Hurt Yourself: In Executive Pursuit of Action, Danger, and a Decent-Looking Pair of Swim Trunks

by Harry Hurt III

Harry Hurt III is a journalist and professional dilettante who puts it all on the line in the search for freedom and joy in the most unlikely of places. And the likely ones, too. Whether he’s flying a vintage Mustang, risking his neck at polo, or risking his dignity dancing with the New York City Ballet, Hurt gives the readers of his “Executive Pursuits” columns in The New York Times a Plimpton-esque glimpse of the adventures hidden just around the corner. Hurt writes about hedonism, but the columns collected for the first time here in Hurt Yourself are really about finding fulfillment as a man in the second half of his life. He writes about marriage, as he gets into, and out of, trouble with wife; fatherhood, as he struggles to connect with his son; and manhood, as he battles the demons of vanity, insecurity, and fear. Through it all, Hurt tackles each premise—from playing quarterback for the New York Jets to finding a swim suit a middle-aged man can actually wear—with self-deprecating humor and an unfailingly honest journalist’s eye.

224 pages, Hardcover

First published September 30, 2008

About the author

Harry Hurt III (born November 13, 1951)[1] is an American author and journalist. He was formerly senior editor of the Texas Monthly and a Newsweek correspondent, and his articles have appeared in publications such as The New York Times, Sports Illustrated, Esquire and Playboy. His books include Texas Rich, a biography of oil tycoon H. L. Hunt and family; and Lost Tycoon: The Many Lives of Donald J. Trump (1993), an unauthorized biography of real estate mogul and 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump.

Hurt was born in Houston, Texas, the son of Margaret (Birting) Hurt and Harry Hurt Jr., who was president of Hurt Oil Company in Houston. He graduated from Choate School in 1969 and Harvard College in 1974, where he wrote for the Harvard Crimson. He worked for the Texas Monthly in Austin, serving as senior editor from 1975 to 1986. He later moved to Sag Harbor, New York, and married Alison Becker in 1993.He also had an early career in professional golf, which he revisited in the mid 1990s in writing Chasing the Dream: A Mid-life Quest for Fame and Fortune on the Pro Golf Circuit.

Reviews

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mildly entertaining stories-with the emphasis on mildly. Seems like there is no rhyme or reason behind them, Don't know if these we're long time passions, their connections to society, etc...It was a quick, harmless, read, which is good.

[Lonny Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an easy insightful read on a journalists pursuits of stories. Entertaining, light read great for before bed or lunchtime break. The topics of these short stories are easily relatable and funny. The set up is in a short story style making it more convenient for busy people to read at an airport or during brief spurts of time during the day.