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one she found was from the year [my
have to make up as much," says
dad coached my team] when I was 14."
Lasser, whose religious beliefs were
Lasser's mother, Joyce Ginsberg, is
fostered through Temple Beth El.
one of the few family members remain-
The generational conflict would have
ing in Michigan. A former teacher, she
been more difficult to bring out if
went to New York to baby-sit while
they had been Christian."
Lasser and his wife traveled on the first
When Lasser was a student at
leg of his book tour, and she brought
Andover High School, the idea of writ-
along a copy of Battle Creek, purchased
ing professionally never crossed his mind.
for her son to autograph.
"In high school, English was always
"I like the book's language, feel-
the subject that I had to take," Lasser
ing for people and the relationships,"
recalls. "I was a pretty decent student,
says Ginsberg, an avid reader who
but I couldn't count on the greatest
admits that she
grades in English. I
would not have
had stopped reading
sought out a
for pleasure and just
book on baseball
read books that were
if it had been
assigned to me.
written by some-
"While I went to
one else. The
Dartmouth as a politi-
fact that the set-
cal science major, I
ting is local
came home [on break]
makes it fascinat-
and worked a physical
ing, and I read it
labor job during the
with a sense of
day and as a busboy at
wonderment."
night. I would get
Lasser says the
home at 11:30 and
Michigan setting
couldn't fall asleep. I
is critical.
started reading and
"It's where I
loved it. Somewhere, I
grew up, and it
had the hubris to
influenced the
think that I could do
way I view the
it myself. Once I start-
world," says the
ed, when I was 23, I
It not mere coincidence that the
author, whose
never stopped."
novel's. main character, Gil Davison,
next novel moves
Lasser's short sto-
is a Jewish baseball coach for a
to a Wall Street
ries appeared in liter- Detroit-area team.
setting.
"There
ary journals, such as
really is a baseball
The Missouri Review
tournament every year in Battle Creek,
and The Mississippi Review, and he
and I did have a core family in Jackson.
has written for the PBS nature series
I had a grandfather there, but Morris in
Wild America.
the book is very different.
He enrolled in a creative writing
"My father, who lives in Florida
program at the University of Michigan
now,
was a really successful athlete,
and received a master's degree in
and it was very difficult for the family
1989. He also went on to earn a mas-
to fathom or value that. If you're a
ter's degree in business administration
good athlete in some middle-
from the University of Pennsylvania's
American town, that's important in
Wharton School.
the town. It's unusual that it's impor-
Lasser's business focus allows him to
tant in the town but it's not important
support his family: wife Deborah, who
in
your house. I wanted to get that
converted to Judaism; son Charley, 9;
into the book because I felt [it] would
and daughter Allison, 19 months. His
be something that would stay with a
writing fulfills a very personal need.
person an entire lifetime as it does for
"Baseball was as important as the
the [main] character." II
other sports I participated in as a kid,
and after I stopped playing, it wasn't
as important anymore," the novelist
Scott Lasser will read passages
explains. "Now that I have a son, its
from Battle Creek and sign copies
importance has intensified again. I
at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 18, at
play with him, and he plays in Little
Borders, 34300 Woodward,
League. It's a connection between the
Birmingham, (248) 203-0059;
generations, and in many ways, that
and at 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 19,
makes it interesting.
at Shaman Drum, 313 S. State,
"When I needed a glove to play
Ann Arbor, (734) 662-7407.
catch with my boy, Ica lled my mother
to ask if she still had [one of mine]. The
• •
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Prize Art Collection includes Works by
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Lithographs — Etchings — Engravings — Watercolors — Enamels
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Various mixed media. All magnificently framed.
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(248) 366-7979
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Immam-rmana
Detroit Jewish News
1999
79