Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 9/5/2007

9/5/1960:
Wilma Rudolph, who overcame childhood polio to become a world-class athlete, collects her second gold medal at the 1960 Olympmic Games in Rome by winning the 100-meter dash in 11 seconds flat. Earlier this week, she won the 200 meters in 24 seconds flat, and she'll soon win more gold as part of the 4 x 100 relay team. She'll earn AP Female Athlete of the Year honors this year and next, and will win the 1961 Sullivan Award as America's finest amateur athlete.

Birthdays:
Gene Bearden b. 1920
Bill Mazeroski b. 1936
John Ferguson b. 1938
Willie Gault b. 1960
Dennis Scott b. 1968

“Elegant and graceful.”—Miami Herald

“One of the most talented writers around.”—Michael Chabon

“Enchanting.”—John Updike, The New Yorker

“Quietly dazzling.”—The New York Times Book Review

Max Tivoli was born at age 70 and will get younger every year until he dies an infant. His mesmerizing life story is filled with bittersweet nostalgia and the heartbreak of his one great unrequited love, Alice. Everyone who’s read this unforgettable book has gone mad for Max.

THE CONFESSIONS OF MAX TIVOLI: A NOVEL, by Andrew Sean Greer (Picador, 2005)