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Bloodlines: A Horse Racing Anthology
From provocative peeks into the lives of jockeys, trainers, owners, and breeders, to the down and dirty doings of bookies and gamblers, here is a literary tribute to a favorite national pastime. Editors Maggie Estep ( Diary of an Emotional Idiot ; Flamethrower ) and Jason Starr ( Twisted City; Lights Out ) have brought together original fiction and nonfiction from some of our most beloved writers. Lee Child heads off the collection with a thrilling story about a hit man hired to knock off a horse mid-race. Laura Lippman contributes a vivid tale about a young man who makes money selling parking places at the Preakness and the intriguing woman he meets. Here is Bill Barich on the misfortunes of an Irish gambler, Joe R. Lansdale on one man’s ambition to win a mule race in east Texas, Laura Hillenbrand on the Kentucky Derby, and James Surowiecki on the wisdom of horse-racing crowds. Jonathan Ames adds his unique theory of horse love, Meghan O’Rourke shares her touching recollections of going to Saratoga as a child, and Jane Smiley tells of her experiences raising thoroughbreds. This standout collection on horse-racing featuring twenty authors, from national bestsellers to Pulitzer Prize winners, is as page-turning as it is diverse.Also includes pieces by Ken Bruen, Steven Crist, Maggie Estep, William Nack, Scott Phillips, John Schaefer, Jerry Stahl, Jason Starr, Charlie Stella, Wallace Stroby, and Daniel Woodrell.
- GenresShort Stories
372 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
2 people are currently reading
65 people want to read
About the author
Maggie Estep
25 books57 followersMaggie Estep grew up moving throughout the US and France with her nomadic horse trainer parents. She attended the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics in Boulder, Co. and received a B.A. in Literature from The State University of New York.
Before publishing her first novel, Maggie worked as a horse groom, a go-go dancer, a dishwasher, a nurse's aide, and a box factory worker. Maggie has published seven books, DIARY OF AN EMOTIONAL IDIOT (Harmony Books 1997, Soft Skull 2003) SOFT MANIACS (Simon and Schuster 1999) LOVE DANCE OF THE MECHANICAL ANIMALS (Three Rivers Press 2003) HEX (Three Rivers Press 2003) GARGANTUAN (Three Rivers Press 2004) FLAMETHROWER (Three Rivers Press 2006) and ALICE FANTASTIC (Akashic Books 2009). HEX, the first book in Maggie's trilogy of crime novels, was chosen by the New York Times as a notable book of 2003.
Maggie has recorded two spoken word CD's, NO MORE MR. NICE GIRL (Nuyo Records 1994) and LOVE IS A DOG FROM HELL (Mercury Records 1997).
She has given readings of her work at cafes, clubs, and colleges throughout the US and Europe and has also performed her work on The Charlie Rose Show, MTV, PBS, and HBO's "Def Poetry Jam". Her writing has appeared in The New York Post, Self Magazine, Village Voice, New York Press, Harpers Bazaar, Spin, and Nerve.com, as well as in dozens of anthologies including but not limited to BROOKLYN NOIR, THE BEST AMERICAN EROTICA, and HARD BOILED BROOKLYN.
She is currently at work on The Angelmakers, a novel about female gangsters in late 19th century New York.
(from MaggieEstep.com 2-4-09)
Estep suffered a heart attack on February 10, 2014 and died from complications of it on February 12, 2014. She was 50. [Wikipedia]
Before publishing her first novel, Maggie worked as a horse groom, a go-go dancer, a dishwasher, a nurse's aide, and a box factory worker. Maggie has published seven books, DIARY OF AN EMOTIONAL IDIOT (Harmony Books 1997, Soft Skull 2003) SOFT MANIACS (Simon and Schuster 1999) LOVE DANCE OF THE MECHANICAL ANIMALS (Three Rivers Press 2003) HEX (Three Rivers Press 2003) GARGANTUAN (Three Rivers Press 2004) FLAMETHROWER (Three Rivers Press 2006) and ALICE FANTASTIC (Akashic Books 2009). HEX, the first book in Maggie's trilogy of crime novels, was chosen by the New York Times as a notable book of 2003.
Maggie has recorded two spoken word CD's, NO MORE MR. NICE GIRL (Nuyo Records 1994) and LOVE IS A DOG FROM HELL (Mercury Records 1997).
She has given readings of her work at cafes, clubs, and colleges throughout the US and Europe and has also performed her work on The Charlie Rose Show, MTV, PBS, and HBO's "Def Poetry Jam". Her writing has appeared in The New York Post, Self Magazine, Village Voice, New York Press, Harpers Bazaar, Spin, and Nerve.com, as well as in dozens of anthologies including but not limited to BROOKLYN NOIR, THE BEST AMERICAN EROTICA, and HARD BOILED BROOKLYN.
She is currently at work on The Angelmakers, a novel about female gangsters in late 19th century New York.
(from MaggieEstep.com 2-4-09)
Estep suffered a heart attack on February 10, 2014 and died from complications of it on February 12, 2014. She was 50. [Wikipedia]
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 23, 2022
Dec 23, 1030am ~~ Before I made this an official Currently Reading title, I read the first story, a selection by Lee Child titled The .50 Solution. I did not know who Lee Child was (I know, I know, but I don't read many present-day authors, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!) but I checked his GR author page when I was through so now I do know. This story was super, and maybe someday I might give the Jack Reacher books a try, who knows.
That is the fun of a short story collection: getting introduced to authors you may never have read but might enjoy. So I marked the book as Currently Reading and settled in for what I figured would be more great stories, even if I was expecting crime angles in each one since the two editors are known for their work in that genre.
The second story, Black-Eyed Susan by Laura Lippman, was also good, if not as crisp and impactful as Child's. I can't say anything about The .50 Solution, you have to read it yourself, but this one takes place on Preakness Day and revolves around a family who lives near the racetrack. They have many side hustles on race day: room for parking in their front yard, a delivery service of carrying ice chests in shopping carts from the house to the ingate, selling this that and whatever else they can manage, even being part of the cleanup crew the day after the race. The family was interesting and I really liked our main character Dontay, who dreamed of earning enough money this day for who knows what, maybe some name brand shoes or a new CD player. Then he gets the customer of his dreams when one parking space is left open and a late arrival hurries in to fill the space. Will our Dontay earn enough money from the people in this car to buy whatever he wants? They paid much more than the regular parking fee without blinking an eye, and need help with three ice chests! This could be a dream come true!
Okay, now I was stoked for the rest of the book, but the rest of the book was disappointing. Stories that did not get right to the action like these two did, but instead dragged on and on with background details. Stories full of foul language, something I can handle when it is not too rank, but I prefer not to read f this and f that every other sentence. Stories that were dull, boring, and reduced me to skimming right away. I dipped into each one but never got interested enough in any of them to actually read closely.
I would give the two stories I mentioned five stars each, but the book as a whole earns just the one.
I am marking this a DNF and putting it in the giveaway box.
That is the fun of a short story collection: getting introduced to authors you may never have read but might enjoy. So I marked the book as Currently Reading and settled in for what I figured would be more great stories, even if I was expecting crime angles in each one since the two editors are known for their work in that genre.
The second story, Black-Eyed Susan by Laura Lippman, was also good, if not as crisp and impactful as Child's. I can't say anything about The .50 Solution, you have to read it yourself, but this one takes place on Preakness Day and revolves around a family who lives near the racetrack. They have many side hustles on race day: room for parking in their front yard, a delivery service of carrying ice chests in shopping carts from the house to the ingate, selling this that and whatever else they can manage, even being part of the cleanup crew the day after the race. The family was interesting and I really liked our main character Dontay, who dreamed of earning enough money this day for who knows what, maybe some name brand shoes or a new CD player. Then he gets the customer of his dreams when one parking space is left open and a late arrival hurries in to fill the space. Will our Dontay earn enough money from the people in this car to buy whatever he wants? They paid much more than the regular parking fee without blinking an eye, and need help with three ice chests! This could be a dream come true!
Okay, now I was stoked for the rest of the book, but the rest of the book was disappointing. Stories that did not get right to the action like these two did, but instead dragged on and on with background details. Stories full of foul language, something I can handle when it is not too rank, but I prefer not to read f this and f that every other sentence. Stories that were dull, boring, and reduced me to skimming right away. I dipped into each one but never got interested enough in any of them to actually read closely.
I would give the two stories I mentioned five stars each, but the book as a whole earns just the one.
I am marking this a DNF and putting it in the giveaway box.
December 26, 2021
This must be one of the absolutely worse horse books I have ever read! One would think this would include stories about race horses because how can you have horse racing without horses? Thoroughbreds, maybe even Arabians, quarter horses or jumpers. But the majority of these stories in here are not about horses at all. Or even about jockeys!
They are actually about people going to the track to place bets! And even then some of these tales get greatly sidetracked to other things, like great plumbing mishaps that involve flooding or someone trying to rob a museum! And no, the item being stolen at said museum had nothing to do with horses! Another tale that was at least a bit interesting was about a guy using a cart to carry people's coolers to the track - this one was interesting because there was a big twist in the tale - but no horses at all.
If you want something about the human-horse bond that riders share or a great story about a horse, this is NOT the book for you.
There are a few short articles in here about horse racing but I really didn't find them interesting either. Too dry.
The best story in here that actually seemed to be about an equine was "White Mule Spotted Pig" and as you can guess its not a horse story but about a few different mules. But at least it was actually about an animal!
This is NOT what I had expected at all when I picked this book up from my library. I think it's clear the various authors who wrote these tales probably don't know anything about horses and if you don't know the facts & details it would be very hard to write a story. So instead they do it on the betting. Which I have zero interest in.
The cover image is pretty but it can't save a bad book.
They are actually about people going to the track to place bets! And even then some of these tales get greatly sidetracked to other things, like great plumbing mishaps that involve flooding or someone trying to rob a museum! And no, the item being stolen at said museum had nothing to do with horses! Another tale that was at least a bit interesting was about a guy using a cart to carry people's coolers to the track - this one was interesting because there was a big twist in the tale - but no horses at all.
If you want something about the human-horse bond that riders share or a great story about a horse, this is NOT the book for you.
There are a few short articles in here about horse racing but I really didn't find them interesting either. Too dry.
The best story in here that actually seemed to be about an equine was "White Mule Spotted Pig" and as you can guess its not a horse story but about a few different mules. But at least it was actually about an animal!
This is NOT what I had expected at all when I picked this book up from my library. I think it's clear the various authors who wrote these tales probably don't know anything about horses and if you don't know the facts & details it would be very hard to write a story. So instead they do it on the betting. Which I have zero interest in.
The cover image is pretty but it can't save a bad book.
December 4, 2021
I liked the story about betting with the crowd
February 12, 2022
Some stories were great others sucked and I found myself skipping through them. A few stories really have nothing to do with racing. Little disappointed overall with the book.
Read
May 16, 2023From provocative peeks into the lives of jockeys, trainers, owners, and breeders, to the down and dirty doings of bookies and gamblers, here is a literary tribute to a favorite national pastime. Editors Maggie Estep (Diary of an Emotional Idiot; Flamethrower) and Jason Starr (Twisted City; Lights Out) have brought together original fiction and nonfiction from some of our most beloved writers. Lee Child heads off the collection with a thrilling story about a hit man hired to knock off a horse mid-race. Laura Lippman contributes a vivid tale about a young man who makes money selling parking places at the Preakness and the intriguing woman he meets. Here is Bill Barich on the misfortunes of an Irish gambler, Joe R. Lansdale on one man’s ambition to win a mule race in east Texas, Laura Hillenbrand on the Kentucky Derby, and James Surowiecki on the wisdom of horse-racing crowds. Jonathan Ames adds his unique theory of horse love, Meghan O’Rourke shares her touching recollections of going to Saratoga as a child, and Jane Smiley tells of her experiences raising thoroughbreds. This standout collection on horse-racing featuring twenty authors, from national bestsellers to Pulitzer Prize winners, is as page-turning as it is diverse.
Also includes pieces by Ken Bruen, Steven Crist, Maggie Estep, William Nack, Scott Phillips, John Schaefer, Jerry Stahl, Jason Starr, Charlie Stella, Wallace Stroby, and Daniel Woodrell.
Also includes pieces by Ken Bruen, Steven Crist, Maggie Estep, William Nack, Scott Phillips, John Schaefer, Jerry Stahl, Jason Starr, Charlie Stella, Wallace Stroby, and Daniel Woodrell.
April 29, 2010
This is a very quirky book of short stories related to horses and racing. The stories are both fiction and non-fiction and range the gamut from murder mysteries to horse racing history, betting probabilities, and even mule racing. I really enjoyed the stories because they were all so diverse. However, my favorite stories are one about the history of the Kentucky Derby and Churchill Downs and a bizarre tale that imagines what happens to Joseph Mengele one day at a race course in the United States. The outcome is truly unimaginable!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews