R.A. Dickey

R.A. Dickey's memoir is extraordinary.  Here is a guy who was sexually abused by his babysitter when he was 8 years old, then by a random predator, and he grows up to become a major league baseball player.  What I love about his story is that he also studied literature--there are references to writers such as Hemingway and Faulkner--so he brings a literary flavor to his memoir. Dickey talked about having to write the book, not so much choosing to write it--just like Faulkner said about his stories.  Writers are compelled to get the stories out of them, as though it is an exercise in therapy.  How many times have we heard people say writing is cheaper than therapy?

Whenever we talk about why we study literature, R.A.'s story fits in nicely.  We study literature to understand ourselves, others, and the world we live in.  R.A.'s innocence was taken from him;  he spent most of his life burying what happened, never dealing with the trauma.  This manifested in his relationships with others, and more importantly, it affected how he saw himself.  We read stories to help us understand how people cope, but with the advantage of distance.  For people like R.A., they don't have that advantage--they suffer just like the characters do, only worse because it is real. 

I finished the memoir the day after Dickey clinched his 19th win of the season.  Even if he doesn't get a 20th win, even if he doesn't win a Cy Young award, he's already won.  Overcoming the trauma of his past and sharing his story through this memoir trumps any award--although I'll be rooting for him to win. It's all in the pursuit, not the goal....