Splash

by Laurel Blossom; George Plimpton

• ISBN13: 9780880014496
• ISBN10: 0880014490
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1999-07-01
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publications

Summary

A unique anthology, Splash! gathers together fiction, essays, and poetry that explore one of the most popular activities around the world. Swimming inspires the imagination as no other sport, and the diverse and celebrated writers included here illuminate its many facets - from sport to recreation to metaphor.
With a preface by George Plimpton and an informative introduction by the editor, Splash! plunges with verve and insight into the pools of literature and the imagination. From exotic landscapes to the simple joy of the neighborhood pool, from myth and science fiction to the drama of competition, Splash! contains the very best writing on swimming.

Table of Contents

Preface
Introduction
October 1968, Mexico City	p. 3
First Lesson	p. 6
The Women	p. 7
The Mundanity of Excellence	p. 16
The Swimmer	p. 19
On Being Much Better Than Most and Yet Not Quite Good Enough	p. 29
wet	p. 30
Coming Back to America	p. 37
from Swimmers Beneath the Bright	p. 39
The Celebration	p. 47
from The Boys on the Rock	p. 51
The Night of the Big, Big Minute	p. 55
A Swimming Lesson	p. 64
from The Nine Lives of Billy Rose	p. 67
Letter, August 15, 1925	p. 72
The Swimming Pool	p. 75
Tarry, delight...	p. 76
Cold Logic	p. 77
from How to Swim	p. 78
Lone Bather	p. 80
400-Meter Freestyle	p. 82
Through the Tunnel	p. 84
from Water Dancer	p. 92
The Kanaka Surf	p. 111
Tarantulas on the Lifebuoy	p. 133
Learning to Swim at Forty-Five	p. 135
Bold Strokes	p. 137
Swimming Lessons	p. 145
Water	p. 164
The Good Human Man	p. 179
Mind over Water	p. 189
The Motel	p. 193
The Swimmer	p. 195
The Swimmer	p. 196
Channel Swimming Association Report	p. 198
from Deep Water	p. 204
The Nude Swim	p. 206
Swimming Lesson	p. 208
from In Every Woman's Life	p. 213
Not Waving but Drowning	p. 216
Water	p. 217
Up Late	p. 221
Swimming Chenango Lake	p. 226
Damp in the Afternoon	p. 228
Lifeguard	p. 236
Disappearing	p. 242
Contributor's Notes	p. 245
Copyright Acknowledgments	p. 251
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.