them. Maybe the true purpose of my life is for my body, my sensations, and my thoughts to become writing. In other words: something intelligible and universal causing my existence to merge into the lives and heads of other people.”
–Happening
“I almost feel I am committing a sacrilege replacing the sweet landscape of memory…by a far harsher one that strips it of all magic but whose truth cannot be questioned.”
“The worst thing about shame is that we imagine we are the only ones to experience it.”
—Shame
(Side bar–that last line about shame might need to be my personal mantra)
Message
There are a lot of assumptions that Ernaux’s work and message is limited to women and others who suffer directly from misogyny. But one thing that stands out on reading her works is how the pain and difficulty she faces stems from revisiting and reviewing her life and how, despite the pain, there is power and meaning there. We all face those moments, and they can cut us to our core, but if we can find some of the strength that Ernaux does we’ll be well-served. Memory is informative and inescapable.
Position: #7–Left Wing
I was torn on where to put Ernaux. Her plain Marxist leanings put her on the left for sure. She’s short in her prose, direct, and a little blunt, which feels defensive.
But her bluntness is confrontational, challenging, and uncomfortable. Much more like an attacker. She questions and challenges tradition more than I think would be appreciated by the other French winners (looking at you Prudhomme and Simon)–so let’s call her a winger with some wingback tendencies.
What do you think? Given that Ernaux scrupulously avoids rooms with soccer matches on, I figure she doesn’t care…but feel free to prove me wrong Madame Ernaux (or literally anyone else).
Next Time (back to our 80th anniversary winner!) 1946 Honoree–Herman Hesse
BONUS!
I started making videos about these posts, feel free to watch it here, or on the YouTubes
I realized recently that I feel guilt and shame about what I like to do with my free time. Soccer is long and not always exciting. Wrestling often doesn’t reflect my values. Writing, reading, studying languages, solving crosswords, and running are all great for me personally, but they’re utterly inconsequential to helping others or building a better world.
In that light, you might wonder why I keep doing this project. Why not stick to things that matter?
Dear Kids,
Because, the things we love matter too.
Conveniently, after reading a pair of Italian Nobel Laureates this year, I found the original (reputed) source of a widely used quote in Italian manager Arrigo Sacchi
“Football is the most important of the least important things.”
Inigo will “no be moved” either
Right now there are many “IMPORTANT” things happening. War, injustice, corruption, dehumanization. The guilty part of me feels like maybe: I should teach about those issues; take you to protests in the streets; get you writing your congress people now in the hope of stemming the tide of cruelty in the future. I think I should not just talk about sports ball.
And yet…This is where I am, and this is where I stay. I will not be moved.
In part because proponents of war, injustice, corruption, and dehumanization try to pass off their contempt for others with the misdirection of organized sports events (see World Cup 2018, 2022, 2026) and calling that out rebuffs their slight of hand and reclaims our joy. In part because savoring the joy of human life helps to anchor why we fight for it.
And perhaps most of all, because in the midst of all the madness, I got to take you both to matches this month. I got to share snacks, and jokes, and laughs, and dances with you. And those are the most important things…so, football might not matter, but what it connects us to, definitely does.
Rosenborg, Punjab, Minnesota, and Emelec all started their seasons in earnest this month. Of those sides only Punjab really seems to be ready, and given the long layoff before the season started in India, that makes sense. While longstanding talisman Lucka Macjen left the team during its interminable offseason, Nikhil Prabhu is ready to step up…or was until his injury. But defenders Khaminthang Lhungdim and Bijoy Verghese both have stepped up wonderfully to help the team (and in Verghese’s case himself en route to a national team cap). Plus defensive midfielder Samir Zeljkovic has already chipped in plenty of offense with an assist and goal.
Meanwhile both Emelec and Rosenborg have balanced fine debuts for their women with rougher goes for the menfolk. Irene Dirdal and Marie Kristine Vik combined well in the first match, and Beate Marcussen looked to provide a fulcrum in the second but the team wasn’t able to shut down opponents chances. At the same time that inconsistency would be welcome for the men who (after falling to Molde, Valerenga and getting dumped from the League Cup) has been consistently awkward.
In Ecuador, Los Bombillos have had better luck but also seem dependent on Miler Bolanos and Romario Caicedo caputring the old magic to mixed effect. Meanwhile the women are looking to be putting together a campaign as professional as their ptich as they stand solidly in the middle of the table after beating teams they should (and struggling against top sides)
Punjab
W 2 – D 2 – L ; GF: 7 / GA: 2
Emelec
Masculinos: W 1 – D 1 – L 2; GF 3/GA: 5
Femininas: W 2 – D 0 – L 2; GF 4/GA: 7
Rosenborg
Menner: W 0 – D 0 – L 3; GF: 2/GA: 8
Kvinner W 0 – D 2 – L 0; GF 2/GA: 2
Finally amongst the newbies, it behooves us to take a little time to talk about the team that we’re closest to. But the clearest lesson is that the Loons have definitely missed Dayne St. Clair. The goalie of the year’s departure for Miami and Messi makes logical sense, but its also put extra pressure on the defense to figure out how to organize themselves while new keeper Drake Callendar gets to know them and Michael Boxall works back from an injury. Anthony Markanich still looks like a dynamic and undervalued full back, but the actual offense hasn’t done much to fire up their engines or the crowd as we all shiver in a Minnesota spring.
Among the teams that already had matches to their credits, it was a rough showing for both Grenoble and Freiburg who simply could not find any consistent form. The Frenchmen have been winless since the end of January, and the women might be in real trouble if it weren’t for three straight second half equalizers (including two straight stoppage time savers from Laurine Baga and Graziella Mazza.
Freiburg’s struggles came on opposite ends of the field. The women could not get the attack into gear, finding the net once in their first two matches. To be fair, they do have a young attack with the front four in both matches fielding nobody younger than 24. While the men’s defensive inconsistency, putting a lot of pressure on Noah Atubolu. Fortunately Igor Matanovic did put together a good attack to help them get another win in the league.
Grenoble:
Hommes: W – D 2 – L 2 ; GF: 2 / GA: 4
Femmes: W 0 – D 3- L 0 ; GF: 3 / GA: 3
Freiburg
Herren: W 2 – D 1 – L 3 ; GF: 10/ GA: 10
Frauen: W 0 – D 0 – L 2 ; GF: 1/ GA: 4
For the rest of the sides there was a similar ebb and flow to the month. With several great showings and some disappointments.
Alebrijes has long struggled with their offense, but seem to have a strong squad to show up this year with Jose Franco netting two in a win, 19 year old Jesus Bustos with two in a loss, Hecor Mascorro and Fernando Morales again in match where they get the lead before needing a late winner from Bubakarry Fadika. Meanwhile Vozdovac put their focus on the defense with defender Nikola Jankovic in the right back spot has been the most consistent contributor to the Dragons defense. Finally the Staggies continue to just barely avoid the bottom of the table after a couple of collapses, but the women’s side clicked in a big way with 15 goals unanswered (7 of which belonged to Rhea Hassock).
Sadly, we should also mention both Legon Cities sides who had plenty of disappointments and not a lot of great showings with one point from 7 matches. The Royals gave up 9 in a row to the same component over two matches, and only Eden Kofi Asamoah’s two second half goals against against Samartex saved it from being a month long shutout for both teams.
Alebrijes
W 2 – D 1 – L 2 ; GF: 10 / GA: 16
Vozdovac
W 2 – D 1 – L 2; GF: 4/ GA: 3
Ross County
Lads: W 1 – D 2 – L 3; GF: 5 / GA: 9
Lasses: W 3 – D 1 – L 0; GF: 17/ GA: 1
Legon Cities:
Premier Team: W 0 – D 1 – L 3 ; GF: 2 / GA: 8
Divison 1 Team: W 0 – D 0 – L 3 ; GF: 0 / GA: 12
Looking Ahead
April will feature two big splits as teams in Scotland and Serbia fight against the other sides in line for promotion or relegation (as the case may be). Right now County is in real trouble, while Vozdovac is in the thick of their scrap as well. Meanwhile it’s all over but the crying for both Legon clubs as more relegation awaits….but maybe they’ll just buy another team to make it three?
At the same time the World Cup will kick into the next gear as the final six teams book their spots in the group stages (assuming, as named above, more ridiculous political theater doesn’t derail it further). I’d love to say Vincenzo Grifo could finally get some international acclaim, but as he’s 32 and hasn’t played with the national team in 3 years, it’s sad to say that he’s probably past it at this point (which just means more for us!)
Standings
I think it’s worth noting that Punjab went from last to first this month, while two time cup winner Rosenborg is bringing up the rear (even including the mess at Legon Cities)
MacKenzie's Boot Room 