Sort of Gone

by Sarah Freligh

The hard-bitten dreamers in Sarah Freligh’s Sort of Gone are chasing the baseball life, giving themselves to it. Players and fans, they learn the glories and heartbreaks of the game that we call America’s Pasttime. Freligh’s gritty portraits cut past romanticism and reveal the true, enduring romance of the game.

Genres: Poetry

88 pages, Paperback

First published January 18, 2008

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sort of Gone is one of those rare poetry collections which achieves the depth and scope of a novel. In these poems, Sarah Freligh creates an entire world of characters and employs multiple points of view to tell the story of the rise and fall of a baseball player. The stories told in the poems generate enough tension and suspense to qualify this collection as a "page turner" -- you will read it quickly to see what happens to Al, and then you will read it again to see how Freligh pulled this off. I'm not a baseball fan and yet I still could not put this book down. Brava, Ms. Freligh!

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really wonderful collection of poems that trace out the life of a baseball player, a pitcher. Tough, funny, real. Strong work. Best of all, the details of playing ball ring true, down to the smell of the grass and the unquiet mind chattering away at you while you just want to concentrate on what that next damn pitch should be.

One of the blurbs has it right: great if you like poetry or baseball. If you like them both, well, this is a must read.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favorite poems:
"Groupie"
"An Old Ballplayer Lectures a Rookie On Girls"
"City of Tonawanda Softball Championship"
"Novena"

[Christina]

I have her for creative writing. She's fantastic in real life.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is fantastic in several ways. I read it straight through yesterday afternoon and I look forward to dipping into it here and there again and again and again.

[Sarah Freligh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wrote it. I read it.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poetry about a pitcher.

Freligh's history as a sportswriter is evident, but she has excellent command of her poetry. And her images — she compares the crescent moon to a curveball! — speaks to how deeply she marinated this idea.

It's good sportswriting and good literature — a worthy heir to Ring Lardner.

[Andy McCarthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite books of poetry. It tells the story of Al from childhood to retirement from Major League baseball through poems. Wonderful.