Wooden: A Coach's Life - by Seth Davis - a Review

Wooden: A Coach’s Life by Seth Davis  (2014) is an amazing book for those interested in John Wooden, UCLA’s former men’s basketball coach.

It shares a tremendous amount of detail describing the 99 year life of (probably) the most significant men’s college basketball coach of all time.    Winning the NCAA Men’s Championship ten times in the last 12 years of his career (for example,)was an amazing feat!

What makes this book worth reading are not the facts and data which are certainly interesting.    What is fascinating is trying to understand the total person that John Wooden was with both his strengths and his flaws. 

 

John Wooden regularly attempted to intimidate and harass opposing players as well as the referees in his games.   This was rather inconsistent with his public image as a polite, proper church-going man who didn’t smoke or drink.

While Wooden’s actions regularly showed that he was anti-racist (including during the 1940’s and 1950’s when blatantly racist actions were common), he consistently avoided using his influence to confront racist actions by others.   

During his coaching career he was hardly approachable by his players.  His emotional distance alienated a significant number of them.  John Wooden also lied about some of his achievements (such as saying multiple times that he’d never had a losing season as a coach).  Some of his public statements made it more difficult for those who succeeded him at UCLA in surviving trying to replace “The Legend”.

Some of the weaker sides of John Wooden helped alienated him from peer coaches as well as various basketball players.   At the same time he was a great teacher for most of his players both for basketball and for life beyond their basketball careers.

John Wooden mellowed as he got older.   After he retired gradually more and more of his former players began enjoying time with him.  Some healed their hurt feelings.    After struggling with the death of his wife in the mid-80’s he seemed to flourish and appreciate significant parts of his later years.   He was an avid reader and poet.   Wooden touched the lives of many.

John Wooden was an amazing person.   While I no longer see him as singularly positive, I can still appreciate what he gave to his world.

Pete Seeger

Pete Seeger was a wonderful amazing man.   He lovingly influenced many of us in various ways, remaining humble and connected.    While being sad at is death last night is understandable, we should also recognize that he lived a full, eventful life which we can celebrate in various ways.

He wrote and performed a lot of wonderful music with the Weavers into the early 1950’s.   “Good Night Irene”,  “If I Had a Hammer”, “Wimoweh”,  “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?”,  and “Turn, Turn, Turn”  were some of his best known songs  His work on “We Shall Overcome” was significant in modernizing it from an old gospel song.

Pete Seeger was much more than a musician.  He confronted McCarthyism at its worst and was blacklisted while facing significant other persecution standing up for his beliefs.

Seeger clearly saw the interconnectedness of many issues through his life work.  He was a peace activist, a Civil Rights activist, an environmental activist, as well as a strong supporter of labor and many others.   

When he made money, he used it to support “the people” through many causes.   He inspired many musicians, activists and “normal people” in various ways.

Most significantly – he was a warm, loving, caring man who lived his beliefs in his life.   

I am sad at the death of Pete Seeger!   I’m happy that I’ve been exposed to a little of this incredible man who meant a lot to me over the past 40+ years!

The Other Side of Israel: My Journey Across the Jewish-Arab Divide – by Susan Nathan

A Book Review:

The author (who is Jewish) emigrated  from England to Israel after her children were grown up.   Against the advice of friends and family, she moved to Tamra, an Arab town of 25,000, whose other residents Arab Israeli citizens.

Her story is a strong indictment of how the Israeli Government and Israeli Jews treat the 20% of Israeli citizens who are Arabs.   The story is primarily not about residents of the West Bank or Gaza (who are not Israeli citizens).

The parallels with how Black People were treated well before the Civil Rights era resonated with me.   I can not imagine Black People being told over a period of decades that their land and houses were not legally their own, with more and more land confiscated for White People.

The racist nature of “Israel for the Jews” is shown within many of the author’s explanations.    In some ways the story portrayed shows sometimes more subtle forms of exclusionary policies.

Arabs are not in the Israeli military and many loan programs require one to be a veteran of the Israeli army.     The Jewish National Fund owns a huge portion of the land in Israel and becomes the owner frequently when land is confiscated from its Arab owners.   Its status as a non-governmental agency shields it from significant Israeli laws which might otherwise give at least a little protection to Arab Israeli citizens.

One need not agree with everything the author says to be greatly affected by her words!   While this book is far from perfect, it is a significant book for those who may at least be open to a non-traditional perspective on Israel.

The Warmth of Other Suns - by Isabel Wilkerson - Well Worth Reading

Isabel Wilkerson's 2010 book:  The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration is well worth reading for white people (as well as Afro-Americans and others) who are concerned about race and racism in the United States.   It is a beautifully written book.  Though it is not short, it is easily readable.  It takes one into the stories of three Black people who migrated in different decades from different locations north and west from the South.

This book tells so much of our history in a warm, loving way that confronts bigotry and racism, telling moving stories as well as adding historical context and much information.   Whether one agrees or disagrees with every premise of the author doesn't matter.  The individual stories teach  important lessons that may affect individual readers differently.   The messages seemed much broader and deeper than the stories alone.  

While this book obviously reached an important spot within my psyche, I suspect that others with interest in its topic will also find it fascinating.

The Murder of Trayvon Martin

Having had several days to read, listen and reflect, I’m feeling various sad and angry emotions regarding George Zimmerman’s acquittal from charges concerning what I would clearly call: “The Murder of Trayvon Martin”.   It is painful to realize that under particular circumstances, all of my immediate family could still today be targeted and even killed because they are African-American.   It feels horrible to realize that people who otherwise might be decent people either make the (tragic) victim into a villain or are barely, if at all, affected by the injustice that has occurred.

When we don’t deal with issues like racism in deeply significant, painful ways amongst ourselves, particularly when we are White Americans, we help continue the festering wounds of racism.   We should not be surprised, though we should be shocked, at what has happened.

I, naively hope that this incident will, in the end, help bring about some important positive change.   My cynicism returns however telling me that we said the same thing about handguns after the Sandy Hook Elementary School killings not that long ago.   

I hope, against hope that things will get better!   I appreciate and greatly respect the many wonderful people who are speaking out positively and in loving ways, as well as speaking of their anger, frustration and pain at this injustice.

Thank You!

Bobby Blue Bland - Fond Memories

I was saddened to learn today of the death of Bobby Blue Bland who died two days ago at the age of 83.   For many years I've loved rhythm and blues bands which featured a (male generally) vocalist with at least several horn players playing their band arrangements backing up the featured performer.   Though I never saw Bland in his prime when his band played primarily to predominately Black audiences in a generally segregated era, it was always wonderful to hear him appreciated in the various venues I saw him play at.  

In 2011 he played a wonderful show I was lucky to be able to attend at the New Orleans Heritage Jazz Festival.   (When I'd last seen him before then, his voice had seemed to be going, and it was great to hear him sing powerfully there.)

(I think also in 2011) I greatly enjoyed going with my son and his partner to the site of the former South Shore Country Club (now a city owned outdoor space) in Chicago to see him perform for a small, but spirited audience (mostly Black) outdoors.   It felt especially good to see the two of them comfortable in that setting hearing music that meant so much to me.

Thankfully the music will live on!   Thanks for the memories!