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Sport

A Novel

2003
•
Author:

Mick Cochrane

Sport

A nostalgic story about a Minnesota boy’s search for belonging in a complex world

“In this wise, witty story set in West St. Paul in the ’60s, a kid named Harlan navigates life by focusing on the Twins baseball team, a comic metaphor for hope. Sport is fat with small pleasures. It is a homer and a gift to all of us grownup knothole-game kids.” -Minneapolis Star Tribune

In this wise, witty story set in West St. Paul in the ’60s, a kid named Harlan navigates life by focusing on the Twins baseball team, a comic metaphor for hope. Sport is fat with small pleasures. It is a homer and a gift to all of us grownup knothole-game kids. There’s a lot to love in this quiet little book, most of all its subtle wisdom about establishing individuality and finding joy amid chaos—in short, about growing up.

—

Minneapolis Star Tribune

“In this wise, witty story set in West St. Paul in the ’60s, a kid named Harlan navigates life by focusing on the Twins baseball team, a comic metaphor for hope. Sport is fat with small pleasures. It is a homer and a gift to all of us grownup knothole-game kids. There’s a lot to love in this quiet little book, most of all its subtle wisdom about establishing individuality and finding joy amid chaos-in short, about growing up. ” -Minneapolis Star Tribune

“Short and sweet, though not too sweet, and blessedly free of sentimentality. Mick Cochrane’s intuitive, easygoing style finds a perfect balance mediating between the child and adult points of view.” -Boston Globe

“With beautifully clean prose, Mick Cochrane has given us a novel evocative of everything from Emerson to Kerouac-nothing could be more American.” -Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

“Cochrane writes convincingly about troubled families without descending into the catch phrases of pop psychology. An appealing read.” -Buffalo News


Sport

Mick Cochrane is a native of St. Paul, Minnesota. His first novel, Flesh Wounds, was named a finalist in Barnes and Noble’s Discover Great New Writers Competition. He teaches at Canisius College in Buffalo, New York.

Sport

In this wise, witty story set in West St. Paul in the ’60s, a kid named Harlan navigates life by focusing on the Twins baseball team, a comic metaphor for hope. Sport is fat with small pleasures. It is a homer and a gift to all of us grownup knothole-game kids. There’s a lot to love in this quiet little book, most of all its subtle wisdom about establishing individuality and finding joy amid chaos—in short, about growing up.

—

Minneapolis Star Tribune

Short and sweet, though not too sweet, and blessedly free of sentimentality. Mick Cochrane’s intuitive, easygoing style finds a perfect balance mediating between the child and adult points of view.

—

Boston Globe

With beautifully clean prose, Mick Cochrane has given us a novel evocative of everything from Emerson to Kerouac—nothing could be more American.

—

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

Cochrane writes convincingly about troubled families without descending into the catch phrases of pop psychology. An appealing read.

—

Buffalo News

Engaging.

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St. Paul Pioneer Press