Episode 89 with Luke Epplin, Writer of Nonfiction with the Best Qualities of Fiction, and Author of Our Team: The Epic Story of Four Men and the World Series That Changed Baseball

Episode 89 Notes and Links to Luke Epplin’s Work 

 

 

      On Episode 89 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Luke Epplin, writer of Our Team: The Epic Story of Four Men and the World Series That Changed Baseball. The two talk about, among other things, Luke’s early relationship with language, his admiration for certain writers who have shaped his sensibility and philosophy of writing, and his purpose in writing nonfiction that has the best qualities of fiction. They also discuss his dazzling book about four intriguing members of The Cleveland Indians and their 1948 World Series victory and rollercoaster season. 

      Luke Epplin, whose writing has appeared in The Atlantic, the New Yorker Page-Turner, The Washington Post, GQ, Slate, Salon, The Daily Beast, among others, and he has appeared in such places as NPR’s “Weekend Edition,“  The New York Times, the MLB Network, and ESPN. He is the author of Our Team: The Epic Story of Four Men and the World Series That Changed Baseball about Bob Feller, Larry Doby, Bill Veeck, Satchel Paige, and the Cleveland Indians of the 1940s.

Buy Our Team: The Epic Story of Four Men and the World Series That Changed Baseball

 

“How Black Players Propelled Cleveland's Baseball Team To Win The 1948 World Series” from NPR, March 2021

 

Luke Epplin’s MacMillan Page

 

“Virtual Author Series” with Bruce Markusen-Video from National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum-Luke talks about the book on the Anniversary of Larry Doby's MLB Debut

At about 2:00, Luke talks about growing up in a small town outside of St. Louis, including how he was a voracious reader and was exposed to great baseball writing, including David Halberstram and his October 1964 book as an influence for Our Team, his own novel

 

At about 5:00, Luke talks about his fandom for the St. Louis Cardinals, and how the team’s fortune has made the fanbase different than the fans of the hard-luck

 

At about 7:20, Luke cites David Halberstram’s Summer of ‘49 as an inspiration for his book’s narrative

 

At about 9:00, Luke talks about chill-inducing literature, including William Saroyan, Alice Munro, and Deborah Eisenberg, and William Trevor

 

At about 10:10, Luke describes being into “lyrical realism” and how he would read aloud short stories and/or copy short stories word for word to help him “locate a voice that [was] wholly [his] own”

 

At about 12:25, Luke talks about Gay Talese, David Halberstram, and others whose nonfiction read like fiction in the best possible ways and inspired Luke’s own aesthetic 

 

At about 13:30, Luke talks about his appreciation of John Cheever and spiritual ancestors and descendants

 

At about 15:30, Luke details great phrasing from Gay Talese’s famous piece on Joe DiMaggio, and how he used “the rhythm” of the diction as inspiration fro his own book

 

At about 18:00-Luke references Mark Harris’ Pictures at a Revolution as a big source of inspiration and thrill and Erik Larson as well

 

At about 20:05-Luke points out the lack of stats and numbers used in his Our Team book, and his rationale for this

 

At about 21:40, Pete and Luke join the Laura Hillenbrand Mutual Admiration Society

 

At about 24:00, Luke discusses the ways in which he balanced archive footage and interviews in “piecing together” his storyline for Our Team

 

At about 25:20, Luke talks about the challenges of telling Larry Doby’s story, as he was a reticent person for the most part

 

At about 26:55, Pete asks Luke for his “ ‘Eureka’ moments” and Luke shares an interesting anecdote about his grandfather, the St. Louis Browns, and Bill Veeck that were seeds for his book

 

At about 30:50, Pete references Luke as part of a group of writers in recent years like Bradford Pearson and Eric Nusbaum, among many others, who have written a certain type of “sports book” that is not wholly a sports book; Pete’s joke about the epically long titles so popular these days leads to Luke

 

At about 33:15, Luke gives background on Bill Veeck, one of the four main characters of Luke’s book

 

At about 36:10, Luke gives background on Larry Doby, one of the four main characters of Luke’s book

 

At about 38:20, Pete and Luke discuss the unfair expectations for Larry Doby as a “pioneer,” and Eric juxtaposes Jackie Robinson and Larry Doby’s experiences

 

At about 43:00, Luke talks about the book’s Epilogue that details the blatant racism that Larry Doby experienced, including after his heroic 1948 World Series, and some of the ways in which white writers didn’t fully take into account the hardships he faced 

 

At about 46:00, Luke discusses the intriguing and singular Satchel Paige, one of the “Big Four” from the book

 

At about 49:50, Pete and Luke discuss Larry Doby and Satchel Paige’s relationship, as well as the latter’s persona and its connection to the ugly history of racism, minstrel shows, etc.

 

At about 52:10, Luke traces the modern frowning upon “showy baseball” in contemporary times

 

At about 53:30, Pete and Luke discuss the brainstorming tours undertaken by Bob Feller, Satchel Paige described in great detail in the book 

 

At about 53:25, Pete proudly shares stories involving his grandfather, Joe Albanese, and how he got two hits off Satchel Paige in a barnstorming exhibition

 

At about 56:25, Luke details Satchel Paige in juxtaposition to Bob Feller and to Jackie Robinson, as well as how Paige’s legendary confidence and independence-he is, Luke says, “fully himself”

 

At about 1:00:00, Luke talks of the absolute legend that Satchel Paige was and how his pitching was an absolute scene for spectators

 

At about 1:00:40, Pete asks Luke to dispel (hehe) rumors that Pope Francis recently cited Luke’s book while talking to Joe Biden, and Luke continues in talking about Satchel’s LONG and illustrious career

 

At about 1:03:10, Luke discusses the phenom Luke discusses the intriguing and singular Satchel Paige, one of the “Big Four” from the book, one of the “Big Four” from the book; Luke cites Feller’s bona fides as someone who built himself up by himself, the “ ‘American Dream’ writ large” post-Depression and Roaring 20s

 

At about 1:08:55, Pete and Luke discuss the book’s ending-the glorious victory in the 1948 World Series-including the letdown experienced by various characters in the book; Luke cites “loneliness” as a central theme of the book

 

At about 1:11:00, Pete and Luke discuss Luke’s meaningful focus on a certain pivotal August

 

At about 1:12:35, Luke talks about future projects, including an exciting and intriguing basketball story he will be telling, and possibly writing in Spanish (pues, tal vez…)

 

At about 1:14:17, Pete and Luke talk about the glorious “sic” and Luke’s experience with the “colorful” sportswriting that he used to build his book

 

At about 1:15:20, Effa Manley is discussed and why she needs her story to be written

 

At about 1:15:55, Luke reads an excerpt from the book that deals with the legendarily energetic Bill Veeck

 

At about 1:21:00, Luke gives out his contact information and shouts out his local favorite, The Astoria Bookshop

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     Please tune in for the next episode, a conversation with Bill Esparza. Esparza is a professional musician, writer, and blogger whose travels throughout Latin America have made him a leading expert on Latin American cuisines. He fell in love with Mexican cooking at his grandmother's table and on childhood trips to his family's hometown of Aguascalientes, Mexico, where he was introduced to street food. His original style of writing and passion for culture have made Esparza a go-to source for magazines, newspapers, and food travel shows. His knowledge has been acquired the old-fashioned way, from firsthand experience on the streets and at the stands and markets of Los Angeles, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America. The episode will air starting November 9.