My column today is headed “A Tiger in winter, &c.” You know the allusion. In 1966, James Goldman wrote a play called “The Lion in Winter,” about Henry II. It was soon made into a movie. In Tiger Woods’s early career, there were many, many headlines about him that included the words “burning bright.” They come from Blake’s poem, “The Tyger,” which begins, “Tyger Tyger, burning bright, / In the forests of the night.” At one time, it was the most anthologized poem in the English language. I’m not sure about now.
Anyway, my column begins with a note on Tiger Woods and the terrible question “When should an athlete bow out?” Among my other subjects are assassination, antisemitism, Carlos Alcaraz, Dr. Ruth Westheimer (R.I.P.), and a Michigan accent (which sounds perfectly normal to me).
Let’s have some mail. Last week, I had a note on Alice Munro, the late and great writer. There has been some disturbing news about her. “I’ll continue to read Alice Munro,” I wrote. “But I can’t help feeling . . . I don’t know: A shadow has been cast.”
A reader writes,
I know what you mean. I long loved Bill Cosby, and The Cosby Show was a favorite. Now, though, his sexual abuse of women hangs over everything he did like a cloud. He was brilliant, and his stuff is still funny, but . . .
Yes. The “but” is a killer.
Let’s lighten way, way up. A reader — who pitched for the Michigan State Spartans — writes,
Hi, Jay,
Mickey Lolich is my all-time favorite Detroit Tiger. Al Kaline is a solid No. 2. I was checking to see whether Lolich is still living and found this video from earlier this year. He is 83 and still kickin’. Glad to know.
Here’s to true Tiger greatness . . .
I was a very normal youngster. On my bedroom door (the inside of) were two posters: of Ludwig van Beethoven and Mickey Lolich.
In recent weeks, readers and I have been discussing “Desperado” and other songs that move us. A reader now tells me that different songs trigger different memories for him. And he asks, “How about you? Is there a certain song that, when you hear it, you have a distinct memory or event come to mind?”
Well, the first song I ever danced to was “Reunited” (Peaches & Herb, 1978). That was the peak of my dancing career. It was all downhill from there.
My thanks to one and all readers. Again, for today’s Impromptus, go here.