Re: NP – but Ali

Jochen Stremmel jstremmel at gmail.com
Sun Jul 16 11:28:14 CDT 2017


I didn't know it was also in there. I found the article reprinted here:
http://thestacks.deadspin.com/my-dinner-with-ali-511528500
with some nice photographs. And was led to it by my reading of his other
Tao book, the one about Bruce Lee.

2017-07-16 18:11 GMT+02:00 Mark Kohut <mark.kohut at gmail.com>:

> No.
>
> And your terseness leads one to simply guess that you wanted to identify
> it but couldn't?
>
> The Tao of Muhammad Ali
> <https://books.google.com/books?id=mSzbAAAAQBAJ&pg=PT80&dq=%E2%80%9CIt+just+bothers+me,%E2%80%9D+I+told+him.+I+was+thinking+about+the+obvious+ironies,+thinking+about+Ali+continuing+to+invent,+and+be+invented+by,+his+own+mythology.+About+how+he+used+to+talk+easier,+maybe+better,+than+anybody+in+the+world+(has+anyone+in+history+so+enjoyed+the+sweet+and+spiky+melodies+of+his+own+voice?);+about+how+he+sometimes+still+thought+with+speed+and+dazzle,+but+it+took+serious+effort+for+him+to+communicate+even+with+people+close+to+him.+About+how+he+may+have+been+the+world%E2%80%99s+best+athlete%E2%80%94when+walking,+he+used+to+move+with+the+grace+of+a+leopard+turning+a+corner;+now,+at+night,+he+stumbled+around+the+house.+About+how+it+was+his+left+hand,+the+same+hand+from+which+once+slid+that+great+Ali+snake-lick+of+a+jab%E2%80%94the+most+visible+phenomenon+of+his+boxing+greatness%E2%80%94the+very+hand+with+which+he+won+more+than+150+sanctioned+fights+and+countless+sparring+sessions,+it%E2%80%99s+his+left+hand,+not+his+right,+that+shook+almost+continuously.+And+I+was+thinking+how+his+major+source+of+pride,+his+%E2%80%9Cprettiness,%E2%80%9D+remained+more+or+less+intact.+If+Ali+lost+40+pounds,+in+the+right+kind+of+light+he%E2%80%99d+still+look+classically+Greek.+The+seeming+precision+with+which+things+have+been+excised+from+Ali%E2%80%99s+life+(as+well+as+the+gifts+that+have+been+left+him)+sort+of+spooked+me.&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiAiuPol47VAhVDbj4KHXPbBdIQ6AEIKDAA>
>
> <https://books.google.com/books?id=mSzbAAAAQBAJ&pg=PT80&dq=%E2%80%9CIt+just+bothers+me,%E2%80%9D+I+told+him.+I+was+thinking+about+the+obvious+ironies,+thinking+about+Ali+continuing+to+invent,+and+be+invented+by,+his+own+mythology.+About+how+he+used+to+talk+easier,+maybe+better,+than+anybody+in+the+world+(has+anyone+in+history+so+enjoyed+the+sweet+and+spiky+melodies+of+his+own+voice?);+about+how+he+sometimes+still+thought+with+speed+and+dazzle,+but+it+took+serious+effort+for+him+to+communicate+even+with+people+close+to+him.+About+how+he+may+have+been+the+world%E2%80%99s+best+athlete%E2%80%94when+walking,+he+used+to+move+with+the+grace+of+a+leopard+turning+a+corner;+now,+at+night,+he+stumbled+around+the+house.+About+how+it+was+his+left+hand,+the+same+hand+from+which+once+slid+that+great+Ali+snake-lick+of+a+jab%E2%80%94the+most+visible+phenomenon+of+his+boxing+greatness%E2%80%94the+very+hand+with+which+he+won+more+than+150+sanctioned+fights+and+countless+sparring+sessions,+it%E2%80%99s+his+left+hand,+not+his+right,+that+shook+almost+continuously.+And+I+was+thinking+how+his+major+source+of+pride,+his+%E2%80%9Cprettiness,%E2%80%9D+remained+more+or+less+intact.+If+Ali+lost+40+pounds,+in+the+right+kind+of+light+he%E2%80%99d+still+look+classically+Greek.+The+seeming+precision+with+which+things+have+been+excised+from+Ali%E2%80%99s+life+(as+well+as+the+gifts+that+have+been+left+him)+sort+of+spooked+me.&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiAiuPol47VAhVDbj4KHXPbBdIQ6wEIKTAA>
> https://books.google.com/books?isbn=0804151717
> Davis Miller
> <https://www.google.com/search?newwindow=1&safe=active&tbm=bks&tbm=bks&q=inauthor:%22Davis+Miller%22&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiAiuPol47VAhVDbj4KHXPbBdIQ9AgIKjAA> -
> 2013 - ‎Preview
> <https://books.google.com/books?id=mSzbAAAAQBAJ&pg=PT80&dq=%E2%80%9CIt+just+bothers+me,%E2%80%9D+I+told+him.+I+was+thinking+about+the+obvious+ironies,+thinking+about+Ali+continuing+to+invent,+and+be+invented+by,+his+own+mythology.+About+how+he+used+to+talk+easier,+maybe+better,+than+anybody+in+the+world+(has+anyone+in+history+so+enjoyed+the+sweet+and+spiky+melodies+of+his+own+voice?);+about+how+he+sometimes+still+thought+with+speed+and+dazzle,+but+it+took+serious+effort+for+him+to+communicate+even+with+people+close+to+him.+About+how+he+may+have+been+the+world%E2%80%99s+best+athlete%E2%80%94when+walking,+he+used+to+move+with+the+grace+of+a+leopard+turning+a+corner;+now,+at+night,+he+stumbled+around+the+house.+About+how+it+was+his+left+hand,+the+same+hand+from+which+once+slid+that+great+Ali+snake-lick+of+a+jab%E2%80%94the+most+visible+phenomenon+of+his+boxing+greatness%E2%80%94the+very+hand+with+which+he+won+more+than+150+sanctioned+fights+and+countless+sparring+sessions,+it%E2%80%99s+his+left+hand,+not+his+right,+that+shook+almost+continuously.+And+I+was+thinking+how+his+major+source+of+pride,+his+%E2%80%9Cprettiness,%E2%80%9D+remained+more+or+less+intact.+If+Ali+lost+40+pounds,+in+the+right+kind+of+light+he%E2%80%99d+still+look+classically+Greek.+The+seeming+precision+with+which+things+have+been+excised+from+Ali%E2%80%99s+life+(as+well+as+the+gifts+that+have+been+left+him)+sort+of+spooked+me.&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiAiuPol47VAhVDbj4KHXPbBdIQuwUIKzAA> -
> ‎More editions
> <https://www.google.com/search?newwindow=1&safe=active&tbm=bks&q=editions:lQsFIILE6j0C&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiAiuPol47VAhVDbj4KHXPbBdIQmBYILDAA>
> The pores on his face look huge, his features elongated, distorted, like
> someone's in an El Greco. He rubs his ... talking. to. you. about. this.”
> “No, no, go on,” he says. “It just bothers me,” I tell him. I'm thinking about
> the obvious ironies, thinking about Ali continuing to invent, and be
> invented by, his own mythology. About how he used to talk easier, maybe
> better, than anybody in the world (has anyone in history so enjoyed the
> sweet and spiky melodies of his own voice?). About how he ...
>
> On Sun, Jul 16, 2017 at 11:46 AM, Jochen Stremmel <jstremmel at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Anybody read the article with this paragraph:
>>
>> “It just bothers me,” I told him. I was thinking about the obvious
>> ironies, thinking about Ali continuing to invent, and be invented by, his
>> own mythology. About how he used to talk easier, maybe better, than anybody
>> in the world (has anyone in history so enjoyed the sweet and spiky melodies
>> of his own voice?); about how he sometimes still thought with speed and
>> dazzle, but it took serious effort for him to communicate even with people
>> close to him. About how he may have been the world’s best athlete—when
>> walking, he used to move with the grace of a leopard turning a corner; now,
>> at night, he stumbled around the house. About how it was his left hand, the
>> same hand from which once slid that great Ali snake-lick of a jab—the most
>> visible phenomenon of his boxing greatness—the very hand with which he won
>> more than 150 sanctioned fights and countless sparring sessions, it’s *his
>> left hand*, not his right, that shook almost continuously. And I was
>> thinking how his major source of pride, his “prettiness,” remained more or
>> less intact. If Ali lost 40 pounds, in the right kind of light he’d still
>> look classically Greek. The seeming precision with which things have been
>> excised from Ali’s life (as well as the gifts that have been left him) sort
>> of spooked me.
>> ?
>>
>>
>>
>
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