Episode 256 with Andrew Maraniss, Author of Singled Out: The True Story of Glenn Burke, Strong Inside, Beyond the Game Series, and Other Empathetic, Inspiring, and Enlightening Works

Notes and Links to Andrew Maraniss’ Work

   For Episode 256, Pete welcomes Andrew Maraniss, and the two discuss, among other topics, carefree days of baseball card trading, formative writers and social justice activists, seeds for his latest series on inspiring contemporary athletes and their fights for justice, “writing” versus “sportswriting,” Glenn Burke and his singular fight for equality, how Andrew views writing about social issues in ways that young people can understand, and the restorative and challenging power that books hold.

   Andrew Maraniss is the New York Times-bestselling author of narrative nonfiction; his first book, Strong Inside, about Perry Wallace, the first African-American basketball player in the SEC, won the 2015 Lillian Smith Book Award. He has recently launched a series of early chapter books for young readers, BEYOND THE GAME: Athletes Change the World, which highlights athletes who have done meaningful work outside of sports to help other people.

Buy Singled Out: The True Story of Glenn Burke

Andrew Maraniss’ Website

Buy Andrew’s Books

At about 1:30, Andrew talks about his family legacy of writing, and his early writing and reading

At about 4:40, Andrew talks about his baseball love and love of other sports

At about 5:50, the two discuss spreading baseball love in their families 

At about 7:15, Andrew responds to Pete’s questions about formative sportswriters and how Andrew sees “sportswriting” versus “writing”

At about 10:25, Pete and Andrew lament missed opportunities with valuable sports memorabilia 

At about 13:10, The two begin to discuss Singled Out: The True Story of Glenn Burke  and highlight Dusty Baker’s key role 

At about 14:10, Pete highlights the bold and moving way that Andrew starts th book in 1977, with Glenn struggling on the streets of San Francisco’s Tenderloin 

At about 18:30, Pete asks Andrew about the “double life” he writes about with regard to Glenn’s minor league and major league careers 

At about 21:50, Andrew recounts the story of the purported first high-five and Dusty Baker and Glenn Burke’s roles

At about 25:50, the two discuss Al Campanis’ offer to Glenn and Glenn’s last days as a Dodger

At about 30:50, Andrew discusses the homophobic reactions that led to the shunning by the A’s of Glenn

At about 32:45, Pete compares Glenn’s behaviors to that of a later career Jackie Robinson and Andrew talks about how Glenn had a tenuous amount of agency

At about 34:00, Andrew details Glenn’s time with Bay Area softball, and up and downs in his life, and how life in the Castro District in SF turned horrendous 

At about 36:00, Andrew cites Dusty Baker as a great interview and a great guy

At about 37:05, Andrew responds to Pete’s questions about moments of joy in Glenn’s painful last years and reflects on Glenn Burke’s legacy

At about 38:50, Andrew talks about Tommy Lasorda, Jr., and connections to Glenn’s story; Pete and Andrew both cite an engrossing article by Peter Richmond

At about 41:10, Pete is highly complimentary of Andrew’s work and its progressive nature and  

At about 42:00, Pete asks Andrew about seeds for his Athletes Change the World series, and Andrew cites book bans and hopes for his Glenn Burke book to be more widely-read; Andrew also details his books and connections to social issues

At about 45:20, Andrew riffs on his books on LeBron James and Maya Moore and