Today

I am reading 'On Boxing', by Joyce Carol Oates. I did not know that she is a boxing fan.

It's a nice enough mosaic. Has some trivia in it. She describes the matches well.

However, she also says that life is like boxing, but boxing is like nothing else, but boxing. She gives on to give 2-3 reasons, like 1) Boxing is a sport where the fighter is told to overcome his instinct of survival (fleeing is not an option) which is not natural, 2)Boxing is not a sport, as you don't play boxing....

How about gladiators? Or how about the love affair between Philip and Mildred, in Of Human Bondage? I am sure there are many others like that, no?

P.S. While at the site, check out the amazingly wordy indictment of Mike Tyson. Where in the end, she suggests that only he is to blame for the rape (not the celebrity culture which flings athletes out of obscurity, not selfish promoters, not the indulgence granted to start athletes....). Too simplistic.