Show Notes and Links to Eric Nusbaum’s Work and Allusions/Texts from Episode 63
On Episode 63, Pete talks with Eric Nusbaum about his freelance writing for such publications as VICE, Sports Illustrated, and ESPN the Magazine. The two then talk in great detail about Eric’s powerful new book, Stealing Home: Los Angeles, the Dodgers, and the Lives Caught in Between, which deals with the communities forced to move to make room for Dodger Stadium. This discussion
Eric Nusbaum is a writer and former editor at VICE. His work has appeared in Sports Illustrated, ESPN the Magazine, The Daily Beast, Deadspin, and the Best American Sports Writing anthology. Born and raised in Los Angeles, he has also lived and worked in Mexico City, New York, and Seattle. He now lives in Tacoma, Washington with his family.
Buy Stealing Home: Los Angeles, the Dodgers, and the Lives Caught in Between (Bookshop.org)
Stealing Home Book and Eric Nusbaum Personal Website
August 2020 Eric Nusbaum NPR Interview about Book
"Dodger Stadium's Shameful Origin Story"-Interesting Info and Background on Abrana and Manuel Aréchiga
At about 1:45, Eric talks about his early days writing for Deadspin
At about 3:00, Eric talks about his reading life as a child, living in a “print-rich environment” and reading local and legendary Los Angeles Times writers like Jim Murray and Bill Plaschke and Sports Illustrated for Kids and Sports Illustrated
At about 6:10, Eric discusses formative moments that led to him becoming a writer
At about 6:55, Eric discusses texts and writers that have given him “chills at will,” including the USA trilogy of John Dos Passos
At about 8:30, Eric details his Dodger fandom
At about 10:45, Eric traces his evolution into a professional writer; he recognizes some of his great and inspiring professors/teachers along the way, including Richard Kenney and Lou Matthews; he also references a huge building block in his writing life-his and Ted Walker and Patrick Dubuque’s baseball blog-Pitchers and Poets
At about 13:10, Eric describes the piece he wrote that was included in 2010’s The Best American Sports Writing-the essay was “The Death of a Pitcher”
At about 13:45, Eric discusses the balance between reading for a pleasure and reading with a critical eye
At about 15:00, Eric describes the “surreal” feeling of writing for magazines that he idolized as a kid
At about 16:25, a random note about language and “realizarse”
At about 17:00, Eric talks about his book Stealing Home and the importance of a descriptive subtitle
At about 18:00, Eric details how a school visit by Frank Wilkinson and other events started the wheels in motion for Eric to write and publish Stealing Home
At about 21:00, Eric outlines some background and history from the book, especially the three neighborhoods-La Loma, Bishop, and Palo Verde-that make up “Chavez Ravine”
At about 21:50, Eric explains ideas of trust, burden, trauma, and responsibility in making sure that he got the important story correct
At about 24:00, Eric talks about the research process and talking to family and friends of those involved in the book’s events/history, as well as reconstructing dialogue and events from the 1940s/50s, etc.
At about 27:00, Pete and Eric discuss the skillful ways in which Eric wove together so many apparently disparate stories-from that of General Santa Anna, Veracruz, MX, Abner Doubleday, etc.
At about 28:45, Eric details the myriad connections between the events of the book and today’s world
At about 29:50, Eric recounts the anecdotes that link baseball, its origins, and General Santa Anna
At about 32:20, Eric gives the rationale for his successful usage of 72 (!) chapters, mostly about “creating tension” and why he decided to avoid using academic-style footnotes
At about 34:20, Eric reads from page five, the last paragraph in the book’s Preface
At about 36:50, Eric and Pete discuss the relationship between sports fandom and the need to acknowledge how society’s inequities play out in sports as well-i.e., the shameful treatment of Colin Kaepernick, the shameful ways in which Dodger Stadium was built on others’ homes
At about 41:00, Pete and Eric discuss the shameful and racist histories often associated with early Los Angeles figures, many of whom are still memorialized today in street names, and in the book; Pete shouts out a book about 1900s LA-John Fante’s Ask the Dust
At about 43:00, Eric and Pete discuss the lack of salient villains in the book’s storyline, and Eric discusses his focus on people’s motivations in writing the book
At about 45:00, Eric talks about the complicated legacy of Frank Wilkinson
At about 49:00, Eric details the life in the three neighborhoods razed to make room for Dodger Stadium before the team even thought of moving them
At about 52:00, Eric reads the end of the book, focused on Abrana Aréchiga, the matriarch of the pioneering family, and a symbol of the neighborhood pre-Dodger Stadium
At about 54:25, reads from the last paragraph of Page 208, which serves as a wonderful summary of the myth of sport and its connection to the book
At about 56:00, Pete recounts some great recent books, like Eric’s, like Pete Croatto’s From Hang Time to Primetime: Business, Entertainment, and the Birth of the Modern-Day NBA and Bradford Pearson’s The Eagles of Heart Mountain: A True Story of Football, Incarceration, and Resistance in World War II America, that are not just about sports
You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a
five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Spotify, Stitcher, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this episode and other episodes on YouTube-you can watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel.
This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.
The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.
Episode 77 with Danielle Fuentes Morgan, Professor at Santa Clara University and Expert and Nuanced Chronicler of Pop Culture through her Book, Laughing to Keep from Dying: African American Satire
Episode 76 with Mirin Fader, Heartfelt Chronicler, In-Depth Reporter, and Author of Giannis: The Improbable Rise of an NBA MVP, The New York Times Bestseller
Episode 75 with Marcos Bretón, Veteran Sportswriter, Insightful, Strong-Willed, and Honest Sacramento Bee Columnist, and McClatchy Company’s California Opinion Editor.
Episode 74 with Memoirist and Journalist and Dogged Pursuer of the Truth, Jean Guerrero, Author of Hatemonger: Stephen Miller, and Crux: A Cross-Border Memoir
Episode 73 with Roberto Lovato: Lightshiner and Truthteller-The Brilliant Excavator of Past Travesties and Author of the Incredible Memoir, Unforgetting
Episode 72 with Precise and Impassioned Poet, Creative, Radio Host, Teacher, and Founder of Southern Collective Experience, Clifford Brooks
Episode 71 with Music and Book Reviewer Extraordinaire and Author of the Dynamic, Educational, and Deeply-Researched Strange Stars: David Bowie, Pop Music, and the Decade Sci-Fi Exploded
Episode 70 with The "Master Craftsman with Astonishing Depth," and "Writer of the World," John Domini, the Author of 2021's The Archeology of a Good Ragù
Episode 69 with Observant Veteran Sportswriter Based in Tokyo and Author of the Well-Researched and Engrossing Going 15 Rounds with Jerry Izenberg, Ed Odeven
Episode 68 with The Hilarious, Profound, and Talented Writer of the Standout Debut Short Story Collection, Give My Love to the Savages, Chris Stuck
Episode 67 with Keen Observer, Fearless Fighter for Justice, and Food and Culture Writer, Esther Tseng
Episode 66 with Deep-Thinker, Aesthete, and Passionate Poet and Podcaster, Gabrielle Bates
Episode 65, with Natalie Lima, Master Essayist and Chronicler of the Universal and the Personal
Episode 64 with Director, Producer, Writer and Passionate, Award-Winning Storyteller for ESPN's 30 for 30 and E60, Martin Khodabakhshian
Episode 62 with Poet, Activist, Actor and Powerful Performer, Donté Clark, Inspiration for Romeo is Bleeding
Episode 61 with Humor Writer for The Onion, Mad Magazine, and More: Funnyman, Dave Croatto
Episode 60 with the Immensely Cerebral and Passionate Poet Andrew Liu, Creator of California Metaphysics
Episode 59 with The Standout Crime Fiction Writer and Creator of Countless Compelling Characters, Tod Goldberg
Episode 58 with The Talented Writer and Comic Genius (and also WWE's Dr. Shelby!) Mike Aspinwall
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Lit Society: Books and Drama
Ex Libris
Write The Book: Conversations on Craft
The War of the Worlds
Black Beauty
Fresh Air
Myths and Legends